Using All Aspects of Industry in Curriculum Design

Work in Progress at Virginia Polytechnic Institute

by Curtis Finch and Marianne Mooney

Students can benefit from learning through broad, contextual experiences. In fact, many individuals become more engaged in contextualized learning, thereby improving their preparation for future studies and entry into the work world. Unfortunately, many schools have continued to operate in the traditional "assembly line" mode, replicating the early automobile factory model. Students are sent down a narrow, predetermined path (assembly line), stopping along the way for periodic inspection, and to gather all the required courses (parts) for eventual graduation. Despite the uniform attention available to students, some must undergo remedial work in an effort to rectify "assembly line" errors and miscalculations. Some of these errors are corrected. However, many deficient students proceed on to share their problems in new arenas.

Can education be changed? If students continue to be mass produced, will today's graduates be adequately prepared for life and living? Will they be able to compete in the world class workplace? If educators hope to prepare graduates who can compete head-to-head with graduates from other nations, "product" quality must greatly improve. At the NCRVE Virginia Tech Site we have been examining how "all aspects of the industry," as mentioned in recent federal legislation, might be used to improve school curricula. Our efforts have focused on three areas: (1) identifying curriculum practices and processes that emphasize "all aspects" in the long term; (2) preparing a document that describes these long term curriculum practices and processes and ways they may be designed; and (3) assisting educators at selected school sites with their curriculum implementation.

Information was gathered from educators at selected schools across the nation where "all aspects" is being included in the curriculum. Discussions with educators and observations of ways "all aspects" is being used in these schools led us to certain conclusions. First, many educators do not know what "all aspects" is, and second, "all aspects" may be more beneficial as a curriculum development strategy than as a curriculum.

Second, it may be more beneficial to view "all aspects" as a cognitive set, an approach to framing and designing curriculum, than as specific curriculum content.

Conceptually, we have come to regard "all aspects" as a significant contributor to thematic curriculum development. We view "all aspects" as serving a useful role in designing curricula that are based on encompassing and powerful themes.

The Thematic Curriculum and All Aspects

What then is a thematic curriculum? It is a set of organized learning experiences that provide students with exposure to a broad, predominant content theme. This broad theme (or multiple themes) can serve as an organizer for an entire school, provide a focal point for a school-within-a -school, or furnish students with content where they can engage in self-directed learning. Why thematic curriculum? What value and benefits are derived from implementing a thematic curriculum? As with any approach, value and benefits are dependent on educator and student learning objectives. Some possible benefits include: How might thematic curricula be designed? The design answer begins with an introduction to "all aspects." "All aspects" was first referred to in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act of 1990. A provision of the Act urged that all students be provided with "strong experience in and an understanding of those aspects of industry the students are preparing to enter." Related educational activities described in the legislation included "planning, management, finance, technical and production skills, underlying principles of technology, labor issues, community issues, and health, safety, and environment issues." More recently, the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act highlighted the valuable contribution of "all aspects" as a component of school-to-work systems. Definitions of "all aspects" found in the legislation tend to be simultaneously confining and imprecise. In reality, the nature of "all aspects" may vary as a function of the school or school district in which it is used. Most important, however, it should be recognized that "all aspects" best serves as a curriculum development organizer, rather than an end in itself.

What defines "all aspects?" Key "all aspects" factors (see Figure 1) have been identified based on information from legislation, existing school curricula, and other sources. These factors can assist educators in focusing on the main features of "all aspects," and help them determine whether or not "all aspects" is included in an educational curriculum. The first five factors are considered essential, while the final three are deemed important to success. Although these factors may place limitations on defining "all aspects," they provide flexibility in interpretation when compared to legislative wording.

Exploring Curriculum Options

The thematic curriculum may be configured in a variety of ways. Since the ways themes are arranged can affect what is taught and how it is taught, implementation options should be considered early in the development process. When considering how thematic curricula can look in a particular school, four basic questions need to be answered: (1) What is the context for the thematic curriculum?, (2) How may the curriculum be organized within the school and the workplace?, (3) In what different ways can the curriculum be offered to students?, and (4) What is included in the curriculum content? The four questions address the contextual, organizational, delivery, and content options that must be explored, both individually and collectively, by persons creating the thematic curriculum. These preliminary decisions provide a useful foundation for determining what the thematic curriculum content will actually be, how it should be provided to students, and how it's impact will be assessed. As with any on-going process, the thematic curriculum will continue to evolve in response to changing needs and continuous assessment feedback. Organizing the various design components in a meaningful way allows educators to see the impact thematic curricula can have in affecting positive and lasting change in the schools. As illustrated in Figure 2, when designing the thematic curriculum, thought should be given to what the thematic curriculum is and how "all aspects" can be used to identify and shape curriculum content. Consideration should also be given to contextual options, organizational options, delivery options, content options, linking the curriculum with instruction, and assessing and refining the curriculum. These areas are detailed in a comprehensive guide we are preparing that focuses on designing the thematic curriculum and how "all aspects" aligns with and contributes to this process. This guide, which is still in process, will be document number 956. To receive a notice announcing publication, contact the Materials Distribution Service, by phone (800) 637-7652, by e-mail, NCRVE-MDS@wiu.edu, or by sending your request to: NCRVE Materials Distribution Service, Western Illinois University, Horrabin Hall 46, Macomb, IL 61455.

For further information about this project, contact : Curtis Finch (phone: 540-231-8175, e-mail: crfinch@vt.edu) or Marianne Mooney (phone: 540-231-7741,e-mail: mamooney@vt.edu) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 112 Lane Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0254.

Curtis Finch is a researcher at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an NCRVE site director.

Marianne Mooney is a doctoral student in vocational and technical education and a research assistant for the NCRVE site at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.



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