Module 3
Designing Curriculum
Outcomes
It is worth noting that not all of these will be completely met this module but they start here and continue over the weeks to come.- Describe a complete process for curriculum design/development at the course level.
- Explain the principles of equitable grading.
- Discuss a plan for implementing equitable grading in a course/unit of your selection.
- Describe various kinds of courses available for adoption/adaptation. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of adopting/adapting published courseware.
- Given a general course description and goals provide basic ideas for a set of units/general topics and for each: desired outcomes/capabilities, probable learning activities, in general or specific to outcome, as appropriate (e.g., several programming outcomes might have very similar learning activities), brief description of assessments for each unit/topic, a grading scheme for the course.
Readings/Activities
Monday
We spent several weeks talking about this during our Teaching and Learning Programming course. But I think this is a SIGNIFICANT part of our whole, five-course program. So I will ask you to revisit these ideas.
- Read about "Understanding by Design"
- "Introduction: What is the UbD Framework" [Local Copy from article originally published on ASCD website.]
- "Teaching for Meaning and Understanding" [Local Copy]
- Read this website/page about outcomes-based curriculum design:
- Equitable Grading
Tuesday through Wednesday
- Competency Demo - Initial Course Outcomes Document
- There is much more information at the link above. But, in summary, identify a computer science course that you currently teach, have been asked to design, or that you expect to see at your school in the future. This course can contain programming but should also include elements beyond programming.
- Using the CSTA Standards as guidance, identify a set of outcomes that you feel are/will be applicable to the design of this course.
- This document is a key part of the CoP event this week. Please have it ready on time.
- Graded as a Competency Demo
Thursday
- Checkpoint 3.1- Do some internet research to find a published curriculum that you feel supports the development of the course you described earlier this week. Create a summary report providing a description and key ideas/advantages that would be useful to others in this course.