ADAG

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ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURICULUM AND SYLLABUS
SUBMITTED TO,
MS.DHANYA KUMAR
LECTURER IN ENGLISH
SUBMITTED BY,
ABIN K ANTONY
ENGLISH
REG NO: 16514383001

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INDEX
SL
NO.
CONTENT PAGE
NO.
1.
INTRODUCTION 3
2. CONTENT
3. CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION
Both a curriculum and syllabus are typically important factors at
any school, but the difference between them is not usually clear to
everyone. A curriculum is typically a guideline set out for educators
that prescribes what they need to teach their students. It tends to outline
the subjects that need to be taught, as well as methods for ensuring that
each student has indeed learned the necessary materials. On the other
hand, a syllabus is a more descriptive list of the concepts that will be
taught in a particular class. One of the major differences between a
curriculum and syllabus is that the latter is often handed out on the first
day of class, while the former is usually not seen by students unless by
request.
Curriculum
The word "curriculum" began as a Latin
word which means "a race" or "the course of a race" (which in turn
derives from the verb currere meaning "to run/to proceedCurriculum
can refer to the entire program provided by a classroom, school,
district, state, or country. A classroom is assigned sections of the
curriculum as defined by the school.Through the readings of Smith,
Dewey, and Kelly, four curriculums could be defined as:

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Explicit curriculum: subjects that will be taught, the identified
"mission" of the school, and the knowledge and skills that the school
expects successful students to acquire.
Implicit curriculum: lessons that arise from the culture of the
school and the behaviors, attitudes, and expectations that characterize
that culture, the unintended curriculum.
Hidden curriculum: things which students learn, ‘because of the
way in which the work of the school is planned and organized but
which are not in themselves overtly included in the planning or even in
the consciousness of those responsible for the school arrangements .
The term itself is attributed to Philip W. Jackson and is not always
meant to be a negative. Hidden curriculum, if its potential is realized,
could benefit students and learners in all educational systems. Also, it
does not just include the physical environment of the school, but the
relationships formed or not formed between students and other students
or even students and teachers.
Excluded curriculum: topics or perspectives that are specifically
excluded from the curriculum.
Extracurricular: May include school-sponsored programs, which
are intended to supplement the academic aspect of the school
experience, or community-based programs and activities. Examples of
school-sponsored extracurricular programs include sports, academic

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clubs, and performing arts. Community-based programs and activities
may take place at a school (after hours) but are not linked directly to the
school. Community-based programs frequently expand on the
curriculum that was introduced in the classroom. For instance, students
may be introduced to environmental conservation in the classroom.
This knowledge is further developed through a community-based
program. Participants then act on what they know with a conservation
project. Community-based extracurricular activities may include
“environmental clubs, 4-H, boy/girl scouts, and religious groups.
Syllabus
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word syllabus
derives from modern Latin syllabus "list" .A syllabus is an outline and
summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is
descriptive (unlike the prescriptive or specific curriculum). A syllabus
may be set out by an exam board or prepared by the professor who
supervises or controls course quality. It may be provided in paper form
or online. The syllabus ensures a fair and impartial understanding
between the instructor and students such that there is minimal
confusion on policies relating to the course, setting clear expectations
of material to be learned, behavior in the classroom, and effort on
student's behalf to be put into the course, providing a roadmap of course

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organization/direction relaying the instructor's teaching philosophy to
the students, and providing a marketing angle of the course such that
students may choose early in the course whether the subject material is
attractive.
Many generalized items of a syllabus can be amplified in a
specific curriculum to maximize efficient learning by clarifying student
understanding of specified material such as grading policy, grading
rubric, late work policy, locations and times, other contact information
for instructor and teaching assistant such as phone or email, materials
required and/or recommended such as textbooks, assigned reading
books, calculators (or other equipment), lab vouchers, etc., outside
resources for subject material assistance (extracurricular books, tutor
locations, resource centers, etc.), important dates in course such as
exams and paper due-dates, tips for succeeding in mastering course
content such as study habits and expected time allotment, suggested
problems if applicable, necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites to
current course, safety rules if appropriate, and objectives of the course.
Difference between Syllabus and Curriculum
Curriculum is the complete set of taught
material in a school system. It is prescriptive (as opposed to the
‘descriptive’ syllabus, which is the outline of topics covered. If the
curriculum prescribes the objectives of the system, the syllabus

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describes the means to achieve them). Curriculum comes from a Latin
word which means the course of a chariot race. However, curriculum
has come to mean much more than a prescribed one track race and calls
for a search for an understanding that gives meaning to education that is
both functional and ethical Curriculum as a guiding document helps
teachers in understanding standards that students need to achieve at the
end of a developmental stage. The curriculum document will indicate
“what” to teach, how” the curriculum is to be taught and help in
checking “whether” the curriculum is taught as per the document.
Over the years, ‘curriculum’ has meant different things to
different educationists. Some simply equate curriculum to the syllabus
that is to be transmitted in the class. “A syllabus gives a more focused
outline for particular subjects. It can’t be equated, because a curriculum
is for a course but a syllabus is for a subject,” says Dr. Yasmin
Jayathritha. The curriculum is the superset and syllabus is the subset of
curriculum.
The syllabus is the content, the list of topics/concepts to be
taught, whereas the curriculum is a consideration of the objectives, the
content, methods chosen to achieve those objectives. It could/should
contain a consideration of the kind of assessment one will use to check
progress. “Curriculum is developed keeping in mind the standards
students should achieve from well- researched best practices.
Curriculum is designed so that the teaching and testing are aligned with
the standards set for each developmental stage,” adds Vimala

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Nandakumar. Some see it as an end-product, which is to be achieved
through a prescribed plan with pre-set objectives. For others, it is the
interaction between ‘knowledge’, students and teachers. A curriculum
can be a teacher’s friend or an enemy depending on how the teacher
plans to use it. “The curriculum can be a strait-jacket or a crutch or a
spring-board. For a teacher the curriculum stops being stifling if she
understands what it is meant to achieve. But most use it, often badly, as
a crutch because they make no effort to engage with it or understand
what it hopes to achieve. Once a teacher understands that, she can use it
or work around it to achieve the same ends,” says Dr. Gurveen Kaur.
CONCLUSION
One of the most notable distinctions between the usual
curriculum and syllabus is that most teachers make the latter widely
available to students. In fact, many teachers hand out the syllabus on
the first day of class, especially in college, where students are expected
to take a particular interest in their education. On the other hand, the
curriculum is not usually distributed among students unless it is
specifically asked for. In classes that are taught in multiple sections by
different teachers, the curriculum will be the same for all, but the
syllabus may vary somewhat from one teacher to another.

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