Aspects of curriculum

Aspects of Curriculumpart 1


James Atherton5 December 2012


Just an aide-memoire to complement your

own notes


Just an aide-memoire to complement your

own notes

(And apologies for a somewhat “banking” slanted session—a la

Freire!)

• The ability to articulate what it is you have learned often arrives after you have learned to control and manipulate

the situation, if at all. Indeed, the attempt to use conscious knowledge to guide learning frequently turns out to be counter productive. The effort to apply what you think is going on, or what you have been told is going on, can actively interfere with the ability of your brain to pick up useful but subtle aspects of the situation just through trial and error.

Claxton G and Lucas B (2012) “Is vocational education for the less able?” in P Adey & J Dillon (eds.) Bad Education: debunking myths in education

Buckingham; Open University Press, 2012

• The ability to articulate what it is you have learned often arrives after you have learned to control and manipulate

the situation, if at all. Indeed, the attempt to use conscious knowledge to guide learning frequently turns out to be counter productive. The effort to apply what you think is going on, or what you have been told is going on, can actively interfere with the ability of your brain to pick up useful but subtle aspects of the situation just through trial and error.

(Thanks to Sam Shepherd’s blog for finding the quotation)We concluded last time that the simple model of “applying theory to practice” was unrealistic and not true to experience. It makes more sense to use theory to account for and to connect practice(s)—after the event, probably.That is the spirit of this session.

Biggs’ 3Ps model of the teaching-learning situation (1993)

TEACHING CONTEXT

Curriculum

Teaching method

Classroom climate

Assessment

STUDENT

Prior Knowledge

Abilities

Preferred ways of learning

Value, expectations

TASK PROCESSING

NATURE OF OUTCOME

Structure

Detail

Presage Process Product

Direct effects

e.g. ability

Feedback

Feedback

Feedback

Direct effects

e.g. time

Meta-

learning

Meta-

teaching

Student perceptions Teacher perceptions


TEACHING CONTEXT

Curriculum

Teaching method

Classroom climate

Assessment

STUDENT

Prior Knowledge

Abilities


Value, expectations

TASK PROCESSING

NATURE OF OUTCOME

Structure

Detail


Direct effects

e.g. ability

Feedback

Feedback

Feedback

Direct effects

e.g. time

Meta-

learning

Meta-

teaching


This is Biggs’ basic 3-stage model of the system: I’m going to refer to “input” “process” and output”


TEACHING CONTEXT

Curriculum

Teaching method

Classroom climate

Assessment

STUDENT

Prior Knowledge

Abilities


Value, expectations

TASK PROCESSING

NATURE OF OUTCOME

Structure

Detail


Direct effects

e.g. ability

Feedback

Feedback

Feedback

Direct effects

e.g. time

Meta-

learning

Meta-

teaching


This is Biggs’ basic 3-stage model of the system: I’m going to refer to “input” “process” and output”

He makes the important point that de facto, what you have to start with

(students and setting and requirements) is itself part of the curriculum.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Input-Output model

Input (fixed) Process (fixed) Output (fixed)

Threshold

Reject

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Input-Output model


Threshold

Reject

So here is the basic model of any open

system…

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Input-Output model


Threshold

Reject


system…

Which means any system which

interacts with its environment

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Input-Output model


Threshold

Reject


system…

…but you can’t fix all three

components…

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Degrees of Freedom

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Degrees of Freedom…so if you want to

put people through a standard course…

JSA Apr 11, 2023



... And have them come out with

capabilities at a set level...

JSA Apr 11, 2023



... And have them come out with

capabilities at a set level...

...then you need to be selective

JSA Apr 11, 2023



... And have (most of) them come out

with capabilities at a set level...

...then you need to be selective

…and/or accept dropouts and

failures

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Degrees of FreedomBut if you are not

free to select

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Degrees of Freedom

…to avoid dropouts and failure you may

have to make the course longer…

But if you are not free to select, and

take all-comers

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Degrees of Freedom…and/or accept that even when they complete (pass) the course, some will not

have met the requirements.

11 April 2023

Dewey: “Education”

So education is about

opening up experiences

Experiences are educativeif they lead in turn to otherexperiences, and are not dead-ends

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Training

...whereas training is about

Closing down

in the sense of not doing it wrong

JSA Apr 11, 2023

“Education” and “training”are

complementary but training can only operate in a

predictable system

(where there are “right answers”)

or convergence (Hudson) (?)

