Curriculum transaction ( knowledge and curriculum) B.ED Notes

 INTRODUCTION

Curriculum is defined as the sum of all experiences, which are to be provided in an educational institution. Curriculum Transaction is the effective and desired implementation of the curriculum contents on the basis of aims and objectives listed in the curriculum. Curriculum Transaction incorporates effective planning for providing learning experiences for its learners, organisation of planning, administration/implementation of the organised planning and evaluation of the implementations by the implementer and the experts in the relevant field. Educational prepares future generation to take their due place in the society. It becomes essential that substandard educational goals, materials and methods of instruction are not retained but up-dated in consonance with the advances in social cultural & scientific field. It is also important to ascertain how different educational institutions and situations interpret a given or prescribed curriculum. Hence, arises the need for curriculum evaluation. Curriculum evaluation monitors and reports on the quality of education. Curriculum transaction enhanced through the techniques and materials of curriculum transaction. Curriculum evaluation refers to the collection of information on which judgment might be made about the worth and the effectiveness of a particular programme. Including the various types of models and strategies curriculum evaluation are important of the curriculum enhancing. Curriculum Transaction

Curriculum is normally understood as a common, officially prescribed syllabus with an accompanying package of textbooks. For instance, Jangira (1984) defines curriculum as an operational document that translates educational objectives into practice propositions and that this document arises out of a continuous process of curriculum development and curriculum transaction, with the latter contributing to the former. Within this framework, (the mandated) curriculum is perceived as a component in the multi-stage process of designing tools for teaching; that it is a fixed entity un-problematically delivered to the students, that is called Curriculum transaction. Concept of Curriculum Transaction : Curriculum Transaction is the component of curriculum management. The concept of the curriculum transaction is as following points:

Curriculum Transaction is the component of curriculum management. The concept of the curriculum transaction is as following points

Curriculum Study

  Curriculum transaction is the effective and desired implementation of the curriculum

contents on the basis of aims and objectives specified in the curriculum. Curriculum

transaction incorporates decisions about the contents and effective planning for

providing learning experiences for its learners on the bases of content, organisation of

planning, administration/implementation of the organised planning and evaluation of

the implementations by the implementer and the experts in the relevant field.

 Definition:

1)   "Curriculum transaction and curriculum management is the process of a planning

and organising is the curriculum in a particular subject area of for different level of

education and continuously monitors it while being implementation."

2)   "Curriculum transaction is the effective and desired implementation of the curriculum

content on the basis of aim objectives listed in the curriculum."

  Formula:

  Curriculum transaction = Planning curriculum subject for different level of study +

Continues monitoring their implementation.

Instructional System of Curriculum Transaction :

An effective curriculum transacted increases the probability of prospective teachers

effectiveness, efficiency and competence. The instructional system of curriculum

transaction is as follows point:

1)   Planning of Curricular and Co-curricular Activities:

 

In view of the importance of planning for various activities, teacher educators should

follow yearly planning for each of the paper they teach as this type of planning contains

monthly as well as unit planning which in other ways facilitates daily lesson planning. In

case of co-curricular activities, teacher educators should continue with the preparation

of tentative annual activities calendar. In such types of planning, a teacher educator

can easily take a complete view of what he has to do in the whole session regarding

the instructional work or curricular activities and co-curricular activities. Such types of

planning are economic from the view point of time.

2)   Use of Teaching Method(s) and Strategies:

  In addition to lecture, discussion, lecture-demonstration, demonstration, assignment

methods and presentations by the prospective teachers, teacher educators should

also employ project, problem-solving, self-discovery, seminars etc. Invariably,

which incorporate appropriate use of latest technologies, for the achievement of

comprehensive objectives of teacher training programme. This will help in exposing

prospective teachers to knowledge and experiences helpful in the development of

understandings, visions, critical thinking, practical skills and advancements in terms of

technological applications.

3)   Use of Media:

  The teacher educators must make use of various media in the classroom as it would

facilitate association of objects, save prospective teachers time and provide authentic

and correct information. It will make teaching-learning interesting, provide a simplified

view of the complicated data, stimulate the imagination, develop prospective teachers

4.2Curriculum Transaction and Evaluation

power of observation and acquaint them with latest developments in the area.

