This paper presents a defense for the use of historical scripted conversations in science. We discuss drama's use of both expository and narrative text forms to expand the language forms available for a variety of learners, the use of scripted conversations as a defensible curriculum design to foster learning in general and science in particular,…

This article proposes the use of a taxonomy to help curriculum planners distinguish between different kinds of knowledge. Nine categories are suggested: empirical, rational, conventional, conceptual, cognitive process skills, psychomotor, affective, narrative, and received. Analyzing lessons into the sources of their resident knowledge helps the…

In this article, the authors describe a method for assuring the quality of curriculum design based on techniques that have been used in industrial settings for over 30 years. Quality Function Deployment assures that the needs of the customer are considered at all levels of product design and a graphical matrix called the House of Quality serves as…

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…

Computer Science is a subject which has difficulty in marketing itself. Further, pinning down a standard curriculum is difficult--there are many preferences which are hard to accommodate. This paper argues the case that part of the problem is the fact that, unlike more established disciplines, the subject does not clearly distinguish the study of…

One of the missions of a university is the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Because this work is traditionally divided among scores or even hundreds of academic and research units for the convenience of the producing scholars and the orderly retrieval of this knowledge, the problem of introducing university students to the world of…

If a viable curriculum is what determines how well students achieve, no teacher can leave the school's curriculum unexamined. Designing curriculum means defining and organizing what is taught to improve student learning. Empowering teachers as curriculum designers gives them the tools to make critical decisions about what to teach, how to teach…

Developing a clear and confident plan for every class is much easier when you use this book's model for success. Jane E. Pollock explains the four critical areas of teaching and describes how you can use an approach that increases student success and your own personal satisfaction. To execute your plan, the book offers step-by-step instructions…

Understanding how various aspects of mathematics education work together is necessary if reform efforts are to succeed, Ms. Newton argues. She compares U.S. and Chinese mathematics education to provide perspectives that might further such understanding. She highlights the Chinese emphasis on thinking systematically about teaching, curriculum, and…

An essential difficulty in solving practical problems that are not like the ones a student has solved before is discerning the core of the problem. It is claimed that discernment has to be trained by variation--by varying the context of the assignments in which students have to identify and grasp their "underlying form". A decisive…

Integrative curriculum design promises much for middle level teachers who wish to develop classroom programmes that will encourage early adolescents to actively engage in their learning (Beane 1990, 1997). Beane's model is highly responsive to the educational and developmental needs of young people. In contrast, multidisciplinary curriculum design…

As a significant percentage of students in higher education today have one or more disabilities, it is important for instructors to be aware of what disabilities, and how disabilities, impact student performance. Students with a wide range of disabilities can encounter significant obstacles when experiential instructional methods are implemented…

The role of the superintendent has undergone numerous changes in the last century. Many report the job has become almost undoable and superintendents are becoming overwhelmed as new expectations are being placed upon them. No Child Left Behind has had a significant impact on the role of the school superintendent as they attempt to balance three…

The purpose of this online study was to create a ranking of essential core competencies and technologies required by AET (audio engineering technology) programs 10 years in the future. The study was designed to facilitate curriculum development and improvement in the rapidly expanding number of small to medium sized audio engineering technology…

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…