Curriculum design doesn’t have to be a baroque task. Here’s a 5-step approach to designing an elegant curriculum.
1. Compose the Melody
Think about the ultimate things your students will be able to do at the end of the curriculum. These outcomes are the notes that will help you build a baseline for your curriculum.
2. Layer in The Harmonies
Working backward from the learning outcomes, determine the chorus of things your students will have to do to accomplish the ultimate outcomes. These are the skills, tasks, and/or projects that students will need to master for you to assess their progress.
3. Set the Key and Time Signature
Figure out the first things your students will be able to do to keep the beat. These are the basics and early wins that will set the rhythm of the curriculum.
4. Write the music
Create an outcome chart from foundational to ultimate outcomes. Chart a visual flow of how the students will progress through the curriculum. This piece is something you can share with your students so they can see how they will progress through the curriculum.
5. Put the Band Together
Look at your courses and decide which ones you need to teach to bring it all together and ultimately meet the outcomes. These courses should have the content and skills that will allow you to measure progress and competency toward the outcome. And yes, you can include a bass player too if you must.
Making Music of It All
CourseTune can help you pull your curriculum together. It has the toolset to help you align your curriculum from outcome to teaching activities and assessments. For example, CourseTune tracks competencies from Existence, to Supported, to Independent, to Lifetime.
CourseTune delivers a single visual resource that you can manage and update anytime from anywhere. Using CourseTune, you can clearly communicate your curriculum plan to students, department heads, program managers and deans.