4)   Improvement of Evaluation Procedures:

 

All teacher educators should assess and evaluate prospective teachers performance

with due weight age for attendance participation and performance in various curricular

and co-curricular activities and achievement in house exams using various types

of tests and tools. Time schedule for the evaluation should be notified as per the

geographical diversities of the state.

5)   Organisation of Co-curricular Activities:

  Educational activities and the activities based on community experiences need more

care from the point of view of their organisation, execution and viability in real work

place so that prospective teachers may get most out of them. Such activities should

be organised with a purpose and should not be alienated from the goals of teacher

preparation programme.

6)   Practice Teaching:

  For orienting prospective teachers to innovations like micro-teaching and simulation,

techniques like work-shops, power-point presentations and team-teaching etc. should

be used by the teacher educators, so that prospective teachers can experience feeling

of co-operation, sense of co-ordination and use of various techniques in a viable

manner.

dents and parents to a local instructional

improvement system for electronic and digital instructional materials. The instructional

materials of curriculum transaction are follows point:

1) Educational   Media   (Library   Media   Center   Collections):

  A wide choice of materials that support the instructional program shall be available to

students and professional staff to allow for varying achievement levels, free choice

reading interests and teaching/learning styles. Quality materials should be available

in a variety of formats and reading levels, offer a well-balanced coverage of subjects

and support the diverse interests, needs and viewpoints of the school community. The

Chief Academic Officer, Office of Academics and Transformation, in conjunction with

Curriculum Study

the Executive Director, Division of Instructional Technology, Instructional Materials and Library Media Services, shall establish procedures for the evaluation, selection, management and disposal of library media materials.

2)   Evaluation and Selection of Instructional Materials (Educational Media) :   The school library media center collection affords students the opportunity to explore the unknown and discover areas of interest and thought not covered by the prescriInstructional Media of Curriculum Transaction :

Instructional media design involves discovering the learning objectives and requirements

for a certain educational course and designing, creating and testing multimedia resources

that satisfy these objectives. Just like standard media design, this version of the field has

an educational focus that relies on a variety of media formats to accomplish teaching

purposes, including slide presentations, video, text, Web pages, graphics, audio files

and specialised software. The expansion and refinement of educational technology in

recent years has led to improvements in the quantity and quality of instructional media,

considered to be a vital component together with all the others that go into curriculum

development. It is generally conceded that the environment for learning can be both

enriched and extended by using the outputs of educational technology which include

hardware such as audio-visual equipment, computers and software or courseware such

as books and programmed materials along with systems for their use.

A)   Use of Instructional Media:

  The following suggestions are given by Michaelis and his associates relative to the

general guidelines for the use of instructional media, types of instructional media and

criteria and procedures for selecting instructional media.

1)   Multimedia Approaches in Learning Process:

  The entire school and the areas within it should be viewed as an environment or

laboratory for learning. The selection, arrangement, rearrangement and use of materials

and equipment to promote learning are basic in the self-contained classroom, the

open-space school and other patterns of organisation. Helpful areas and arrangement

4.3Curriculum Study

include learning centers, work stations and centers of interest that focus on reading,

science, art and the other areas of the curriculum, with direct and easy access by

children. Multilevel and multimedia approaches to learning should be provided.

2) Specific   Objectives   of   Instruction:

 

All instructional media should be viewed as resources to be used to attain the specific

objectives of instruction. Books, filmstrips, field trips, data banks and other media are

data sources which students can use in relation to question, problems and programs

of instruction.

3) Use   to   Students   Capabilities   and   Instructional   Objectives:

 

Instructional media should be considered in terms of the level of concreteness or

abstractness of experience that is appropriate for the children who are to use them

(Dale, 1969). If direct firsthand experience is needed, then weaving, constructing,

modeling and similar activities should be provided with the proper selection of related

materials. On a more abstract level are exhibits, motion pictures, still pictures and

other audio-visual resources. Most abstract of all are books, tables, graphs and other

media represented by means of verbal symbols. All the foregoing is needed but should

be selected and used in accordance with the students capabilities and instructional

objectives.