JSA Apr 11, 2023

PlanningCycle 1

AimsValuesNeeds

Design

Implement-

ation

Evaluation

JSA Apr 11, 2023

AimsValuesNeeds

Design

Implement-

ation

Evaluation

This is the simple process, which supposedly applies to

all kinds of projects, in all kinds of contexts.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

AimsValuesNeeds

SupportSystems

Design

Implement-

ation

Evaluation

Student-centred

Industry-centred

Negotiated

Validated... etc.

Monitoring

Evaluation

Review/change

Marketing

Learners

Teachers

Business

Community

Teaching/learning

strategies

Mode of delivery

Materials

Assessment

This is someone’s well-meaning attempt to elaborate the

process—which of course bears less and less connection

to the real world…

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Planning CycleStudents

Topic

Constraints

ObjectivesMethods

Delivery

Evaluation

OK—this cycle is fairly practical—for planning

teaching, that is.

But! Does it create occasions for learning? That’s not the

same thing.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Job

Analyse

Requirements

De-contextualise

Design Curriculum

Translate

Locate

Schedule

Equip

Presentation

Domains of

knowledge

Level of difficulty

Student

performance

Available forms of

assessment

Check

understanding

Assess

Re-contextualise

Student baseline

Sessional

requirements

Questioning

Exercises

Institutional

constraints

Prioritise

Student

characteristics

Student "deficit"

Puzzles

Synthesise

Select

Informal mentors

It’s much messier than that—

something like this, perhaps

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Job

Analyse

Requirements

De-contextualise

Design Curriculum

Translate

Locate

Schedule

Equip

Presentation

Domains of

knowledge

Level of difficulty

Student

performance

Available forms of

assessment

Check

understanding

Assess

Re-contextualise

Student baseline

Sessional

requirements

Questioning

Exercises

Institutional

constraints

Prioritise

Student

characteristics

Student "deficit"

Puzzles

Synthesise

Select

Informal mentors

It’s much messier than that—

something like this, perhaps

Don’t worry if you can’t read the individual

labels—it’s the sprawling shape which

carries the message.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Job

Analyse

Requirements

De-contextualise

Design Curriculum

Translate

Domains of

knowledge

Level of difficulty

Available forms of

assessment

Sessional

requirements

The process of“teachifying”

practice knowledge, as described by Becker (1972)

We’ll return to this in the “Critical Voices” section

below

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Job

Analyse

Requirements

De-contextualise

Design Curriculum

Translate

Domains of

knowledge

Level of difficulty

Available forms of

assessment

Sessional

requirements

The process of“teachifying”

practice knowledge, as described by Becker (1972)

The key feature is that we take that practice

knowledge out of context and impose our own

“educational” logic on it.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Collection or Integration?(Bernstein)

Maths

Science

English

Humanities

Art

Etc.

Forms of knowledge (Hirst/Phoenix)

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Collection or Integration?(Bernstein)

Maths

Science

English

Humanities

Art

Etc.

Forms of knowledge (Hirst/Phoenix)

A side issue? Once you decide to teach it, do you :(a) Teach the conventional disciplines, with their

academic coherence, and then expect learners to select and apply? (The collection model)

(b) Or do you pre-select the bits which matter, across the disciplines? (Integrated model) More efficient and focused, but loses academic coherence.

Let this blob represent all the confusing, messy, amorphous,

values, knowledge and skills which make up practice in the real

world…



world…

And then let’s think about how we might

teach it



world…

And then let’s think about how we might

teach it

In neat little packages which comply with

regulations, and assessment regimes, and

timetabling…

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Ethics

Values

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Ethics

Values

With the best intentions, we populate the space with

nice, neat, regular packages/courses/modules

which address important elements of the “curriculum”

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Researchmethods

EthicsPhilosophies / models ofPractice

Discipline-SpecificTheory

Values

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Researchmethods



ProfessionalStudies

Practiceskills

Technology

Values

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Researchmethods



ProfessionalStudies

Practiceskills

Other contributory skills

Technology

Values

Political

Background

Legal

Aspects

Researchmethods



ProfessionalStudies

Practiceskills

Other contributory skills

Technology

Values

But we still end up with areas which have not been, and cannot be, addressed—or

assessed.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Presentation

Student performance

Check understanding

Assess

Questioning

Exercises

Puzzles

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Presentation

Student performance

Check understanding

Assess

Questioning

Exercises

Puzzles

Here is a close-up of what we do, in order to

get student performance up to

the mark.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Presentation

Student performance

Check understanding

Assess

Questioning

Exercises

Puzzles

Here is a close-up of what we do, in order to

get student performance up to

the mark.

