Vertical Curriculum Design
Vertical Curriculum Design
Vertical Curriculum Design is an educational model that builds the curriculum content and learning experiences in a way that incorporates the previously attained knowledge and skills over time. The flipping method highlights the in-depth learning of subjects as compared to the broad range of subjects. This method allows students to deal with the same subjects at higher levels of complexities thus developing critical thinking and mastery.
What are the key components of Vertical Curriculum Design?
Through Vertical Curriculum Design a clear pathway of learning objectives is created and assessments with learning outcomes are aligned, and interdisciplinary connections made. For example, a science course could start with basic ideas in the elementary school and later introduce more challenging topics like genetics in the high school; thus, students are secured with a proper firm base before going to complex issues.
How does Vertical Curriculum Design differ from Horizontal Curriculum Design?
The Vertical Designing of Curriculum concentrates on the enhancement of knowledge and skills in all year levels, whereas the Horizontal Designing of Curriculum is the one that increases the number of subjects that one grade level can cover. For instance, in the case of Vertical Curriculum Design, a math program might follow the structure of learning from simple addition and subtraction in the primary grades to complex calculus in the later grades, while in contrast, Horizontal Curriculum would instead deviate from related materials like geometry and statistics which would be taught in the same grade.
What are the benefits of implementing Vertical Curriculum Design in schools?
Vertical Curriculum Design as a pedagogical strategy is a way to enhance the learning process of students, which, in turn, makes it more interesting and easier for them to master the material. On example of this is the elementary students learning about ecosystems which will enable them to have very interesting and complex discussions about biodiversity in high school, which is the leading to their better understanding of environmental science and its implications.
What challenges might educators face when adopting Vertical Curriculum Design?
Teaching personnel could face difficulties like the requirement of carrying out copious collaborations among the mentors from different grades, the necessity of equipping the faculty with skills to understand the vertical alignment of the curriculum, and the scarcity of resources that could come out as a potential issue. Schools have to allocate a certain degree of time to train their staff in addition to possibly redesigning the assessments that would adhere to the vertical curriculum structure, which might turn out to be quite a huge task.