4)   Media Selected in Terms of Criteria:

 

Instructional media should be selected in terms of criteria directly related to

instructional planning. A minimum set of criteria includes the objectives to be attained,

the significance and authenticity of content, the fairness and adequacy of treatment of

women and ethnic groups, appropriateness to the level of development of students,

the elimination of sex bias and racial and ethnic stereotypes and physical qualities,

the value of accompanying manuals and the time, effort and expense involved in

utilisation.

5)   Utilised Variety of Teaching Strategies:

 

Instructional media should be utilised in the context of a variety of teaching strategies.

In general, readiness for the use of a given resource should be developed; the use

of the resource should be observed and guided as needed; follow-through in related

activities should be provided; and teacher and or group evaluation of the resource

should be made. Atmost of importance is the selection and use of media to meet

individual differences as strategies are used to attain various objectives.

6) Library   facilities:

  Library Facilities of several types are essential to the development of a rich instructional

program. Students in each classroom or work area should have direct access to

library resources such as the room library in self-contained classrooms and the library

resources in the materials center in open-space schools. A large library that serves

the entire school opens up opportunities for learning that cannot be obtained in other

ways. Access to the varied services of libraries in the community should be capitalised

to the fullest in order to further enrich and extend learning opportunities.

7)   Helpful in Facilitating Instruction:

 Instructional media centers should be available to teachers and students. They should provide work spaces, equipment and materials for making needed materials as well as a variety of resources for immediate use. Both a large center that serves several schools and a center within each school have been found to be helpful in facilitating instruction.

8) Neighborhood   and   Community   as   a   Laboratory   for   Learning:   The entire neighborhood and community should be viewed as a laboratory for learning. Students experiences in the community and the many different community resources that are readily available should be drawn upon to enrich and extend learning.

B)   Types of Instructional Media:   There are three main types of instructional media generally useful in all areas of the curriculum that should be considered: (1) printed materials, (2) audio-visual materials and (3) community resources. .

1)   Printed Materials:   Printed materials include textbooks, pamphlets, programmed materials, references, source materials, activity booklets, periodicals, other reading materials and simulation games.

2)   Audio-Visual Materials :   Audio-visual materials include sound and film resources such as motion pictures and television, realia and models of realia such as costumes and dioramas, pictorial resources such as photographs and sketches, graphic materials such as maps and diagrams, projectors and viewers for handling slides, tapes and other media and supplies and materials for making charts, slides and other items.

3)   Community resources :   Community resources include locally available printed and audio-visual resources plus field trips, persons to inter-view, service projects, libraries, museums, recreational areas and the mass media.

Enhancing Curriculum Transaction 

The curriculum transaction enhanced throughout the instructional techniques (strategies) and materials of curriculum. I) Instructional Techniques of Curriculum Transaction :   The curricular transactions need various techniques to define, expound, elucidate, generalise, verify, apply and even reflect upon, the knowledge created, generated and constructed there in. There have been several exercises in the curriculum development and textbooks have been prepared centrally as proto type materials. These at the implementation stage have not been prepared adequately to internalise these changes. This has resulted in unprepared teachers attempting to implement modified curriculum which demands new approach and techniques of curriculum transaction. lt is felt that the curriculum is ever growing and the curriculum load is heavy. These have attracted considerable attention and there are mixed reactions to the situation.

Curriculum Study

A)   Instructional Methodology of curriculum transaction:

 

Instructional methodology of curriculum transaction would but follow the standard

steps with needed adaptations. Curriculum Frameworks and Curriculum designs will

continue to be designed as such with the following components in different subjects at

different levels:

  1)   Objectives spelt out in all the three domains.

  2)   Course content.

  3)   Strategies of curriculum transactions (methodology).

  4)   Support material and Aids to instructions.

  5)   Evaluation techniques, tools and procedures.

