Curriculum Development and Design Flashcards

A teacher modifies the grade-level curriculum to provide more complex tasks for advanced students while offering scaffolded versions for struggling learners. This is an example of:

Answer: Curriculum differentiation

Curriculum differentiation involves adapting content, process, or product to meet diverse student readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles.

Which of the following best describes 'curriculum compacting'?

Answer: Streamlining curriculum for students who have already mastered content so they can pursue enrichment

Curriculum compacting allows students who demonstrate mastery of content to move ahead or pursue extension activities rather than repeat already-known material.

The phrase 'taught curriculum' refers to:

Answer: What actually occurs in classrooms during instruction

The taught curriculum is what teachers actually deliver in the classroom, which may differ from the written or intended curriculum.

When designing a new curriculum unit, a teacher first considers the prerequisite knowledge students need. This demonstrates attention to:

Answer: Curriculum sequence

Sequence in curriculum design refers to the logical ordering of content, including ensuring students have necessary prerequisite knowledge before advancing.

Which stakeholder group is primarily responsible for establishing national curriculum standards in the United States?

Answer: State governments and education departments

In the US, education is primarily a state responsibility, so state governments and their education departments set curriculum standards, though federal initiatives can influence them.

A curriculum that is organized around broad themes or questions that cut across multiple disciplines is called:

Answer: Integrated or thematic curriculum

An integrated or thematic curriculum organizes content around overarching themes or essential questions that naturally connect multiple subject areas.

Which of the following is a key criticism of a purely subject-centered curriculum design?

Answer: It may fail to connect learning to students' real-world experiences and interests

A purely subject-centered curriculum focuses on disciplinary content but can neglect student relevance, real-world connections, and individual learner needs.