1st Solved assighnment - code 8603 aiou Autumn 2019
Q.l Analyze various definitions of curriculum and write a comprehensive definition of curriculum. Evaluate the curriculum development process in Pakistan at the university level.
Ans:The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program. In dictionaries, curriculum is often defined as the courses offered by a school, but it is rarely used in such a general sense in schools. Depending on how broadly educators define or employ the term, curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills.
An individual teacher's curriculum, for example, would be the specific learning standards, lessons, assignments, and materials used to organize and teach a particular course. The purpose of curriculum evaluation is to determine whether or not the newly adopted curriculum is producing the intended results and meeting the objectives that it has set forth, and it is an essential component in the process of adopting and implementing any new curriculum in any educational setting. Another purpose of curriculum evaluation is to gather data that will help in identifying areas in need of improvement or change. There are several parties, or stakeholders, interested in the process and results of curriculum evaluation.
Parents are interested because they want to be assured that their children are being provided with a sound, effective education. Teachers are interested because they want to know that what they are teaching in the classroom will effectively help them cover the standards and achieve the results they know parents and administration are expecting.
• The general public is interested because they need to be sure that their local schools arc doing their best to provide solid and effective educational programs for the children in the area.
Administrators are interested because they need feedback on the effectiveness of their curricular decisions.
Curriculum publishers are interested because they can use the data and feedback from a curriculum evaluation to drive changes and upgrades in the materials they provide.
Curriculum development process in Pakistan at the university level curriculum is overanalyzed into mainstream teaching and learning environment, the desired outcomes seem to be unattainable. Till day people have defined curriculum in various ways according to their perception, conception and interpretation.
Curriculum is not a static process, rather it is a dynamic process that evolves according to the needs and demands of the, society and learners. This process of evolution is life-long and demands attention to run along the main stream. So for its smooth sail and better development both practioners and theorists must evolve it according to the needs of learners, society and specific context and along the main stream. So for its smooth sail and better development both practioners and theorists must evolve it according to the needs of learners, society and specific context and conditions. These conditions are apparent and known to us.
This neither challenges to the centralization of the curriculum nor threats any national integrity. The participation of the teachers in the process of curriculum development will help them update and improve not only to the curriculum but also for the better and effective teaching and learning process itself. If we really want to see our curriculum and education successful there is a dire need to involve the teachers who are fully aware of the dynamics of curriculum, in the process of curriculum development.
A conventional concept of curriculum that curriculum is a combination of all planned and unplanned academic activities that are carried out inside the four walls of a school must be revised and re-defined. It must go beyond the academic activities to the collected vision,national ideology and a philosophy of a nation and country.Curriculum must be such a dynamic one that may have direct influential effect on the teachers and their belief systems
Q: 2 Compare the recommendations regarding curriculum reforms contained in the last two educational policies and highlight the main differences.
Curriculum Reform
Curriculum reform that changes the shape and nature of post secondary degrees must reflect generally acknowledged academic standards of excellence; skills, knowledge, and understanding tohelp students prepare for the future; and the goals and mission of the institution.
No effort at reform can succeed without adequate support for the faculty who have primary responsibility for the curriculum, nor can it succeed unless it addresses the understanding to help students prepare for the future: and the goals and mission of the institution. No effort at reform can succeed without adequate support for the faculty who have primary responsibility for the curriculum, nor can it succeed unless it addresses the needs of a diverse student population.
The goals of higher education curricula should include mastery of basic skills, active participation in the learning process, in-depth study, critical thinking, understanding of a discipline's characteristic methods, and a coherent and relevant course of study. The goals should also be consistent with NEA principles such as faculty control, equal access to quality education for all students, and multicultural understanding.
Any effort at curriculum revision should be designed to prepare all students for effective citizenship and participation in an increasingly diverse society. A common body of intellectual reference must be inclusive of multicultural and multinational perspectives. A diverse student population enriches the knowledge base of all students.
Search system also includes the institutions that are directly involved in financing, managing, operating or regulating such institutions (like government ministries and regulatory bodies, central testing organizations, textbook boards and accreditation boards). The rules and regulations that guide the individual and institutional interactions within the set up arc also part of the education system. Recommendations regarding curriculum reforms contained in the last two educational policies and highlight the main differences.
The current basic education! policies arc the heirs of the curriculum reforms of the 1990s. They have maintained the national curricular benchmarks and parameters for basic education and the principles upon which they are founded, and more recent curricular guidelines have largely taken them for references. As with the educational reforms carried out in the 1980s and 1990s in several northern hemisphere and Latin American countries, the concept of the curriculum adapted by the Brezihen edueztiene! system has come to understand basic
Keeping pace with changes in the new world order, curriculum guidelines help promote the U-turn in educational policies that enables a change in the axis from policies for equality that arc intended for everyone indiscriminately - characteristic of the periods of expansion in education systems and universal access within compulsory schooling, to equity policies which attend specific groups. Although the curriculum is made up of areas of specific subject knowledge, it is guided by the interdisciplinary and cross-cutting nature of knowledge and by the need to contextualize it, by the notion of skill or competence, and by an emphasis on diversity.
