ACT Curriculum Development & Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Bloom's Taxonomy is PRIMARILY used in curriculum development to:
- Sequence units by calendar date
- Classify learning objectives by cognitive complexity (Correct answer)
- Rank student achievement percentiles
- Determine appropriate class sizes
Correct answer: Classify learning objectives by cognitive complexity
Bloom's Taxonomy provides a hierarchical framework for categorizing educational goals from lower-order to higher-order thinking.
Question 2: Which curriculum model emphasizes systematic planning with clearly defined objectives, instruction, and evaluation in a linear sequence?
- Tyler Rationale (Correct answer)
- Waldorf Model
- Reggio Emilia Approach
- Project-Based Learning Model
Correct answer: Tyler Rationale
The Tyler Rationale (Ralph Tyler) is a classic linear model focusing on objectives, learning experiences, organization, and evaluation.
Question 3: A school district revises its math curriculum to ensure all students encounter fractions in grades 3, 4, and 5 with increasing complexity. This is an example of:
- Differentiated instruction
- Spiral curriculum design (Correct answer)
- Mastery learning
- Formative assessment
Correct answer: Spiral curriculum design
Spiral curriculum (Bruner) revisits concepts repeatedly at increasing levels of depth and complexity across grade levels.
Question 4: Standards-based curriculum design requires that learning objectives be directly aligned to:
- Publisher-provided scope and sequence documents
- Adopted state or national content standards (Correct answer)
- Teacher-created rubrics
- Student interest surveys
Correct answer: Adopted state or national content standards
Standards-based design ensures all curriculum objectives connect explicitly to adopted academic standards.
Question 5: The 'null curriculum' concept, introduced by Eisner, refers to:
- Curriculum that has been officially removed from schools
- What is NOT taught and therefore absent from students' education (Correct answer)
- Emergency substitute lesson plans
- Online curriculum that lacks interactivity
Correct answer: What is NOT taught and therefore absent from students' education
Eisner's null curriculum describes the content and perspectives that schools choose not to teach, shaping education through omission.
Question 6: Which of the following is the BEST example of a formative assessment embedded in curriculum design?
- A final exam at the end of the semester
- A standardized state achievement test
- Exit tickets used at the end of each lesson (Correct answer)
- A portfolio submitted at year's end
Correct answer: Exit tickets used at the end of each lesson
Exit tickets are brief, frequent checks for understanding used during instruction to inform ongoing teaching decisions.
Question 7: When designing curriculum for diverse learners, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) recommends providing:
- Separate curricula for different ability levels
- Multiple means of representation, action, and engagement (Correct answer)
- Standardized instruction for all students
- Individual education plans for every student
Correct answer: Multiple means of representation, action, and engagement
UDL calls for flexible, proactive design that offers multiple means of representation, action/expression, and engagement to support all learners.
ACT Curriculum Development & Design 3
Bloom's Taxonomy is PRIMARILY used in curriculum development to: