Curriculum
A curriculum is the planned content, learning objectives, and learning experiences that structure a course of study or educational program.
Learning objectives: Statements describing what learners should know or be able to do after instruction. They state the intended outcomes that guide curriculum content and teaching.
Curriculum mapping: The process of documenting and comparing what is taught, when, and how it is assessed. It reveals gaps, repetition, and mismatches across a curriculum.
Classical education: An educational tradition centered on the study of classical texts, languages, and liberal arts. It emphasizes inherited disciplines and texts rather than primarily learner-selected interests.
Canon (literature): A body of literary works regarded as central or authoritative within a tradition. Curricular choices help determine which works become part of literary study.
Instructional design: The systematic planning of learning experiences, materials, and instruction to achieve specified outcomes. It turns curricular goals into sequenced activities, materials, and teaching plans.
Backward design: An instructional planning approach that begins with desired outcomes and evidence before choosing activities. It organizes curriculum planning around outcomes and assessment before instruction.
Progressive education: An educational movement emphasizing experience, inquiry, and learners' active participation. It contrasts with curricula organized chiefly around fixed subject matter and transmission.
Academic tracking: The practice of assigning students to different instructional groups or programs by perceived ability or achievement. Separate curricular pathways can shape access to advanced content and future opportunities.
Assessment: The collection and interpretation of evidence about learning, performance, or other outcomes. It provides evidence about whether the curriculum's intended learning is taking place.
Spiral curriculum: A curriculum design in which learners revisit important ideas with increasing depth and complexity. It is a specific way to sequence recurring ideas across stages of study.