Acknowledging that there are burning issues in society about which there is no systematized organization of knowledge, such as in traditional school subjects, but which the curriculum cannot ignore, cross-cutting issues are also introduced into it. And thus, in the national context, a space is created within the education systems to address matters such as cultural diversity, gender and sexuality, and the environment, which leads to studies being carried out.
Search qualified by an adjective. 1 his right began to be understood as quality education. And quality education was everyone's prerogative. The social quality of education, which should be its result, was impregnated by society's demands for greater democracy, for a participation in the several decision-making agencies of public and private life, for inclusion, and for the overthrow of inequalities and injustices.
The right to education as a human right imposes itself as a right to difference also. Attention to differences became a core element in the education agenda and classic class inequalities were placed on an equal footing with a whole array of other differences, with none standing out as having greater priority over others in the demand for recognition. The emphasis within curriculum policies, formerly governed by equality of opportunity, increasingly fell upon guaranteeing conditions of access to social and cultural events for segments of the population with limited opportunities.
Policy Measures Regarding Technical and Vocational Education Scientific Research and technical Education Committee for Educational Conference 1947 made some very significant recommendations for building a sound and viable foundation for the technical and vocational education in Pakistan. The committee suggested a comprehensive survey to prepare first hand data about existing higher institutions of technology and colleges imparting education in different fields of scientific education.
The Education Policy 1970 focused on a significant shift towards vocational and technical education at secondary education. To attract students towards vocational and technical education it was suggested that central and provincial governments should offer 75% scholarships on the enrolment in this stream.
National Education Commission 1959 laid a special focus on technical and vocational education. The commission stressed on strengthening of technical and vocational education in the country in order to boost the economy of the state. It was suggested to make technical and vocational education as integral part of the education system of the state, and in this connection, the commission recommended to included practical courses of technical subjects, agriculture, and home economics in the school curriculum.
Q.3 Select any subject from the curriculum of B.Ed 1.5 AIOU and identify the different foundations of the curriculum from it. Also, highlight the focused foundation that is reflected at this level of the curriculum with examples.
Ans:
Different foundations of the curriculum
The Influence of Psychology to CurriculumCurriculum is influenced by psychology. Psychology provides information about the teaching and learning process. It also seeks answers as to how a curriculum be organized in order to achieve students' learning at the optimum level, and as to what amount of information they can absorb in learning the various contents of the curriculum.
The following are some psychological theories in learning that influenced curriculum development:
1. Behaviorism
Education in the 20 century was dominated by behaviorism. The mastery of the subject matter is eiven more emphasis. So. learning is organized in a steo-bv-steo orocess.
matter is given more emphasis. So, learning is organized in a step-by-step process. The use of drills and repetition are common.
For this reason, many educational psychologists viewed it mechanical and routine. Though many are skeptical about this theory, we can't deny the fact the influences it had in our educational system.
2. Cognitivism
Cognitive theorists focus on how individuals process information, monitor and manage their thinking. The basic questions that cognitive psychologists zero in on arc:
How do learners process and store information?
How do they retrieve data and generate conclusion.
3- Humanism
In this theory, curriculum is after the process, not the product; focuses on personal needs, not on the subject matter; and clarifying psychological meanings and environmental situations. In short, curriculum views founded on humanism posits that learners are human beings who are affected by their biology, culture, and environment.
4. Sociology and Curriculum
There is a mutual and encompassing relationship between society and curriculum because the school exists within the societal context. Though schools are formal institutions that educate. There is a mutual relationship between society and curriculum because the school exists within the societal context.
Focused foundation that is reflected at this level of the curriculum .Conflicts among those things desired that may not be perceived by those who desire them.
Students want interesting classes: as they get older they want to deal with things
Teachers want to enjoy teaching and watching their students develop interests and skills in and esteem for what they, as teachers, esteem. Teachers also want to work at discovering.
Administrators want to feel they have been instrumental in bringing about school outcomes they esteem.
Outside interest groups may have concerns which vary in the pursuit from divisible to indivisible, from positional to absolute benefits. We will see that the most important of these.for understanding the curriculum of the public schools, are the colleges and universities and interest groups within them, the subject-matter interest groups, and certain political and moral movements in our society.
