Curriculum Development & Design Flashcards

Which curriculum design approach organizes content around broad themes that cut across multiple subject areas?

Answer: Interdisciplinary design

Interdisciplinary design integrates content from multiple subjects around unifying themes or concepts.

In backward design, what is the FIRST step a curriculum developer should complete?

Answer: Identify desired learning outcomes

Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) begins by identifying desired results before planning assessments or instruction.

A curriculum map is BEST used to:

Answer: Track what content is taught and when across a school year

Curriculum maps document the sequence and timing of content, skills, and assessments across a course or grade level.

Which of the following BEST describes 'vertical alignment' in curriculum design?

Answer: Ensuring skills and content build progressively across grade levels

Vertical alignment ensures that curriculum content and skills scaffold logically from one grade to the next.

A curriculum that emphasizes student choice, real-world projects, and self-directed inquiry MOST closely reflects which educational philosophy?

Answer: Progressivism

Progressivism, associated with Dewey, emphasizes experiential learning, student agency, and relevance to real life.

When writing curriculum objectives, the acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and:

Answer: Time-bound

SMART objectives are Time-bound, meaning they include a defined timeframe for achievement.

Which type of curriculum refers to what students actually learn as a result of instruction, which may differ from the intended curriculum?

Answer: Received curriculum

The received curriculum is what students actually internalize and learn, which can differ from what was planned or taught.