online assignment / curriculumn

1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
TOPIC: CURRICULUM
Submitted by,
ASWATHY.T.NAIR
B.Ed ENGLISH
CHRIST NAGAR
COLLEGE OF
EDUCATION,
THIRUVALLOM.

2. INTRODUCTION
Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the
knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one
generation to the next through teaching, training, or research. Education
frequently takes place under the guidance of others, but may also be
autodidactic. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one
thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Education is commonly
divided into stages such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and
then college, university or apprenticeship.In education, a curriculum is
broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the
educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence
of instruction, or to a view of the student's experiences in terms of the
educator's or schools instructional goals.
Therefore there is a general demand to explain the social aims of a
curriculum. A student who completes his/her school education is expected to
be able to face any real life situation boldly and should be equipped to get
employed at the time of completion of his course. This is the purpose of
general education and not a mere internalization of academic subjects.
A curriculum framework is an organized plan or set of standards or
learning outcomes that defines the content to be learned in terms of clear,
definable standards of what the student should know and be able to do. A
Curriculum Framework is part of an outcome-based education or standards
based education reform design. The framework is the first step, defining
clear, high standards which will be achieved by all students. The curriculum
is then aligned to the standards, and students are assessed against the
standards. As compared with traditional education which is concerned only
about delivering content, a standards based education reform system
promises that all will succeed if all are held to high expectations.
There are mainly five types of curriculum. They are: Traditional or
Subject-centred Curriculum, Activity-centred Curriculum, Child-centred
Curriculum, Experience-centred Curriculum, and Undifferentiated
Curriculum.

3. CONTENT
In education, a curriculum is broadly defined as the totality of student
experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers
specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's
experiences in terms of the educator's or schools instructional goals.
Curriculum may incorporate the planned interaction of pupils with
instructional content, materials, resources, and processes for evaluating the
attainment of educational objectives. Curriculum is split into several
categories, the explicit, the implicit, the excluded and the extra-curricular.
The word "curriculum" began as a Latin word which means "a race"
or "the course of a race". The first known use in an educational context is in
the Professio Regia, a work by University of Paris Professor Petrus Ramus
published posthumously in 1576. The term subsequently appears in
University of Leiden records in 1582. The word's origins appear closely
linked to the Calvinist desire to bring greater order to education.
By the seventeenth century, the University of Glasgow also referred to
its "course" of study as a "curriculum", producing the first known use of the
term in English in 1633. By the nineteenth century, European universities
routinely referred to their curriculum to describe both the complete course of
study and particular courses and their content. In the early years of the 20th
century, the traditional concepts held of the "curriculum is that it is a body of
subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers for the students to learn."
It was synonymous to the "course of study" and "syllabus".
On the other hand, to a progressivist, a listing of school subjects,
syllabi, course of study, and list of courses of specific discipline do not make
a curriculum. These can only be called curriculum if the written materials
are actualized by the learner. Broadly speaking, curriculum is defined as the
total learning experiences of the individual. This definition is anchored on
John Dewey's definition of experience and education. He believed that
reflective thinking is a means that unifies curricular elements. Thought is not
derived from action but tested by application. A curriculum may be partly or
entirely determined by an external, authoritative body.

4. Crucial to the curriculum is the definition of the course objectives that
usually are expressed as learning outcomes and normally include the
program's assessment strategy. These outcomes and assessments are grouped
as units, and, therefore, the curriculum comprises a collection of such units,
each, in turn, comprising a specialized, specific part of the curriculum. Core
curricula are often instituted, at the primary and secondary levels, by school
boards, Departments of Education, or other administrative agencies charged
with overseeing education. A core curriculum is a curriculum, or course of
study, which is deemed central and usually made mandatory for all students
of a school or school system.
Types of curriculum
Corresponding to the differences in the nature of various educational
systems there have been variations in the concept and nature of their
curricula too. The modern concept of education is much different from that
of the traditional one. In tune with this new types of curricula that would suit
the requirements of the new educational system also have emerged. Some of
the major types of curricula are:
1) Traditional or Subject-centred Curriculum: The traditional curriculum
which was in vogue for a sufficiently long time is conceived of in terms of
subjects of study. Such a curriculum is organized with the greatest emphasis
on knowledge including facts, concepts, principles, processes and skills in
the subject concerned. All stress was on the cognitive attainment of the
learners rather than on their personal and social development.
2) Activity-centred Curriculum: Rousseau said, “Instead of making the
child stick to his books I keep him busy in the workshop, where his hands
will work to the profit of his mind”. In activity-centred curriculum, subject
matter is translated in terms of activities and knowledge is gained as an
outgrowth and product of those activities. Activity is used as the medium for
imparting knowledge, attitudes as well as skills.

