1.7.1 CURRICULUM PURPOSE

The purpose of a curriculum:

• Is based on the social aspirations of society,
• Outlines the goals and aims of the program,
• Is expressed as goals and objectives.

There are three categories of goals and objectives:

• Cognitive, referring to intellectual tasks,
• Psychomotor, referring to muscular skills,
• Affective, referring to feeling and emotions.

An objective is defined as intent communicated by a statement describing a proposed change in the leamer (Mager, 1992). An objective is a statement of what the learner will do as an outcome of instruction and a statement of change in the behavior of the learner as a result of the instruction or training. Objectives generally are written in terms of the learner's performance or behavior. Learning objectives must be 'SMART':

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic/Result-oriented
• Time framed

Objectives are specified because:

• they enable the teacher to select learning materials and teaching methods,
• they guide the teacher in creating the learning environment in which objectives can be accomplished, and
• They show learners what is expected of them.The curriculum should reflect the relevance of whatever the society deems to be important.