Course design U1

Course DesignUnit One: 

Course Design Unit One

Curriculum design, Syllabus design, Course design …: 

Curriculum design, Syllabus design, Course design … … isn’t it all the same thing? Well, no… Or yes… It depends who you read.

Here’s one definition… : 

Here’s one definition… Curriculum : principles and procedures for the planning, implementation, evaluation and management of an educational programme. Curriculum study embraces syllabus design (the selection and grading of content) and methodology (the selection of learning tasks and activities). From Nunan, D. (1998) Syllabus Design, OUP

And another …: 

And another … A curriculum contains a broad description of general goals by indicating an overall educational-cultural philosophy which applies across subjects together with a theoretical orientation to language and language learning… A syllabus is a more detailed and operational statement of the teaching and learning elements which translates the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each level. From Dubin, F. and Olshtain, E. (1986) Course Design OUP

And just to add to the confusion …: 

And just to add to the confusion … In the United States it is customary to use the term “curriculum”, rather than “syllabus”, to refer to all aspects of the planning , implementation and evaluation of curriculum. The term is also used for a particular course of instruction. In Britain, the term “syllabus” is used to denote that part of curriculum activity concerned with the specification and ordering of course content and input. From Nunan, D. (1998) The Learner-Centred Curriculum, CUP

Try Googling the terms …: 

Try Googling the terms … Syllabus design – brings up almost entirely EFL related links. Curriculum design – brings up links to sites on general education “Language teaching – MLT and especially ELT – has been for the most part isolated from curriculum studies …ELT grew out of an applied linguistics tradition and the academic reference group to whom practitioners have referred is the applied linguist rather than the educationalist.” From White, R. (1988) The ELT Curriculum, Blackwell

So let’s just call it course design …: 

So let’s just call it course design … A traditional view … The syllabus : someone decides what the Ss should learn and in what order. The materials : someone designs activities around that syllabus Someone teaches the activities

For example.…: 

For example.… The Ministry of Education sets the syllabus The children will be able to : Understand and reply to simple greetings Ask about people’s names and say their own Understand and carry out simple instructions related to classroom activities such as carrying out a task or playing a game (go, come, show, give, point, sit down, stand up, …) Identify and match objects in lexical fields relative to colours, numbers (1-10), everyday objects and pets. Carry out simple arithmetical operations Recognise and reproduce the sounds and rhythm of the L2 The coursebook writer writes the book The teachers teach the book If it works they go on using it

But is it that simple?And is it that linear ?And are the roles that clear?: 

But is it that simple? And is it that linear ? And are the roles that clear? Influences on language teaching since the 70s. Changes in the view of language Changes in the view of language learning Changes in the underlying educational philosophy behind ELT

Changes in the view of language: 

Changes in the view of language Pre-1970s Structural view of language Language could be broken down into simple or more complex structures Learning the structures = learning the language

Changes in the view of language: 

Changes in the view of language The communicative approach - Communicative competence - Language as discourse etc a) the notional-functional syllabus - would not necessarily have led to great changes per se ? Communicative syllabuses remained “synthetic”, product oriented and frequently imposed

Changes in the view of language: 

Changes in the view of language b) the concept of communicative needs and needs analysis as the guiding principle of syllabus design. - meant the rejection of the “one syllabus fits all” approach” : items should be selected and ordered according to needs – Munby, the development of ESP etc

Slide13: 

Changes in the view of language learning : Behaviourism vs Cognitivism Learning vs Acquisition

Changes in the underlying educational philosophy behind ELT : 

Changes in the underlying educational philosophy behind ELT Influences of humanistic psychology

Can’t always separate the influences out…: 

Can’t always separate the influences out… The learner centred classroom The process syllabus

Product and process syllabuses: 

Product and process syllabuses Product oriented syllabuses – focus on the outcomes or end products of the course: The student will be able to… Process oriented syllabuses – focus on the means by which communicative skills will be brought about. Eg Community Language Learning and Dogme

Community Language Learning and Dogme: 

Community Language Learning and Dogme The language items that will be the focus of each lesson are unpredictable in advance Any inventory of language items learnt can only be retrospective – a posteriori rather than a priori

Process Syllabuses ?: 

Process Syllabuses ? White (op cit p.98-102) refers to a proposal for what might also be called a negotiated syllabus : T and Ss negotiate the aims, content, procedures, materials, activities etc to be used

Process Syllabuses ?: 

Process Syllabuses ? All approaches to language learning have placed some degree of emphasis on process, but each viewed the concept of process differently. Thus the audio-lingual approach singled out pattern-practice leading to automatic use as the most important feature of process. The cognitive code approach focused on hypothesis testing and the creative use of language as key features of process … the communicative approach has placed a much higher premium on process than ever before. Dubin and Olshtain (op cit p.46)

Process syllabuses ?: 

Process syllabuses ? Focus on the how of language learning rather than the what. Methodology becomes the main focus rather than specific linguistic items

Either/or or a bit of each ?: 

Either/or or a bit of each ? Synthetic or Analytic ? Structural or Functional or Situational? Product or Process ? Type A or Type B ? Imposed or Negotiated? Content based, Skills Based or Method based? A priori or a posteriori ?

The course designer as juggler …: 

The course designer as juggler … Assumptions about language : content decisions Educational philosophy Assumptions about learning : process decisions Situational constraints Assumptions about course design

Situational constraints- examples : 

Situational constraints - examples time money facilities and equipment stakeholder wants, demands and expectations educational and cultural background teachers etc

A linear process ?: 

A linear process ? Common view … Analysis of needs Setting of goals and objectives Syllabus itemisation Sequencing decisions Choice of methodology, materials, activities Choice of evaluation methods “It is not until the goals, objectives, and content of a language programmes have been determined that decisions about methodology can be taken up in detail.” Richards, J. (1990) Curriculum Development in Second Language Teaching in The Language Teaching Matrix, CUP

But may actually be interdependent?: 

But may actually be interdependent? Syllabus itemisation and sequencing Choice of methodology, materials, activities

Or recursive ?: 

Or recursive ? Goals/Objectives/Content/Methodology chosen Stage one of course taught - needs may emerge - evaluation Goals/Objectives/Content /Methodology adapted

In Unit Two…: 

In Unit Two… Needs Analysis Setting goals and objectives This unit is part of an on-line teacher development course run by Business Talk, Milan. For more information, contact us through out website : www.business-talk.it