This document discusses curriculum alignment and consistency in education. It addresses building curriculum-based vocabularies and learning trajectories to improve alignment within and across subjects. Specific examples are provided of how the Dutch curriculum is structured around subject-transcending themes, subjects, cores, and sub-cores. Learning trajectories are proposed to map objectives and content across educational levels. Challenges and possibilities for tools that support consistency and relevance through repositories and improved search capabilities are also discussed.

1. Curriculum alignment and consistency Building curriculum based vocabularies and learning trajectories. Allard Strijker 2011-05-18 Edrene, Den Haag

2. Introduction SLO – Expertise center for Curriculum Design

3. This presentation For you Ideas for alignment Approach for consistency Things to think about Possibilities tools Current developments From you Suggestions Related projects Questions

4. Quality in Relevance Alignment Curriculum framework Learning objectives Educational aims Educational levels Consistency Within Subjects and themes Learning materials From publishers, Own material, Open domain Assessment

5. Education Trends in the Netherlands More attention for individual learners More or less talented Teacher more in control More attention for curriculum Providing mix of learning materials from From publishers Own material Open material Change in finance Schoolbooks

6. Solutions Describe curriculum more specific Learning Trajectories Content specification (What should be learned) Provide vocabularies Terms Relations Support content development Support in searching learning materials

7. Dutch Curriculum

8. Program structure Dutch curriculum subject-transcending themes (Human and Nature) Subject (Geography) Core (Water) Core objectives Exam programmes Common European Frame work

9. Example

10. Alignment European curriculum Subject-transcending themes (Language) Subject (English) Core (Speaking) Core objectives Exam programmes Common European Frame work

11. Subject structure subject-transcending themes (Human and Nature) Subject (Geography) Core (Water) Sub core Content Level Intermediate goal

12. Geography cores Citizenship, multicultural society Sustainability Population and area Rich and poor Globalisation Borders and identity, Europe Weather and climate Forces of the Earth Sources of energy Water

13. Geography sub cores Water Water Cycle Water issue too much, too little, too dirty Netherlands-Waterland Water in the future

14. Geography (Lower Secondary Education) Water (Core) Water in the future (Sub Core) Sustainable use of water (Content) Understanding of sustainable water use and a contribution in their own environment accordingly. (Intermediate objective) Water Water in the future Issues around availability and price of water problems Assessing views water-related conflicts.

15. Learning Trajectory Learning Trajectories Core objective Intermediate objective Intermediate objective Intermediate objective Intermediate objective Content Content Content Content Content Materials and resources Materials and resources Materials and resources

16. Inconsistency between subjects (Mapping) Subject specific Terminology (Core, Task, Skill, Domain, Concepts, Time periods, Keys) -> Mapped to Core Structure (2 levels, 3 level content description) -> Sub Core = Core Differences in didactics in subjects Math and languages Competences, knowledge, tasks, skills

17. subjects / themes Learning Trajectory Core objectives Subject core Examination program Subject sub core Educational level Content Intermediate objective Learning objects

18. Possibilities Quality Relations with formal curriculum Use of learning trajectories Overview of curricula, coverage Showing implicit relations between learning materials Show curriculum related items Support in selection based on curriculum

19. Possibilities Relevance Repositories Collections Provide more specific search results Improve searching, discovery Improve content development Tooling

20. Current challenges Stability of curriculum Management Lifecycle Versions Keep consistency Control complexity vocabularies Number of items to maintain

21. Current challenges Adoption, implementation Publishers, Collections, Tools Persistent relations Vocabularies List of Items Hierarchical lists Multiple relations

22. Questions Suggestions a.strijker@slo.nl