Educational Values
Personal Values
Educational Content Goals
Methods, Processes and Procedures
Curriculum Questionnair

Grasha, Tony

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln POD Network Conference Materials Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education 10-25-1977 Curriculum Questionnaire Clarification of Terms Tony Grasha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podconference  Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons Grasha, Tony, "Curriculum Questionnaire Clarification of Terms" (1977). POD Network Conference Materials. 166. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/podconference/166 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in POD Network Conference Materials by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Curriculum Qy~stionnaire Clarification' of Terms: Based on some of the reactions to the questionnaire, the meaning of the terms educational and personal values' educational content goals and methods, processes and procedures will be outlined here. Each term appears in the context of several questions and their usage may not be familiar to everyone. The purpose in asking the set of curriculum questions in the way that we did is to get a sense of where your current 'strengths and weaknesses lie and what changes seem reasonable to you for the future. To do this adequately, an examination of your educational values, educational content goals and the methods, processes and procedures used to meet the goals and values is often helpful. ~ducational Values: Decisions we make in educational settings regarding cur-riculum and course design are based on the values we hold. In its ~ general usage, educational va+t1es can be thought of as the ideals, customs, ~eliefs, ideaEl and assumptions that guide our educational thinking and towards which we have some positive or negative affect. That is, we can feel positively or negatively tqwards these ideals, customs, beliefs, ideas and assumptions. Some examples of educational values include: "Students learn best with a lot of tension and anxiety in the classroom." "Feelings are real,· always present and .relevant for learning." "Stu-dents need diversity in their educational environments." "All men are not created equal and educational planning should reflect this.ll "Prerequisites are a neces-sity in any curriculum." "Students respond better if the professor is authoritar-ian." The list of possible values is undoubtedly quite large. We are interested in what values you see as underlying your current _curriculum and what values you think would underly any Changes for the future. Personal. Values: ..!£ its ~ general, sense, such values _are the ideals, cus-toms, beliefs, ideas and assumptions that guide our personal -life decisions. Some examples are: "The world owes me a living." "My skills should be used for humani-tarian purposes." "I can only get out of life what I put into it." "I work best when I have the freedom to work at my own pace." "I try to solve a problem by looking at all available data." "Inner cities are best left alone to decay." "Multiple units are better than high rise structures." On two of the questions, we want you to try and list what some of the personal values graduates from your current curriculum are likely to have and what personal values they are likely to have if the curriculum changes. Educational Content Goals: These are the facts, concepts, general information and skills that you feel your curriculum produces or should produce. They are simply the objectives or purposes that you have for what you do. In stating goals it is important to include in the statement specifically ~ is expected of stu-dents and the types of behaviors that will be taken ~ evidence of goal achievement Some hypothetical examples of goals statements within this model are: 1. In our curriculum students learn ten planning models and the conditions under which each is appropriate. When given a community planning problem they are expected to be able to select an appropriate model and use it to reach a solution that meets the instructors and if applicable the client's satisfaction. 2. Students learn to develop collaborative skills. They are expected to work with other students on team designed and implemented projects. -2-Future goals would obviously be stated in the future tense. The important thing to keep in mind is the goals need to be stated so that someone not intimately familiar with your curriculum could understand what you are attempting to do. Taking the latter point of view is often helpful in insuring that the goal state-ments are as clear and specific as possible. Methods, Processes and Procedures: This refers to the "specific" things that you do to maximize your chances of having students obtain the goals and values that you hold for them. Again it is important to try and be as specific as possible here. Also keep in mind that in stating some goals, the methods, processes and procedures used may be indicated so that a further elaboration may not be necessary. Usually, however, this will not be the case. Some hypothetical examples of this follow for the two goals stated above and for two values: 1. The Planning Goal: Students are required to take a course in planning models. They also attend a workshop during their freshman year on creative problem solving. They are required to co-op in an agency which is assessing the application of alternative planning models. 2. The Collaborative Skill Goal: Team designed and implemented projects .are designed into each of our courses. A senior year project is team designed and initiated. Students participate in a workshop during their junior year on team building and management techniques. 3. An Educational Value Example: "Students need to make educational de-cisions for themselves." Only one-half of our courses are required. The others are electives. Students can take courses outside of the college. Students during their senior year are allowed to contract for a set of experiences that go beyond traditional classrooms for academic credit. 4. An Educational Value Example: "Students learn best with an integration of both· content and application skills. 11 · In addition to formal course uork, students are required to Hork in a co-op placement'. In the context of all classes, students are given projects nhich st-ress the application of knowledge. Curriculum Questionnaire Please read the cover sheet for an explanation of the terms that are used. Try to answer each question :in'.the space provided. If additional space is needed, add an attachment or use the ~~~k of the page. If you f~E!l you cannot answer .! question .£!. part of it please ,_lli! your reason for E£!_ anSwering and _&2. ~ !2_ the next one. · ' ----1. Imagine a typical graduate of your department in June 1975. Describe your perceptions of: a) the skills he has b) the personal values he has c) the career goals he is likely to have 2. Imagine a typical graduate of your department in June 1978. Assume that the department has made modifications in the existing curriculum that you are quite satisfied with: a) what skills would this graduate have? b) what personal values would this graduate hold? c) What career goals is this graduate likely to have? -2-3. Imagine that the university is planning to eliminate several departments. Your department is one such department that is being considered for ter-mination. The provost of the university comes to meet with the department. What are 3-5 things you would say to him regarding why this department is needed and how would you justify the reasons that you gave for its existence? 4. Please answer the following for the curriculum as it now exists. a) List five educational values that you feel are associated with the current curriculum. Try to be specific as possible. 1. 2. 3. -3-4a. Cont'd. Five educational values associated with current curriculum. (Cont'd.) 4. 5. ..:·: ~ :0 I. b) What are the five most important educational content goals that you see in the current curriculum? Try to be as specific as possible. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. -4-4. Cont'd. c) What are the current methods, processes and/or·procedures that the current curriculum uses to obtain a match among the values and goals you identified? Try to do this for each goal and value you identified. (See example on cover sheet.) Educational Contents Goal Method, Process, Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (OVER) -4A•· 4c. Cont'd. Educational Value Method, Process, Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. -5-5. Please anst<~er the following for the curriculum~ you l<~ould like to see it changed for the future. (1975-76, 76-77-) a) What are 2-5 new educational values that you think should be associated with the ii'eW Ctir'riculum? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. b) What are 2-5 ~educational content goals that you now see in the curriculum? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. -6~ 5. Cont'd. c) What methods, processes and procedures should now appear in the curric-ulum to obtain a good match among the values and goals you identified? TrY to do this for each new goal and value you identified. (See the example on the cover sheet.) Method, Process, Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. s. Sc. Cont'd. Value 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. -6A-Method, Process, Procedure 

Curriculum Questionnaire Clarification of Terms

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Curriculum Questionnaire Clarification of Terms

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