Q.4 Evaluate the following stages in the process of curriculum development with examples:
Ans:
a) Formulation of objectives
Research objectives are the goals that you set in your study, that you want to achieve through your study. It informs the readers what you want to research and how far you want to go. It also informs the readers about the scope and extent of the study. The most important point to consider is the clarity of the research objectives.Characteristics of the research objectives Clear
Clarity is the main focus of the research objectives. The way you word your research objectives tell a lot about your research.
Your research objectives should specifically focus on the what, how when and where questions and there should be no loopholes.
Identify the main variables of the study
In the research objectives the researcher decides about the main variables of the study. The variables are the measurable concepts or quantities that will majorly impact your research. The variables should be well-defined in this phase of the research. You should decide about the dependent variables, independent variables as well as the control variables, if the research is an experimental research.
Identify the direction of the relationship
Some research studies have hypothesis, in hypothesis testing studies the researcher should define the direction in which he want to test the variables. This is only done in hypothesis. in other studies the researcher only mentions the variables.b)Selection and organization of content
Content pages are organized to be useful to a wide range of users. They provide a definition and simple overview to the topic, as well as linked references to the most important information about that topic that is available on the Web or in print. They can also contain additional detail that is useful for specific audiences, or to explore questions that are a source .Selecting Content
Set some type of criteria to help select appropriate content for your course. Course design literature suggests the following criteria. Course content should:• Fit with your course learning goals
• Have importance in the discipline
• Be based on or related to research
• Appeal to student interests
• Not overlap excessively with student past experience or knowledge
• Be multi-functional (help teach more than one concept, skill, or problem)
• Stimulate search for meaning
• Stimulate search for meaning
• Encourage further investigation
• Show interrelationships among concepts
Organizing Content
Many variations on concept mapping techniques exist to help you decide on an organizational structure for your content. The key idea is to name, in a word or two, the major topics or concepts for your course, then try to visually place them on the page.
For an even more flexible approach, try using an index card or sticky note for each concept, instead of boxes on one sheet of paper, and physically move them around until you see an organization that makes sense. For more linear thinkers, creating lists of headings and subheadings is equally effective.
Some suggestions for ordering the topics or concepts include:
• Topic by topic -
There are no set relationships amongst the topics, so the ordering is not critical. This works well for courses that revolve around current issues, for example.
• Chronological - Moving from past to present is a very common and easy to implement organizational pattern.
• Causal - The course presents a number of events or issues that culminate in some final effect or solution.
• Cumulative - Each concept builds on the previous one(s).
• Problem-centred - Problems, questions, or cases represent the principal organizing features of the course.
• Spiral - Key topics or concepts are revisited throughout the course, with new information or insight developing each time.
Within each class, also consider how to organize your material so that students can both learn and retain it. Different philosophies of learning are represented.
Some ideas to consider are:
1- Start with what students already know and then move to the abstract model or theory.
2-Start with what students already know and then move to the abstract model or theory.
3-Start with concrete examples, such as cases, news items, or other real-world situations, then generate the abstract concepts.
4-Start with a solution, conclusion, or model
5-Build in practice time, with feedback, either in class .
c) Selcction and organization of methods
Methods of Organization
In the world of business, methods of organization can be used to convey an idea, relay information, assemble a procedure and seal a deal. Methods of organization create order and direct the thoughts of the audience interacting with the information. Whether it is creating a report, sorting data, presenting an idea or organizing facts, choosing a method of organization sets the stage for decision-making.
Chronological Order of Information
Chronological order places each piece of information into a sequence of dates or time frames. This method of organization is helpful when reviewing historical data or explaining why or how a particular result occurred over time.Comparison and Contrast
A simple chart of comparison is a method of organization used when a decision must be made among several products, techniques or job candidates. This method of organization identifies the similarities and differences among the products or items being discussed. Comparison and contrast is a method that uses visual tools such as diagrams, charts or lists to convey information.
Geographical Organization Method
Location and geography provide guideposts for sequencing events or organizing business data. Geography can be used to break down sales data by state, region or city, organize a meeting or arrange travel plans. Spatial or location information can help organize the placement of a company’s various departments within a building and identify more efficient work arrangements between each group.
Inductive Method of Organization
The inductive method of organization orders information by complexity and places facts before conclusions and recommendations. Facts are presented as an investigation of the parts and pieces of a problem or issue.
Curriculum Evaluation:
The purpose of curriculum evaluation is to determine whether or not the newly adopted curriculum is producing the intended results and meeting the objectives that it has set forth, and it is an essential component in the process of adopting and implementing any new curriculum in any educational setting.
Q.5 Compare and contrast the humanistic model and process model of the curriculum.
Ans:
Humanistic Approach
In a more post-modern worldview the Humanistic approach looks at the individual rather than the numbers. Data is much more qualitative in nature. The rationale behind this is that life has multiple perspectives to it and quantitative data only provides one perspective.
