Whether you are creating a curriculum for a school or a country, for a single subject or comprehensive programme, understanding how curriculum design ties a learning programme together helps educational practitioners make efficient and effective use of their time and resources." Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education.
A curriculum can be broadly defined as anything that contributes to the definition of a learning programme. Curriculum design is the process of bringing together all those planned outcomes, approaches to teaching, learning resources, and assessments into a coherent framework that achieves learning aims.
In this blog, Cambridge experts Dr Daniel Morrish, Sarah Nelson and Dr Nayla Aramouni explore the subject of curriculum design and development and share details on their upcoming five-part workshop series on the topic.
What do you believe are the key principles of curriculum design?
What curriculum designers want to achieve is the faithful implementation of their aims. We want students to learn what we intended them to learn. The key principles of curriculum design help to ensure this happens. The most important principle of curriculum design is coherence. Having a strong relationship between all the different elements of a curriculum and a common understanding of the curriculum aims is key. We can further strengthen loyalty to our curriculum by writing clearly with a well thought out structure that ensures a smooth learning progression. Finally, a well-designed curriculum should always be relevant to the learners.
Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education
Why is curriculum design an important skill for an educational practitioner?
Whatever you are doing in education, there is curriculum somewhere guiding what you do. Even if it is not explicit there is an underlying plan for teaching and learning. Being able to enact the key principles of good curriculum design allows educational practitioners to ensure that their learning programmes achieve their intended aims. Whether you are creating a curriculum for a school or a country, for a single subject or comprehensive programme, understanding how curriculum design ties a learning programme together helps educational practitioners make efficient and effective use of their time and resources.
Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education
Are there any developments in curriculum design which particularly excite you?
There is a trend in some contexts for greater representation of vocational (or prevocational) skills in curriculum design. Designing curricula that blend the knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with vocational learning with those commonly defined for general education means we are capturing more of what learners will be able to do at the end of our learning programmes. Many vocational skills are already widely recognised in all sorts of education programmes (e.g. communication, collaboration) and this trend should see them becoming better developed in curricula. Assessment of these skills also bring new opportunities as well as significant challenges.
Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education
The development and revision of curricula is a social and political act, particularly when considering who is writing it and what is being explicitly chosen for inclusion or exclusion. Therefore, I am excited at the increased interest amongst curriculum designers in social justice and sustainability within curricula; particularly the intention to integrate it within the intended curriculum rather including them as supplementary content or materials. Integrating these critical concepts fosters a deep understanding of interconnectedness, equity, and responsibility towards other people and the planet, which in turn contribute to the development of a diverse and sustainable future society.
Sarah Nelson, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
I am particularly interested in the shift towards more holistic, student-centred learning experiences that not only prepare students academically but also equip them with skills and mindsets needed to navigate an increasingly complex world. Developments and innovations in personalised learning, playful learning, emphasis on soft skills, sustainability and global citizenship, as well as STEAM (which includes the Arts alongside STEM subjects) are beginning to shape more inclusive, flexible, and adaptable learning environments.
Dr Nayla Aramouni, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
Why should someone attend your upcoming workshop series?
Our workshop series offers the opportunity to broaden and deepen your understanding of curriculum design. It will help you to see the relevance of the big picture and the importance of getting the detail right. We have many years of experience that we are keen to share with you.
Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education
Our workshop series provides a grounding in the research underpinning curriculum design and an opportunity to practically explore the process of curriculum development and review. Whether you work on national or school curricula, this workshop series will give you the knowledge and tools to inform and enhance your own practice.
Sarah Nelson, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
I am presenting this workshop for the first time, but I have witnessed its evolution. It's carefully designed to offer a comprehensive, useful, and relevant experience, regularly updated to maintain quality. I hope participants will gain new insights or enhanced understanding and share our passion for curriculum design.
Dr Nayla Aramouni, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
What is your background in curriculum design?
I have been working with various forms of curriculum design for over 15 years. I started out working in a team that developed community language qualifications for the UK before moving onto developing GCSEs. When I started at Cambridge International Education over 10 years ago, I got the chance to start applying skills developed on focused curricula for specific subjects to whole curriculum design. Since then, I have been fortunate to work on reforming national curricula in over 10 countries around the world either directly creating them or providing training and support for curriculum experts.
Dr Daniel Morrish, Head of Curriculum Projects, Cambridge Assessment International Education
I’ve been working in education for over 15 years, initially as a classroom teacher and academic leader, designing school curricula for secondary and collegiate English departments. Since joining Cambridge in 2014, I’ve had the opportunity to apply my curriculum design skills in two contexts: Cambridge programmes and education reform projects. With the former, I led the development of our Primary and Lower Secondary English and Wellbeing curricula; while with the latter, I work with countries across the globe to support national curricula reform through the development and review of curricula and support materials, as well as through capacity development training.
Sarah Nelson, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
I have been working in the field of education for 20 years, with the last six dedicated to curriculum design as part of International Education's Curriculum Programmes Team. My role has involved developing and reviewing curricula and support materials, as well as conducting system-level investigations into how curricula are implemented in various countries. These investigations lead to informed recommendations, aimed at enhancing educational practices and refining curriculum design.
Dr Nayla Aramouni, Curriculum Programmes Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education
You can join the upcoming workshop series: Applying principles and practice in curriculum development which is led by Daniel, Sarah and Nayla in collaboration with The Assessment Network.
The Assessment Network is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. We provide professional development for impactful assessment.