Cognitive Science 0295 - Curriculum Design for Learning in Formal and Informal Contexts

Where does good curriculum design come from? What is the relationship between curriculum and pedagogy? How do good educators promote deep learning despite the current political climate that emphasizes content mastery and efficient instruction? Should curriculum and instruction differ between school and non-school contexts? In this course, you will learn research-based curriculum design practices, how to focus on conceptual understanding and the development of higher order thinking in a number of domains (e.g. critical thinking, integrative thinking, innovative thinking) and across multiple contexts. Each student or group develops a curriculum unit on a topic of their choice. In addition, students get some practice teaching their materials to one another. This course is designed for Division II and III students who are interested in teaching in formal or non-formal settings or who are developing curriculum as part of their independent work.

Independent Work Completion of at least one education course, including but not limited to one of the following: "How People Learn," "Museums as Learning Contexts: Designing and Assessing Museum Spaces for Learning," educational psychology. Students in this course can expect to spend approximately 6 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.