A technocratic model of curriculum design that has been highly influential since the middle of last century assumes that the aims of education can be, and should be: 1. Causally brought about by administering educational experiences; 2. Specified as objectives that can be attained, reached or completed; 3. Changes in students that are described in…

In their paper "Unique Characteristics of Diagnostic Classification Models: A Comprehensive Review of the Current State-of-the-Art," Andre Rupp and Jonathan Templin (2008) provide a comparative analysis of selected psychometric models useful for the analysis of multidimensional data for purposes of diagnostic score reporting. Recent assessment…

Explores four questions: Should nursing education models reflect a feminist orientation? What are the characteristics of a feminist model? How would it succeed? and What would be its limitations? (SK)

In this paper, the authors explore the latest manifestation of backward curriculum discourse, namely, a theory of "backward" unit design. The authors view this "backward" curriculum discourse as foundationally positivist and/or structural, yet they adopt a poststructural point of view. This theoretical undergirding makes it possible to rethink…

Having broadly defined the process of curriculum formation as a complex set of interactions among many specified internal and external factors, the authors review the field of curriculum theory with the goal of finding the most potent theory for structuring and guiding studies of how changes occur in the curriculum of American public schools. For…

Describes problem-based thematic instruction in an effort to give both students and teachers meaningful experiences. (MG)

Uses an allegory involving prehistoric educators to examine how goals and objectives are developed and how they become entrenched and resistant to change. (JC)

An examination of weaknessess in behaviorist and humanist models of education evaluation provides a basis for a structuralist model. This model is grounded in developmental stages, the structure of the child and the curriculum, and the idea of education as a bridge between these structures to assist the development of the child. (JMF)

Since education is both a science and an art, it is difficult for curriculum theorists to develop rules and principles which apply to both aspects. Practical uses of curriculum theory include the application of existing models to specific situations, and practitioners using their own practical experiences and relating them to curriculum models.…

The planning, preparation, and delivery of learning experiences tend to be organized vertically, in accordance with schools' structure of curricular subjects and teaching departments, but pupils' experience of the curriculum is horizontal and serial. A rationale for utilizing a horizontal, across-the-curriculum model of support teaching is…

Offers techniques to elicit information from subject matter experts when developing instructional systems. (JOW)

A theory of art education is suggested which is likened to the facets of Rubik's cube. The parts of this theory include understanding the value of art in education, giving visual form to ideas, responding to visual information, planning and teaching, and evaluating art learning. (IS)

Current law school curriculum reform efforts are reviewed and three issues are addressed: (1) what model should guide law schools' choice of curricula; (2) how that choice relates to change in the social and professional environment; and (3) how social and student needs should influence the curriculum choice. (MSE)

This article offers a curriculum scheme which responds to the nonverbal and intuitive character of learning in the visual arts and which is framed to deal specifically with content in the visual arts. (Author/SJL)

This paper examines existing and model curriculums from all disciplines offering public relations courses in terms of the philosophical and theoretical developments relevant to public relations. First, the paper outlines the model curriculum derived from the 1987 study cosponsored by the Public Relations Society of America and the Association of…