Humanistic evaluators want to understand the complexities of the environment they are assessing. This involves capturing narratives through interviews and focus groups. Observation is used not to count frequencies but to take notes of what is happening in the classroom.
The major issues with this approach is the smaller sample size that is required. It is not feasible to interview 400 students but perhaps 20 is doable. In contrast, conducting a survey with 400 students should not be a challenge for a scientific evaluator. Furthermore, there are questions as to the objectivity of the results.
Since qualitative data is processed by the researcher their own perspective can filter what they report when they share the perspective of the respondents, In contrast, scientific
Examples of Humanistic Perspective
The humanistic perspective is an approach to psychology that emphasizes empathy and stresses the good in human behavior. In politics and social theory, this approach calls for human rights and equality. In counseling and therapy, this approach allows an psychologist to focus on ways to help improve an individual's self-image or self-actualization - the things that make them feel worthwhile.
Humanistic Perspective Approach
Here are some examples of humanistic perspective.
A person feels like his or her life is bland and boring. A humanistic perspective would encourage the person to do some soul-searching and determine what is missing - a hobby"? Friendships? A relationship?
Whatever it takes for the person to feel fully self- is what should be sought as treatment.
The humanistic perspective believes that people seek value, meaning, and creativity in all they do. It understands that people have goals, and that reaching these goals is very important. It also understands that individuals are able to make choices that affect them and others, and so those choices carry with them a sense of responsibility.
Product and Process Models
Curriculum models can be broken down into two very broad models, the product model and the process model. Luckily, these two models are just as they sound.
The Product Model -
You may see this in portions of your curriculum. This model is focused on results, like grades or reaching an objective. The majority of the weight is focused more on the finished product than what is happening in the learning process.
individual needs and wants.
The humanistic perspective believes that people seek value, meaning, and creativity in all they do. It understands that people have goals, and that reaching these goals is very important. It also understands that individuals are able to make choices that affect them and others, and so those choices carry with them a sense of responsibility.
Product and Process Models
Curriculum models can be broken down into two very broad models, the product model and the process model. Luckily, these two models are just as they sound.
The Product Model - You may see this in portions of your curriculum. This model is focused on results, like grades or reaching an objective. The majority of the weight is focused more on the finished product than what is happening in the learning process.
The Process Model -
Conversely, this process model focuses on how things happen in the learning and is more open-ended. Curriculum focusing on the process model emphasizes how students are learning, what their thinking is, and how it will impact future learning. Curriculum Model Frameworks
To dive in a bit further before we look at specific models, let's talk about how some curriculum models are framed. Five broad categories can be used to define the focus of curriculum models:
Subject- or discipline-centered - In this framework, the curriculum is organized around subjects, like math or science.
Integrated - Just like it sounds, this framework pulls many subjects together. We see this model used in problem-based learning and experiential learning.
Spiral - In this framework, the content is presented several times across the span of the school year. Seen mostly in math, using this design allows students to be introduced and then revisit
Integrated - Just like it sounds, this framework pulls many subjects together. We sec this model used in problem-based learning and experiential learning.
Spiral - In this framework, the content is presented several times across the span of the school year. Seen mostly in math, using this design allows students to be introduced and then revisit material often.
Inquiry- or problem-based - Not to be confused with integrated models, this curriculum focuses on a central problem or question. In this frame, all curriculum is problem-based, while in integrated it may or may not be.
Experiential - Using this framework allows students to participate in real-life ways with their work such as, experimenting with hypothesis, working through problems, and finding solutions
To dive in a bit further before we look at specific models, let's talk about how some curriculum models are framed. Five broad categories can be used to define the focus of curriculum models:
Subject- or discipline-centered - In this framework, the curriculum is organized around subjects, like math or science.
Integrated - Just like it sounds, this framework pulls many subjects together. We see this model used in problem-based learning and experiential learning.
Spiral - In this framework, the content is presented several times across the span of the school year. Seen mostly in math, using this design allows students to be introduced and then revisit
Integrated - Just like it sounds, this framework pulls many subjects together. We sec this model used in problem-based learning and experiential learning.
Spiral - In this framework, the content is presented several times across the span of the school year. Seen mostly in math, using this design allows students to be introduced and then revisit material often.
Inquiry- or problem-based - Not to be confused with integrated models, this curriculum focuses on a central problem or question. In this frame, all curriculum is problem-based, while in integrated it may or may not be.
Experiential - Using this framework allows students to participate in real-life ways with their work such as, experimenting with hypothesis, working through problems, and finding solutions
AUTUMN 2019 SOLVED ASSIGNMENTS
For other solved assignments click on this link
Post a Comment