How To Write a Curriculum
HOW TO WRITE A
CURRICULUM
How To Write A Curriculum
When you are a student, you don’t really pay too much attention to what you’re learning for how long and when. You are just happy to be there, and (let’s hope your teacher is good) excited to soak in the new material which made you decide to take the course in the first place. It is not until much later where students realize that behind every course they took is a curriculum.
A curriculum is defined as: the courses offered by an educational institution or the courses in an area of specialization. With a good curriculum, students feel supported, comfortable, and, therefore, achieve great success. Whether a curriculum is solid, it’s a debate for another time, but we can all agree that designing a curriculum is hard work.
Most of us do not know all the complicated ins and outs of deciding what should be taught at what level and the complex process it is to build a thorough curriculum that is both engaging and effective. We’ll review what is needed in a curriculum and the steps of designing a curriculum.
Choosing Your Curriculum Type
One of the first steps of curriculum design is choosing which type of curriculum you will be writing. There are 3 main types:
- Subject Centered Curriculum
- Learner Centered Curriculum
- Problem Centered Curriculum
Subject Centered Curriculum
Subject Centered Curriculums are the ones that we are likely the most familiar with since it is a curriculum based around the subject of the course. In a subject centered curriculum, each smaller unit focuses on mastering the detailed subject matter that supports the broader learning objectives of the course. What is learned in the course is more important than how. For example, in an Algebra class, the curriculum will be centered on making sure the students master all the algebra concepts needed for a certain level.
Learner Centered Curriculum
On the flipside, a Learner Centered Curriculum is one that puts the progression of learning directly in the hands of the student, giving them the independence to learn and work at their own pace. This approach respects each student’s interest levels and abilities on all ends of the spectrum since they can choose their own assignments.
With NARA Education’s mission and view of the future of education, our technology supports a learner centered curriculum under the supervision of teachers, giving children the ability to learn on their own and get excited about it in the process.
Problem Centered Curriculum
A Problem Centered Curriculum also takes a learner centered, independent approach by giving students real-world problems to solve either on their own or through collaboration. While this is the most real-world applicable and the one that builds strong critical thinking abilities, it is also the one that takes the most instructor supervision and contribution. Teachers are especially needed since this curriculum design is focused more on the application of learned material rather than the material itself.
Designing a Curriculum
After the important step of choosing your curriculum type, the important work of how to write a curriculum begins!
Determine the Course Objectives
One of the first steps of curriculum design is to determine your course objectives. What is your vision for the course? What do you want your students to walk away as experts on? Do you have any external pressures or obligations, like exams to pass, school boards to report to, etc.?
Once you have your final destination in mind, it is easier to work backwards to know exactly what is needed in a curriculum to get you there.
Establish Your Learning Outcomes
You have your objectives split into outcomes, split into units, now it’s time to visualize them to gain a broad overview of your curriculum and see where there are any potential gaps or sequential issues. There are great Unit Overview Templates and Curriculum Planning Templates available that you can choose based on your needs and preferences.
Maybe once you see all your units together, you realize one is much more ambitious than the others, or that the course objectives will be met easier if you switched the order of a few units. This is the stage to move things around and perfect your curriculum, making it one of the most important in designing a curriculum.
Make a Curriculum Outline (Curriculum Map)
The next step in writing a curriculum is to divide your objectives into the specific learning outcomes that the students should master during the course. These are the concrete skills that students will learn on their way to the course goals.
Grouping your learning outcomes into specific units and ordering them to align with your course objectives is where you can get creative in your planning. If a course objective is to “attain conversational level French,” then why not have a restaurants unit where students order in French and bring in food? Make it exciting and fun!
Decide How You Will Test
When thinking about how to design a curriculum, there needs to be an assessment to see whether the students are learning what they are supposed to. If they are grasping the learning outcomes in each unit, that is an indicator that they are well on their way to reaching your original course objectives. And if not, then you can tweak the curriculum to reinforce the important concepts.
As much as students hate this phase, it is essential for true learning because it literally puts their knowledge to the test. They solidify the material in their minds through overcoming the challenge of preparing for and completing the test.
Figure Out What Resources You’ll Need
Once you have everything laid out for and needed in a curriculum, then the last major step is to analyze it all to find out which resources will be the most helpful and interesting in teaching your course. These mostly come in the forms of textbooks, workbooks, or computer programs, but maybe you think a novel will be more enjoyable for the students, or a supplementary masterclass? This is another part in writing a curriculum where you can get creative.
Launch!
As we just laid out, designing a curriculum is a lot of work, so when you finally get to the Launch stage, it feels great and also a bit precious. A curriculum can be amazing on paper, but if the students aren’t learning or delivering what they need to, then the curriculum needs to be revised to actual success. Sometimes the units are too short to grasp the learning outcomes, or it becomes evident that the course objectives are too ambitious.
Teachers should be open to feedback on their curriculums from each other, but especially from the students since they are the ones experiencing the course first hand. Curriculums are always evolving as technology, students, education, and the world grow and change.
Conclusion
How to write a curriculum and the steps of curriculum design are an art that take a tremendous amount of care, analysis, and collaboration. From choosing between the 3 curriculum types to carefully considering each step in writing a curriculum, it takes a lot to create a great curriculum for an interesting course.
The result is priceless, and having a good curriculum is what sparks the curiosity and creativity of students, boosts their relationships with their teachers and each other, and prepares them for the world through challenge and critical thinking.
We have state approved, challenging curriculums in our NARA Education schools and in our remote school technology so that all children can have the benefit of a great curriculum. Find out more about how you can help our mission!
Ilona Sindhu
Ilona is a writer focused on Old Norse mythology, drawing from her Hungarian, Pakistani, and American roots. She holds a BA in Dramaturgy and Theatre History from NYU and a Master’s in Religion and Literature from the University of Edinburgh. Her work blends myth, culture, and storytelling across borders.