B)   Selection of Instructional Strategies:

  Selection of instructional strategies or methodologies of curriculum transaction comes

next in sequence. This will basically be determined by the content for intervention at

the identified points. The value and potential of different methods (both conventional

and unconventional) about the efficient transaction of that particular aspect of content

will enable us to select the most appropriate ones for use. Related theoretical inputs

and practical activities will also need to be simultaneously spelt out. While theoretical

inputs are comparatively easier to identify practical work by pupils does deserve to be

briefly elaborated, it could consist of:

  1)   Initiation of demonstration by the teacher.

  2)   Teacher assisted practice.

  3)   Drill with repeated familiar exercises.

  4)   Experience with unfamiliar situations and materials.

  5)   Self evolved and initiated programs and exercises.

  6)   Adaptation of different techniques.

C)   Techniques of Curriculum Transaction:

  While adhering to a model of teaching, a lecturer may employ more than one approach

to achieve learning objectives. These approaches are referred to as strategies

of teaching or instructional strategies. Literature on teaching would reveal that the

Strategies can be classed as direct, indirect, interactive, experiential or independent.

1)   Direct Instruction:

  The direct instruction strategy is one in which the teacher plays a dominant role and

he/she is found to be directing every single activity that occurs in the classroom. This

strategy includes methods such as lecture, didactic questioning, explicit teaching,

practice and drill and demonstrations. The strategies of direct instruction are

appropriate if a teacher seeks to provide information to the students on a subject or

wants to developed hierarchical skills. Teachers have also employed the strategy of

direct instruction for introducing a method or task. If a lecturer is highly skilled in oral

communication, he/she may use direct instruction for involving students in knowledge

construction.

2)   Indirect Instruction :

4.6Curriculum Transaction and Evaluation

 

If direct instruction is teacher centered and fully directed by the teacher, indirect

instruction is normally referred to those approaches where a students are at the

centre of instruction and they decide the flow of learning. Some well known methods

of indirect instruction are Inquiry learning, inductive method, problem solving and

discovery learning.

3)   Interactive Instruction :

  As the name would suggest, interactive instruction is the strategy of a lecturer who

believes in discussion and sharing among participants. In implementing interactive

instruction, a teacher may employ total class discussions, small group discussions

and projects.

4)   Experiential learning :

  Experiential learning is inductive, learner centered and activity oriented. You are aware

how important it is to experience something directly when one has to learn something.

Since experiencing is a process rather than a product or outcome, it may not be

wrong to say that this strategy emphasises the process of learning. The experiential

learning strategy employs Personalised reflection and formulation of plans to apply

learning's to other situations as critical requirements in learning. According to McNeil

& Wiles (1990), "experiential learning greatly increases understanding and retention

in comparison to methods that solely involve listening, reading or even viewing". You

would agree that the students are more motivated when they actively participate and

engage themselves in sharing their experiences.

5)   Independent Study :

  At the college level, students have a fully developed capacity to learn on their own.

In fact, they do learn things independently. Independent study refers to the range of

instructional methods that are based on individual student initiative, self-reliance and

self-improvement. If viewed flexibly, independent study can also include learning with

a class mate or as member of a small group.

II) Instructional Materials of Curriculum Transaction :

  As regards instructional materials like textbooks etc. their reform in the light of the

observations made on the school language home language distance is called for as a

matter of urgency. The Board shall provide annual written notice to parents of the ability

to access their child's instructional materials. In addition, the notice shall be posted on the

District's instructional materials information website. The Board must also provide notice

and access for teachers, administrators, stubed curriculum; therefore, it should contain materials that allow for free inquiry, study and evaluation. The selection process may include consultation with school administrators, other teachers, students and parents to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for users of the library media center.

3)   Use of Instructional Materials :   Principals shall ensure that instructional materials are used to provide instruction to students enrolled at the grade level(s) for which the materials are designed and for effectively communicating to parents the manner in which materials are used to implement the curricular objectives of the school under F.S. 1006.40(5) and 1006.28(3).

4)   Lost and Damaged Instructional Materials:   The principal shall collect from each student or the student's parent the purchase price of any instructional materials the student has lost, destroyed or unnecessarily damaged and report and transmit the amount collected to the Superintendent. The failure to collect such sum upon reasonable effort by the principal may result in the suspension of the student from participating in extra curricular activities or satisfaction of the debt by the student through community service activities at the school site as determined by the principal.