But that’s not the same as practitioner performance in the

real world.

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Job

Analyse

Requirements

De-contextualise

Design Curriculum

Translate

Locate

Schedule

Equip

Presentation

Domains of

knowledge

Level of difficulty

Student

performance

Available forms of

assessment

Check

understanding

Assess

Re-contextualise

Student baseline

Sessional

requirements

Questioning

Exercises

Institutional

constraints

Prioritise

Student

characteristics

Student "deficit"

Puzzles

Synthesise

Select

Informal mentors

Here’s what happens at

the end of the process

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Student

performance

Assess

Re-contextualise

PrioritiseSynthesise

Informal mentors

Post-courselearning

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Student

performance

Assess

Re-contextualise


Informal mentors

Post-courselearning

So—bottom line—there is still an

enormous amount of learning to do

beyond the course

JSA Apr 11, 2023

Student

performance

Assess

Re-contextualise


Informal mentors

So—bottom line—there is still an

enormous amount of learning to do

beyond the course

Yes—we knew that! So?

The argument is that the structure of the curriculum within educational institutions

can potentially (weak form) /does necessarily (strong form)

inhibit effective learning for practice.

Critical voices

Critical voices

So let’s hear from some

critical voices

Critical voices

So let’s hear from some

critical voices

All of whom argue in their different ways that all the preceding stuff was about top-down

curricula, imposed on learners in the ultimate interests of someone else

11 April 2023

Paulo Freire

• 1921 - 1997• Brazilian educator:

particularly adult literacy

• Seen as political as well as practical

• Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1972)

11 April 2023

Paulo Freire

• 1921 - 1997• Brazilian educator:

particularly adult literacy

• Seen as political as well as practical

• Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1972)

Find out more about these thinkers at

www.infed.org

11 April 2023

“Banking” education

a. the teacher teaches and the students are taught; b. the teacher knows everything and the students know

nothing; c. the teacher thinks and the students are thought about; d. the teacher talks and the students listen—meekly; e. the teacher disciplines and the students are disciplined;f. the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the

students comply;g. the teacher acts and the students have the illusion of

acting through the action of the teacher; h. the teacher chooses the program content, and the

students (who were not consulted) adapt to it; i. the teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his

own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students;

j. the teacher is the Subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects.

11 April 2023

“Banking” education

a. the teacher teaches and the students are taught; b. the teacher knows everything and the students know

nothing; c. the teacher thinks and the students are thought about; d. the teacher talks and the students listen—meekly; e. the teacher disciplines and the students are disciplined;f. the teacher chooses and enforces his choice, and the

students comply;g. the teacher acts and the students have the illusion of

acting through the action of the teacher; h. the teacher chooses the program content, and the

students (who were not consulted) adapt to it; i. the teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his

own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students;

j. the teacher is the Subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects.

This is how Freire regards the standard top-down model of

education

11 April 2023

Freire

“This book will present some aspects of what the writer has termed the “pedagogy of the oppressed”, a pedagogy which must be forged with, not for, the oppressed (be they individuals or whole peoples) in the incessant struggle to regain their humanity.

This pedagogy makes oppression and its causes objects of reflection by the oppressed,

and from that reflection will come their necessary engagement in the struggle for their liberation.

And in the struggle this pedagogy will be made and remade.”

From Freire P The Pedagogy of the Oppressed Penguin 1972:25

(Personal take)

Apart from being almost unreadable, Freire’s rhetoric is all well and good, but read up on his practice and you find a clear sense of “knowing what is best for the learners” which is no less patronising for being cast in the jargon of “liberation”

See Taylor, P V (1993) The Texts of Paulo Freire Buckingham: Open University Press(Taylor would not agree with the note above.)

11 April 2023

Ivan Illich • 1926-2002• priest who thought there

were too many priests, • lifelong educator who

argued for the end of schools

• Argued hospitals cause more sickness than health,

• that people would save time if personal transportation were limited to bicycles and

• that historians who rely on previously published material perpetuate falsehoods.

11 April 2023







And he makes very good cases for these

strange claims.

11 April 2023







And he makes very good cases

for these strange claims.

