Curriculum Types and Models

Curriculum Definition

• Curriculum is a collection of courses and their content offered at a school or university for students to interact with, to achieve identified educational outcomes
• Curriculum is the set of instructional strategies teachers plan to use
• Curriculum includes what students learn, how they learn, how they are assessed, the learning environment and learning outcomes

Curriculum types

• Official Curriculum: Documented according to a common theme and successive grade levels with curriculum guides, course outlines, and lists of objectives.
• Operational Curriculum: What is actually taught by teachers and how it is communicated.
• Hidden Curriculum: Side effects of education, not explicitly taught but learned through classroom and social environments, such as values and beliefs.

Educational Models

• Outcome-Based Education (OBE): Focuses on measuring student performance (outcomes) and requires them to demonstrate they have learned required skills and content.
• Problem-Based Learning (PBL): Student-centered education using real-world problems to learn. Students identify what they know and don't know, and find ways to access new information to resolve the problem.
• Task-Based Learning: Classroom activity focuses on the task itself, using existing information to complete it.
• Core & Student Selection Components: An integrated, systems-based approach.
• Community-Based Education: Learners apply concepts, information, skills, and attitudes to local situations.

Curricular Structures

• Discrete Curriculum: Separate and isolated subjects.
• Linear Curriculum: Sequential learning, building upon previous knowledge.
• Pyramidal Structure: Hierarchical learning, progressing from basic to advanced concepts.
• Spiral Curriculum: Repeated study of a subject at different grade levels, increasing depth and difficulty with each iteration.

Educational Strategies

• SPICES Model: Framework for educational strategies with six dimensions (student centered/teacher centered, problem-based/information-oriented, integrated/discipline-based, community-based/hospital-based, elective/uniform, systematic/apprenticeship-based)

Principles of Adult Learning

• Need to Know: Adults require understanding of why they need to learn something before engaging in learning.
• Learner Self-Concept: Adults need to be responsible for their learning decisions.
• Role of Experience: Adults bring diverse life experiences to learning, which are valuable resources.
• Readiness to Learn: Adults are ready to learn what they need to cope effectively with life.
• Orientation to Learning: Adults are motivated to learn when they perceive it will help them perform tasks in their lives.

Integration in Medical Education

• Abraham Flexner's Recommendations: Led to medical curricula structured into preclinical and clinical medicine.
• Curriculum Integration: Meeting patients' needs by integrating disciplines into a thematic, systems-based curriculum.

Benefits of Integration

• Matching Curriculum Aims: Ensure coherence and relevance of educational goals.
• Achieving Higher Level Objectives: Promote deeper understanding and higher-order thinking.
• Avoiding Information Overload: Present information in a cohesive and organized manner.
• Making Learning Interesting & Effective: Engage students through real-world application and relevance.
• Motivating Students: Enhance student engagement and motivation.

Disadvantages of Integration

• Difficult to implement: Requires collaboration and coordination between disciplines.
• Time-consuming: May require curriculum development and restructuring.
• May lead to confusion for students: Lack of clear boundaries between disciplines.
• Requires different teaching approaches: Teachers need training and support to implement integrated teaching methods.
• May result in a lack of depth in specific disciplines: Focus on integration may lead to less in-depth coverage of specific subjects.