Objectives of Curriculum Change
The primary goals of curriculum change are designed to make education more relevant, responsive, and effective for learners. The key objectives include:
- Restructuring the curriculum to align with learners’ needs, interests, and capabilities.
- Removing outdated or unnecessary topics, teaching methods, and content that no longer serve educational goals.
- Incorporating modern and updated teaching methods along with relevant content reflecting current knowledge.
- Adjusting instructional hours—either increasing or decreasing them—based on the subject’s importance and complexity.
- Strengthening the connection between theoretical learning and practical experience to improve understanding and application.
- Adopting innovative teaching strategies and techniques that suit the learners’ developmental levels.
- Integrating new technologies into the teaching-learning process to enhance engagement and effectiveness.
- Keeping subject matter current by updating it with the latest scientific advancements and emerging trends.
Nature of Curriculum Change
Curriculum change is dynamic and multi-faceted in nature. It involves:
- Offering a thoughtfully selected mix of subjects that enable students to better understand and navigate the world around them.
- Emphasizing the development of lifelong learning skills, critical for employment, personal growth, and well-being.
- Aiming to equip students with the knowledge and competencies necessary for a successful and meaningful life.
- Addressing increasing concerns about the relevance and design of the existing curriculum, calling for its thoughtful revision and redesign.
Categories of Curriculum Change
Curriculum changes can be classified into the following major categories:
- Launching an entirely new undergraduate degree program or a specialized track within an existing program.
- Introducing a new postgraduate degree program, particularly coursework-based programs.
- Adding new subjects or discontinuing existing ones, based on relevance and demand.
- Revising foundational or core courses, such as changing the primary language offered in first-year undergraduate programs.
- Modifying elective subjects, for example, changing the language of instruction in an upper-level course or offering new elective options.
