BridgingtheGap


 * Bridging the Gap**
 * Bridging the Educational Research-Teaching Practice Gap**
 * Anderson & Rogan**
 * Summary of the major components of curriculum design: vision, operationalization of the vision, design and evaluation
 * The meaning of curriculum and curriculum development
 * "Once curriculum has been designed, it should not be considered a //fait accompli//" p.69
 * "The curriculum is dynamic and interactive in nature that it is composed of several iterrelated components and infuences" p.69
 * Vision - purpose of curriculum p. 69
 * "Whereas the goals are the target or end point of the course or program, the objectives should be seen as the steps toward achieving such goals. This, the objectives are learning outcomes need to be compatible with the goals but also clearly defined, realistic, and achievable by students. In this regard, there is a world-wide trend toward an emphasis on the understanding of core knowledge... and key skills, rather than overloading students with excessive information that encourages rote learning" pg. 69
 * Operation of the vision
 * "overall structure and contents of the curriculum and deciding on appropriae resources" crucial p. 69
 * "design and contenct of the curriculum will directly and sppecifically address all objectives and enable the students to achieve all the state learning outcomes" p. 69
 * "each course in the curriculum needs to be pitched at an intellectual level or standard, that is, appropriate for the particular education level of study" p. 69
 * "sufficiently cognitively demanding that students are challenged but still have sufficient pror knowledge so they do not flounder. Thus, selection of the appropriate pre- and co-requisite courses that compose a program or degree is important" p. 70
 * **"both horizontal transfer of knowledge between courses at the same educational level and vertical transfer between each level" p. 70**
 * **"this ensures cohesion within the curriculum between courses and enchances students' development of sound conceptual knowledge and skill competence" p. 70**
 * "an important factor influencing cohesion within the curriculum comporses issues pertaining to the number, duration, time-tabling, and co-ordination of teaching and learning activitie" p. 70
 * "Thus, although credits and notional hours might servce as rough guides for curriculum planning, ultimately, we need to consider all students as individuals with uniqe contexts, skills and motivations, and design curriculua that allow them to achieve meaningful learning" p. 70
 * Delivery
 * "it is essential to consider the important relationships between objectives, teaching, learning and assessment in the educational process" p. 70
 * "How and what content is assessed will have a strong influence on how and what instructors teacher and how and what students learn" p.70
 * "instructiors focus their teaching and students focus their learning on the goals of the course" p. 70
 * "multiple pahs to achieving the same learning outcomes and that individual teaching and learning stydles need to be respected" p. 70
 * "it is important to base one's teaching practice on sound educational theory and some of the latest innovations" p. 70
 * "good teaching" p. 70
 * student's motivation in intrinsic - the student experiences a need to know something
 * students are activie, rather than passive, in the learning process
 * students are involved with others in groups, rather than alonee, when negotiating meaning and manipulationg ideas
 * students have existing conceptial knowledge and experiences, which they bring to bear in the learning of new concepts"
 * "metacognition, which is considered critical for successful learning.... describes the awareness and regulation of one's own thinking process. Metacognitive approaches to instruction have been shown to help students take control of their own learning by defining their learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them." p. 70
 * Evaluation
 * all components of the curriculum - quality evaluation p. 70
 * "ongoing cycles of gathering ideas, incorporating the ideas into curriculum planning, implementing them in the teaching process, evaluating and refelcting on their success, and if necessary, modifying and re-testing them" p. 71
 * Influences on Curriculum Design
 * five factors p. 71
 * Policy
 * "accredidation or standards bodies that favor more top-down polices"
 * "policy documents on teaching approaches can serve as useful guidelines in cases where the capacity to do curriculum development is limited."
 * "policy can also help encourage investment in instructional technology that directly benefits student learnng, rather than in administrative infrastructure that may not ultimetely achieve such benefits."
 * Local context p. 72
 * "curriculua also need to be designed to be campatible with both the student and staff contexts"
 * "the design of the curriculum needs to be considered in the light of avaialbe and perhaps chancng financial, material and human resources"S
 * Societal expectation
 * Research trends
 * Technology 72-73