5. 3) Child-centred Curriculum: This is the learner oriented. Subjects should be
chosen and taught keeping in view of the social, emotional and intellectual
needs of children as well as skills.
4) Experience-centred Curriculum: This lays stress on the experience which
the individual is to get while participating in the process of learning. Under
this pattern, experience of the individual is the starting point of learning and
not the subject matter or the interest of the individual.
5) Undifferentiated Curriculum: This means a curriculum which does not
aim at the specialized study of various subjects. Specialization should come
at the Higher Secondary and College levels only. At the primary and
secondary stages we should have undifferentiated or integrated curriculum.
Development of all-round personality is possible only through integrated
experiences and the only means of bringing about this integration is the
unification of subjects.
Principles of Curriculum Construction
Educationists have laid down certain principles for developing
curriculum. Some of the basic principles are:
1) The Principle of Child-Centredness: Curriculum should be child-centred.
It should be based on the present needs, requirements and circumstances of
the child. The child needs more experience than instruction. True education
can be acquired only through activity and experience. Curriculum meant for
any particular stage, therefore, should be framed in accordance with the
child’s developmental characteristics and needs at that stage.
2) The Principle of Community: Centredness: Besides treating each child as
an individual, we should also view him as a member of the community to
which he belongs. In fact, the learner is going to be an active member of the
community as a citizen. The child cannot be educated in a vacuum. He is to
be educated in a school established by the society and by interacting with
other members of the society. The goals formulated by the school which

6. depends upon the purpose of the society determines the content of education,
that is the curriculum.
3) The Principle of Activity: Centredness: Action is the sign of life. Man is
an active being. Therefore, the curriculum should provide for a variety of
activities both physical and mental in which children are naturally interested.
The activity must be connected with the child’s desires and needs as well as
societal requirements. Emphasis should be given to ‘learning by doing’
through the activities hand, head and heart. These may be play activities at
the pre-primary stage, project activities at the primary stage and constructive
and creative activities at the secondary stage.
4) The Principle of Integration: By integration we do not merely mean
integration of subjects. What is required is the integration of the child’s
needs on one hand and the needs of the democratic society on the other
hand. In other words, integration warrants that activities carried on in a
school and the experience thus gained should not be treated in watertight
compartments. Instead, these should be so designed as to lead the child to
establish a functional unity with the environment. Such a curriculum will
safeguard the general and liberal aspects of education.
5) Forward looking Principle: The aim of education is to prepare the child
for an effective adult life. Therefore, the curriculum should reflect an insight
into the future life of the child. It should enable the child to prepare for a
worthy life. It should prepare him for a vocation. It should equip him with
the calibre to meet the challenges of life in future.
6) Conservative Principle: The curriculum should preserve and transmit the
traditions and culture of human race. It should embrace such subjects, topics
or activities by which students should cultivate a sense of respect for their
traditions and culture. Selection of such material should, however, be made
with great care, according to the mental development of children.
7) Renewal Principle: While conserving and transmitting the culture
heritage, education should cater to renewal of the culture to suit the
requirements of changing time. Hence curriculum should be so facilitate
renewal of the society.

7. 8) Creative Principle: God has created the universe and men have created
other things in it. By nature man is creative. Therefore, education should be
so moulded as to enable to develop one’s creativity. The curriculum should
consist such subjects that would enable children to exercise their creative
powers which in turn will enable them to modify their environment
according to the needs of time.
9) Motivation Principle: The curriculum should be tailored to suit the needs
and interests of the pupils. It must be goal directed. It should must motivate
the pupils to actively participate in the learning process with an innate desire
that is with intrinsic motivation.
10) Maturity Principle: The curriculum should be suited to the mental and
physical maturity of the pupil.
11) The Principle of preparation for life: The school curriculum should
include such elements that would prepare children for their future life. That
is, they should be able to earn their livelihood sufficiently and adjust
themselves with the society efficiently.
12) The Principle of Elasticity and Flexibility: Since the need of the
individual and the society go on changing, a rigid and static curriculum
cannot meet the requirements of the child or the society. Moreover,
experience to be presented has to be modified to suit the environment,
societal conditions, learning atmosphere, etc.
13) The Principle of Comprehensiveness: The curriculum must be
comprehensive enough to conform to the needs of various individuals or
communities. Comprehensiveness also has to be reflected in its potential to
cater to the comprehensive or total development of an individual.
14) The Principle of Balance: Curriculum should maintain proper balance
between direct and indirect experiences, liberal and professional education,
individual and social aims, compulsory and optional subjects, etc.
15) The Principle of Utility: Curriculum should be of practical use to the
pupil, and hence should maintain vocational and technical bias. Due
emphasis should be given to work experience.

