Title of Journal Article: Curriculum Design for Flexible Delivery Massaging
the Model Author: Maureen Bell and Geraldine Lefoe Source: ASCILITE 1998. Retrieved: March 11, 2010 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conference/wollongong98/asc98.pdf/bell-lefoe0031.pdf
This research was designed to promote Flexible Delivery curriculum in
University of Wollongong, Australia. Flexible delivery is an approach to teaching and learning which increases access to education for a wide range of students by offering greater student control over time, place, and pace of study. Technology is utilized to support communication and access to information to move towards a more students centered approach to teaching and learning. This research provides answer to the gradual changes in tertiary teaching which traditional curriculum models could not anymore meet. The author asserts that the use of flexible modes of delivery which incorporate information and communication technologies is a better means of managing the challenge. The challenge of finding or building an appropriate design model became the focus since traditional models were found less effective than flexible delivery. Case study was used to outline (1) the early decisions about curriculum models that were inadequate, (2) the interactions between Teaching Development Lecturer (TDL) and Instructional Designer (ID) that proved significant to the final course design and the development of new curriculum design and (3) a curriculum model for Flexible Delivery that is grounded in design practice. TDL centers on ‘outcomes-based integrative model. Designers begin by defining desired learning outcomes in answer to the question “what will the learners know, be able to do and or value when they have completed the course?” It is followed by the integration of four major elements of curriculum design: content, teaching and learning method, resources and assessment. This model is developed such that each element influences the other rather than being developed in any particular order. Tyler’s Curriculum model and Interaction model follow a certain structure and objectives are specified with elements of order. According to the authors traditional models are problematic and do not meet the challenges of the present tertiary educational demands. These include the use of test data based on absolute standards of performance. They asserted that a great deal of learning is not amenable to observation or measurement and teaching only that which can be measured confines and trivializes knowledge. Traditional models focus on cognitive and social learning rather than behaviorist and constructivist theories. Traditional models seemed to not considerably regard media as support for students in achieving their learning outcomes. Given this information the authors developed a Flexible Delivery model which emerges from the deliberation of the previous curriculum adopted by the University and its new vision to take the challenge of new millennium. However, they believe still that there is no one curriculum model that should be prescribed for flexible delivery designs. Flexible delivery still is an advantage in that creativity is more likely to flourish when designers are not locked into a rigid method.