NES NES Curriculum Design & Instruction 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which curriculum design approach organizes content around broad themes that integrate multiple subject areas?
- Interdisciplinary design (Correct answer)
- Subject-centered design
- Learner-centered design
- Problem-centered design
Correct answer: Interdisciplinary design
Interdisciplinary curriculum design integrates multiple subject areas around broad, unifying themes or concepts.
Question 2: What is backward design in curriculum planning?
- Starting with assessments and working backward to instruction (Correct answer)
- Teaching foundational skills before advanced concepts
- Reviewing past curricula to build new ones
- Sequencing lessons from easy to hard
Correct answer: Starting with assessments and working backward to instruction
Backward design, developed by Wiggins and McTighe, begins with identifying desired outcomes and assessments before planning instruction.
Question 3: Which instructional strategy involves students working together in small groups to achieve a shared learning goal?
- Cooperative learning (Correct answer)
- Direct instruction
- Scaffolding
- Independent practice
Correct answer: Cooperative learning
Cooperative learning structures students into small groups where each member contributes to a shared goal, promoting interdependence.
Question 4: A teacher uses a K-W-L chart before a lesson. What is the primary purpose of this strategy?
- Activating prior knowledge and setting learning intentions (Correct answer)
- Summarizing content after instruction
- Assessing final student mastery
- Organizing homework assignments
Correct answer: Activating prior knowledge and setting learning intentions
K-W-L charts activate prior knowledge (Know), identify learning goals (Want to know), and reflect on learning (Learned).
Question 5: What does 'scaffolding' mean in the context of instructional design?
- Providing temporary support that is gradually removed as students gain competence (Correct answer)
- Building permanent reference structures for students
- Assigning tasks in ascending order of difficulty
- Grouping students by ability level
Correct answer: Providing temporary support that is gradually removed as students gain competence
Scaffolding refers to temporary instructional support structures that are incrementally withdrawn as learners develop independence.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes differentiated instruction?
- Modifying content, process, or product based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile (Correct answer)
- Teaching the same lesson multiple times using different examples
- Separating students into fixed ability groups
- Providing extensions only for advanced learners
Correct answer: Modifying content, process, or product based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile
Differentiated instruction adjusts content, process, or product to meet the diverse readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles of students.
NES NES Curriculum Design & Instruction 1
Which curriculum design approach organizes content around broad themes that integrate multiple subject areas?