This document discusses curriculum alignment and its importance in educational design. It explains constructive alignment, where learning activities and assessments are aligned to achieve learning outcomes. It provides Bloom's taxonomy and an adapted version as frameworks for writing learning objectives using verbs. The document suggests analyzing how objectives, activities, and assessments are classified across cognitive dimensions to ensure alignment. Regularly reminding students of this alignment can help learning.

1. Greg Hardham
Educational Designer – Division of Learning & Teaching
Services
School of Community Health
School of Environmental Sciences
Albury/Thurgoona

2. To what extent do the
To what extent does instructional
the assessment activities fit the
measure the objectives?
objectives? (Content
validity)
Is what we are teaching
being tested?
Are we teaching what is
being tested?
Anderson (2002)

3. Bloom’s taxonomy of Educational Objectives
Knowledge Recall data or information.
Comprehension Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation, and
interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's
own words.
Application Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an
abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel
situations in the work place.
Analysis Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its
organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between
facts and inferences.
Synthesis Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts
together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning
or structure.
Evaluation Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials.
Adapted from Bloom et al (1956)

4. John Biggs (2002, 2003): “constructive alignment” of the curriculum
“Constructive” = the learner constructs meaning through learning
activities
“Alignment” = learning activities & assessments appropriate to
achieve learning outcomes
Hierarchy of verbs that may be used to form curriculum objectives

5. Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)

6. Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)

7. How can curriculum alignment be
measured?
Analysis using the taxonomy table:
Each objective is placed in its appropriate cell of the table;
Each instructional activity is classified;
Each assessment task is classified;
The three completed tables are compared for alignment.
Why conduct this form of analysis?
To gauge the degree of spread of objectives, activities and
assessment across the cognitive dimensions. Are higher-order
demands being made of students?
To gauge the extent of alignment of the curriculum. Is the spread
of objectives, activities and assessment similar, or for example, are
higher level objectives being assessed by lower level tasks?

8. 1. have a general understanding of the structure and function of the organs in
the body;
2. apply the principles and techniques of statistics and modelling;
3. demonstrate knowledge of the more significant organisational reforms in
policing;
4. be able to critically reflect on their own process as a pastoral counsellor

9. Look for key words in tasks and assessment criteria
Task Assessment criteria include
Reflectively critique your Critical reflective analysis of the
application of evidence-based contribution of own experience to
practice in the management of a decision-making
client you have treated.
Clear implications for own
practice as a result of reflection

10. objectives activities assessment

11. objectives activities assessment

12. To what extent does
the assessment
measure the To what extent do
objectives? (Content the instructional
validity) activities fit the
objectives?
Is what we are teaching
being tested?
Are we teaching what is
being tested?
Anderson (2002)

16. What makes a “good” learning objective?
How do we write effective learning objectives?
Do we need to re-visit our subjects’ objectives?
We need to choose assessments and learning
activities that are outcome-appropriate (Airasian &
Miranda)
How best to developing curriculum for alignment?
Biggs (2002) suggests
Objectives Assessment Activities
Regularly remind students of the connection
between the three components of the aligned
curriculum to assist learning (McMahon & Thakore)

17. Airasian, P. W., & Miranda, H. (2002). The Role of Assessment in the
Revised Taxonomy. Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 249.
Anderson, L. W. (2002). Curricular Alignment: A Re-Examination. Theory
Into Practice, 41(4), 255.
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A Taxonomy for
Learning, Teaching, and Assessing. A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives: Addison Wesley Longman.
Biggs, J. (2002). Aligning the curriculum to promote good learning. Paper
presented at the Constructive Alignment in Action: Imaginative Curriculum
Symposium.
Biggs, J. B. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university: what the student
does (2nd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, F. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R.
(1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain (New
York, David McKay).
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview.
Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212.
McMahon, T., & Thakore, H. (2006). Achieving constructive alignment:
putting outcomes first. The Quality of Higher Education(3).