This is a required course for master's students (and doctoral students who did not take it in their masters programs). The aim of this course is to apply theory and research to the study of curriculum and teaching.
The course
(a) provides a language
for conceptualizing educational questions;
(b) reviews the major
themes in the literature;
(c) provides a framework
for thinking about curriculum changes and change; and
(d) assists students
in developing critical and analytical skills appropriate to the scholarly
discussion of curriculum and teaching
problems.
Course Objectives
1. To examine curriculum from various orientations.
2. To analyze curriculum from these orientations.
3. To develop one's own conceptual stance with regard to curriculum.
4. To examine the processes of curriculum development and implementation.
5. To apply skills in curriculum analysis to one's own work.
Overview:
This course utilizes an orientation approach to the study of curriculum foundations. Orientations are sets of beliefs about how students learn, how they should be taught, and what they should be taught. These beliefs are embedded in curriculum documents and are personally held by those who develop, implement, and evaluate curriculum as well as those responsible for delivering curriculum to students (teachers). Further, an individual's personal orientation affects the manner in which curriculum is written and delivered and how student assessment is conducted and reported.
Three primary orientations (Transmission, Transaction, Transformation) are used to examine curriculum trends over time and present curriculum practices. Theoretical foundations from such curricularists as Dewey and Tyler are utilized to understand more historical approaches to curriculum which continue to influence present practice. More recent theorists and critical pedagogies ( are included to extend that understanding to present practices. Psychological, sociological, and political foundations to curriculum are included to understand curriculum processes before, during, and after delivery to learners.
Students in this course are asked to apply these theories to their workplaces and roles in an attempt to understand why curriculum practices take the form they do and how desired changes can be achieved.
Typical topics established for discussion:
While specific topics used are affected by the background and experiences of the students in the course, the following topics usually form the focal points for much of the course:
• Understanding curriculum meta-orientations and approaches
• Sources of curriculum
• Role of knowledge in curriculum
• The hidden curricula
• Curriculum deliberation
• Curriculum processes (development, implementation, evaluation)
Required Reading:
Experience and Education
by John Dewey, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Company. 1963. ISBN
0-02-013660-9
Basic Principles of Curriculum
and Instruction by Ralph W. Tyler, The University of Chicago Press. 1969.
ISBN 0-226-82031-9
Evaluation
Evaluation
The evaluation of achievement
in this course is based on two major factors: participation and a final
paper. Participation is further divided into three components to recognize
diligence, quality and creativity.
1. Participation
- Diligence
I will be maintaining
a record of the log ins of each student during the course. It is important
that everyone stay current with respect to class discussions in order to
be able to make timely contributions and gain the maximum benefit from
the thoughts, questions, and so on of other class members.
Weight, 15%
2. Participation
– Quality Contributions to class discussions
Since the nature of this
medium dictates that you participate by writing, your contributions to
the class discussions will be considered from this perspective. I will
keep a cumulative file of each student's submissions, particularly the
contributions to the discussion topics. This file will constitute a "paper"
written during the course.
Weight, 30%
3. Participation
– Reading with a Learning Partner
This is a challenge
for two/or three to select a book from the Teacher Memoir list and read,
discuss and report on it to the class in a meaningful and creative manner.
Tools for working on this project will be set up for you in BlackBoard
along with guidelines and suggestions for completing the project.
Weight, 15%
4. Final Paper
You have two options
for this paper.
A Reflective Paper
Describe your own orientation to (beliefs about) curriculum. While you
may use the framework provided by the course discussions and materials,
you should discuss in your own terms why you have chosen the orientation,
or set of orientations, you did. In other words, provide reasons for your
position. Finally, through examples from your own practice, discuss how
successfully you are able to implement your beliefs through your work.
If you have difficulty practicing your beliefs, why?
OR
Topic of Your Choice
If you have a curriculum topic that you would like to explore for your
final paper, this will be permissible. However, please let me know very
early in the course what it is you wish to do so that we may clarify the
details and approve the topic before you invest a great deal of time and
effort in it. Remember, this is a curriculum foundations course and the
topic will have to fit the parameters of this perspective.
Weight, 40%
Guidelines for the Final
Paper
1. Length: not to exceed
2500 words.
2. Due date: November
28, 2008.
3. Delivery: The paper
should be submitted electronically as an email attachment to a message
sent to skarsten@oise.utoronto.ca by the due date. Please submit
your paper in WORD as a .doc or .rtf file (please no .docx files) and please
include a proper cover sheet and number your pages as these papers will
be printed out. I prefer Arial size 12 font and space and a half
for line spacing. Save your file using your last name (example: karsten.doc)
4. In the body of your
email message, I would appreciate a brief self-evaluation of your performance
in this course. You may also include a rationale for the mark you believe
you earned in the course. You may refer to this Course Outline for the
marking scheme.
5. References and citations:
I expect you to use a recognized reference and citation system in your
paper. I recommend APA, but will also accept Turabian or Chicago A or Chicago
B. If you are unfamiliar with these systems, I refer you to the web resources
page on the course information website and the link to the Writing at the
University of Toronto site.
6. Marking criteria: