HSC Curriculum Development and Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which curriculum design model emphasizes starting with clear learning objectives before selecting content and teaching methods?
- Tyler's rationale model (Correct answer)
- Taba's grassroots model
- Wheeler's cyclical model
- Walker's naturalistic model
Correct answer: Tyler's rationale model
Tyler's rationale model (1949) begins by defining educational purposes/objectives, then selects experiences, organizes them, and evaluates outcomes.
Question 2: In curriculum design, 'scope' refers to:
- The sequence in which content is taught
- The breadth and depth of content covered at any given time (Correct answer)
- The vertical alignment of content across grade levels
- The pacing guide for delivering lessons
Correct answer: The breadth and depth of content covered at any given time
Scope defines the breadth (range of topics) and depth (how thoroughly each topic is treated) of curriculum content at a given point.
Question 3: A curriculum that integrates content from multiple subject areas around a central theme is best described as:
- Subject-centered curriculum
- Integrated/interdisciplinary curriculum (Correct answer)
- Core curriculum
- Hidden curriculum
Correct answer: Integrated/interdisciplinary curriculum
An integrated or interdisciplinary curriculum organizes learning around themes, problems, or projects that draw on multiple disciplines simultaneously.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of formative assessment in curriculum evaluation?
- End-of-year standardized testing
- A teacher's exit ticket used to adjust next day's lesson (Correct answer)
- A portfolio submitted at graduation
- A state licensure exam
Correct answer: A teacher's exit ticket used to adjust next day's lesson
Formative assessment occurs during instruction and is used to inform and adjust ongoing teaching, unlike summative assessment which evaluates learning at the end.
Question 5: The 'null curriculum' concept, introduced by Elliot Eisner, refers to:
- Content that is explicitly taught but quickly forgotten
- What schools do not teach and the effects of that absence (Correct answer)
- Informal lessons learned through school culture
- The mandated state standards framework
Correct answer: What schools do not teach and the effects of that absence
Eisner's null curriculum describes the subjects and perspectives that are omitted from schools, arguing that what is not taught shapes students as much as what is taught.
Question 6: Vertical alignment in curriculum development ensures that:
- All students in the same grade level cover the same content simultaneously
- Content builds progressively and coherently from one grade level to the next (Correct answer)
- Different subject areas are connected through common themes
- Assessment methods match instructional strategies
Correct answer: Content builds progressively and coherently from one grade level to the next
Vertical alignment ensures that learning experiences are sequenced so that earlier grades lay the foundation for increasingly complex concepts in later grades.
Question 7: Which stakeholders are typically involved in a school-level curriculum review committee?
- Only district administrators and state officials
- Teachers, administrators, parents, and sometimes students (Correct answer)
- Teachers and university curriculum professors only
- State legislators and textbook publishers
Correct answer: Teachers, administrators, parents, and sometimes students
Effective curriculum review involves diverse stakeholders including classroom teachers, school and district administrators, parents, and often student representatives to ensure broad perspectives.
HSC Curriculum Development and Design 2
Which curriculum design model emphasizes starting with clear learning objectives before selecting content and teaching methods?