6.1 CURRICULUM MATERIALS ORGANISATION

Organization of Curriculum materials

Curriculum in narrow view includes content and examination. In wider frame curriculum includes aims, learning methods and subject matter sequencing. Broader concept of curriculum describes it as a sophisticated blend of educational strategies, course content, learning outcomes. educational experiences, assessment, the educational environment and the individual students' learning style, personal timetable and the program of work

Curriculum not only covers the formal teaching/learning but also the other aspects of human development associated with institutional life. It will transform a student into a productive citizen. If the curriculum is to be a plan for learning, its content and learning experiences need to be organized so that they serve the educational objectives.

According to Taba (1962) "often the curriculum is in effective not because its content is inadequate but because it is put together in a way that makes learning difficult, or because learning experiences are organized in a way that makes learning either less efficient or less productive than it might be".

In many cases the formulation of content is seen as the starting Doint of curriculum development. Some analogies may help illustrate the imitations of this approach:

• Beginning to build a house by buying the building materials. Once you have the materials, you ask an architect to do a design that uses the materials and then buy the land.
• Planning a holiday by first packing your suitcase. Once you have packed, you then decide where to go, how to get there and what to do on your holiday based on what is in the suitcase.

Often the outcome of a 'content first' approach is a list of topics to covered. Content is equated with knowledge. Content is more than just be knowledge. Content selection needs to give appropriate balance to subject knowledge, process skills and the development of the student as learner as well as to detail and context.

In the time of information explosion, the curriculum planners must not only decide what should be taught but also what can be eliminated from the curriculum, hence the need to define minimum essential nowledge and skills i.e. core knowledge and skills.