8. National Curriculum Frame Work 2005
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is one of four
National Curriculum Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005
by the National Council of Education Research and Training in India.
The Framework provides the framework for making syllabi, textbooks
and teaching practices within the school education programmes in India. The
NCF 2005 document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports
on education as Learning without Burden and National Policy of Education
1986-1992 and focus group discussion. After wide ranging deliberations 21
National Focus Group Position Papers have been developed under the agies
of NCF-2005. The state of art position papers provided inputs for
formulation of NCF-2005. The document and its offshoot textbooks have
come under different forms of reviews in the press.
Its draft document came under the criticism from the Central Advisory
Board of Education (CABE). In February 2008 the director Krishna Kumar
in an interview also discussed the challenges that are faced by the document.
The approach and recommendations of NCF-2005 are for the entire
educational system. A number of its recommendations, for example, focus
on rural schools. The syllabus and textbooks based on it are being used by
all the CBSC schools, but NCF-based material is also being used in many
State schools.
NCF 2005 has been translated into 22 languages and has influenced
the syllabi in 17 States. The NCERT gave a grant of Rs.10 lakh to each State
to promote NCF in the language of the State and to compare its current
syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a plan for future reforms could
be made. Several States have taken up this challenge. This exercise is being
carried out with the involvement of State Councils for Educational Research
and Training [SCERT] and District Institutes of Education and Training
[DIET].
Main Features of the NCF 2005
The document is divided into 5 areas:
• Perspective of NCF
• Learning and Knowledge
• Curriculum Areas, School Stages and Assessment
• School and Classroom Environment
• Systemic Reforms

9. Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007
Kerala’s effort to develop a curriculum framework is a turning point
in the history of the state. It is for the first time that the state is making such
an exercise and it is rooted on the ideas articulated in the National
Curriculum Framework (NCF) -2005. Whenever curriculum reforms were
taken up at the national level, the state responded to them in the past. After
the formation of NCERT in 1961, Kerala has been following all the
curriculum reform efforts initiated at the national level. For instance, the
state initiated the process for reforming its curriculum following the
National Curriculum Framework -1975. The state also took steps to
implement NPE- 1986 and the Programme of Action (1992). It was in 1997,
that an effort for the formulation of a comprehensive curriculum focusing on
the process of teaching and learning was attempted in Kerala. Rooted in the
emerging methodology and strategies, an integrated method of learning, a
process- oriented-activity-based approach, viewing learner as a constructor
of knowledge, recognizing the role of society in knowledge construction and
the idea of continuous and comprehensive evaluation came into effect.
However, the state’s curriculum reform effort gained further impetus with
the formulation of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) -2005. NCF-
2005 and the position papers provided grounds for introspection and
formulation of the Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF)-2007.
The curriculum revision programme in Kerala was conceptualized on
the basis of the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework
(N.C.F-2005). The curriculum revision initiated in 1996 in Kerala had a
strong influence in the formation of National Curriculum Framework. Kerala
could display the active working model of a learning process that has its
foundation in the principles of Constructivism and a learner-centred,
activity-based and process-oriented pedagogy. Therefore, we must now
envision educational reforms that go beyond the National Curriculum
Framework, making it a springboard for further research.

10. CONCLUSION
A curriculum framework is an organized plan or set of standards or
learning outcomes that defines the content to be learned in terms of clear,
definable standards of what the student should know and be able to do. A
Curriculum Framework is part of an outcome-based education or standards
based education reform design. The framework is the first step, defining
clear, high standards which will be achieved by all students. curriculum
frameworks have been adopted based on traditional academic standards
rather than outcome-based constructivist standards, but many frameworks
were originally or still based on student-centered learning and
constructivism such as reform mathematics, whole language and Inquiry-
based Science which have been controversial in some states and
communities. High school graduation examinations tie awarding of
diplomas to demonstration of meeting the standards set out in the
frameworks. Curricula may be tightly standardized, or may include a high
level of instructor or learner autonomy.[8]
Many countries have national
curricula in primary and secondary education, such as the United Kingdom's
National Curriculum. UNESCO's International Bureau of Education has the
primary mission of studying curricula and their implementation worldwide.
REFERENCE
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/currikulum
• http://en.wikipedia.org/National_Curriculum_Framework_(NCF_2005)
• www.ssamis.com/web/downloads/KCF%202007.pdf