Module 3: Planning, Instruction, and Assessment Approaches in Different Curricular Designs

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The Process

By Jennifer Simpson and Luke Nakonechny 
To begin our analysis we again started building a mind map.  We wanted to connect the professional context to each of the philosophies.  As we worked through we found that the actions split into two philosophical themes: learner centered and subject centered.  We added the planning, instruction and assessment for these philosophies along with questions to focus for the teacher to our table.  
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1kmvyrE-mRu9qcKKMa7KopiUzNiScS3aVUOfWkknD0gA/edit?usp=sharing 

The link to our table is here.

If you would like to see our mind map for this portion, you can view it here.

The Discussion

The process of planning, instruction and assessment of the learner centered philosophies was well discussed in the readings and videos.  In the Teacher’s Point of View on Inquiry Based Learning video, she spoke about using a “backwards planning design”. The key in this planning is that you are involving the learners in setting the topics so it becomes essential of the teacher to be aware of the outcomes.  Instruction is as a facilitator guiding the students on through their learning. Students are engaged and motivated in the learning and demonstrate their understandings. In a learner focused classroom the assessment becomes an important part of the learning. Students are encouraged to develop self efficacy, self assessment and metacognition skills.  Rubrics, discussions, and checklists are commonly used for assessment.

In comparison, the subject centered philosophies involve a more traditional format of planning, instruction and assessment.  For these the planning is completed with the teacher deciding the topics and assignments from the curriculum. The instruction is directive, and the teacher shares and passes along the information to the students who are to receive it.  Motivation in this type of classroom is more extrinsic and student engagement is lower. Assessments are completed to check learning, as mastery of the skills is the key. Tests are completed separate from the learning and are used to determine progress.  

Sir Ken Robinson and John Ralston Saul both discussed effects standardized exams in education.  These exams are often viewed as a method of accountability on the teaching and learning that is occuring within the classrooms.  However, Ralston Saul mentions that these exams are often designed to be low level intelligence questions that don’t allow the students to view themselves as thinkers and instead as completing something external.  According to Robinson, human life has “three principles to flourish in life: humans are viewed as different and diverse, curiosity, and creativity”. Unfortunately the education system, with it’s standardized exams, assessment of learning, low student engagement, and conformity is going against these basic principles.  This leads us to wonder, is there are a place for standardized exams in education? Does the need for accountability outweigh the evidence of their negative impact on student learning? Is there another way we can add accountability that aligns with a learner centered philosophy?

References:

EdCan Network. A Teacher's P.O.V. on Starting Inquiry-based Learning in the Classroom. http://vimeo.com/85470752
Halbert, J., & Kaser, L. (2013). The Spiral of inquiry in action. From The BC Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association.
Castellon,A. (2017, May 28). A Call to Personal Research: Indigenizing Your Curriculum.  http://www.teacherresearch.ca/blog/article/2017/05/28/324-a-call-to-personal-research-indigenizing-your-curriculum

 Hayes, D. (2003) Making learning an effect of schooling: aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 24(2), 225-245

McMillan, J. H. (2014).  Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction (6th ed., pp. 1-20,  57-64,74-88). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Ralston Saul, J. Where is Standardized Testing Trend Taking Us? http://vimeo.com/28412154
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14. doi:10.3102/0013189X029007004
Ted (2003, May 10).  How to Escape Education’s Death Valley.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=wX78iKhInsc





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