For a short introduction to his

ideas see his delightfully titled Tools

for Conviviality (Fontana, 1975)

11 April 2023

De-Schooling SocietyMany students, especially those who are poor, intuitively know what the schools do for them. They school them to confuse process and substance. Once these become blurred, a new logic is assumed: the more treatment there is, the better are the results; or, escalation leads to success.

The pupil is thereby "schooled" to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new. His imagination is "schooled" to accept service in place of value. Medical treatment is mistaken for health care, social work for the improvement of community life, police protection for safety, military poise for national security, the rat race for productive work. Health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor are defined as little more than the performance of the institutions which claim to serve these ends, and their improvement is made to depend on allocating more resources to the management of hospitals, schools, and other agencies in question. (from ch. 1)

11 April 2023

“Teachification”

• We set up special institutions to teach in• We de-contextualise (uproot) knowledge

from its origins in practice• Allocate it to separate “subjects”• Taught by experts rather than practitioners• And sequence topics from “simple” to

“difficult”• Assess them in fragments (usually by

writing)• And then expect the student to put it all

back together again

Based on Becker H (1972) “School is a lousy place to learn anything in” originally published in

American Behavioral Scientist (1972): 85-105, and reproduced in Burgess R G (1995) Howard Becker on Education Buckingham: OU Press

11 April 2023

“Teachification”

• We set up special institutions to teach in• We de-contextualise (uproot) knowledge

from its origins in practice• Allocate it to separate “subjects”• Taught by experts rather than practitioners• And sequence topics from “simple” to

“difficult”• Assess them in fragments (usually by

writing)• And then expect the student to put it all

back together againBased on Becker (1972)

The term is mine rather

than Becker’s

11 April 2023

Situated Learning(Lave and Wenger 1991)

Initial interactionis with othernew entrants

Progress isbeing allowedto take on morekey, or risky, tasks

Note: Lave & Wenger explicitly reject this kind of depiction of their model

The boundaryis constantlymoving

L & W explicitly reject this way of

representing the idea

11 April 2023








L & W’s work is based largely on anthropological reports of how

people pick up their trades/skills where there is no formal

structure for training

11 April 2023








I’ve referred to a “Master” at the centre because the form of this

learning with which we are most familiar is apprenticeship, although

that is not the clearest model

Based on Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Cambridge; CUP p. 63

Participation

Reification

meaning

worldexperience

negotiation

living in the world

membershipacting

interacting

mutuality

forms

points of focus

documentsmonuments

instrumentsprojection

1 of 2

Wenger (1998) goes into much more detail about

how it works...

“Role of the Teacher”

Participation

Reification

meaning

worldexperience

negotiation

Endlessly debatable

Stories/cases

Workingmyths

Job specifications

Statutory requirements

Contracts

2 of 2

This variant shows how different the role of the “teacher” is in such a community of practice—practitioners act as temporary

mentors, but remain primarily practitioners

Two metaphors:

• Acquisition

• Participation

Sfard A (1998) “On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one” Educational Researcher, vol. 27 no. 2 pp. 4-13.

Two metaphors:

• Acquisition

• Participation

Sfard A (1998) “On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one” Educational Researcher, vol. 27 no. 2 pp. 4-13.

These two images underpin much of this critical debate about curriculum.

Is learning something that you get and possess?

Or is it something you do, and take part in?

Both, of course, but each “lens” or “frame” emphasises different qualities

11 April 2023

Mezirow: “transformative learning” (1990)

• The most important aspect of adult learning is: Not the content you learn, but

The fact that you are learning, which

Can lead to self re-evaluation.

11 April 2023

Mezirow: “transformative learning” (1990)

• The most important aspect of adult learning is: Not the content you learn, but

The fact that you are learning, which

Can lead to self re-evaluation.

Mezirow and others elevate this to the cardinal principle of adult education—regardless of what you thought you were setting out to learn

11 April 2023

Illeris (2002)

Cognition Emotion

Society

11 April 2023

Illeris (2002)

Cognition Emotion

Society

Illeris tries to help make sense of the “tension field” which underlies debates about curriculum by suggesting that any curriculum will lies somewhere in this triangle...

11 April 2023

Cognition Emotion

Society

Institutionalised learning

Practice learning Collective learning

... And be associated with

the form of learning in red.

Notes, links etc. athttp://pce2011.blogspot.co.uk/

http://pce2011.blogspot.co.uk/

http://pce2011.blogspot.co.uk/