Typologies by systemic function,structure and aim.
Curricular Rationales: Celebratory & Critical
Dimensions
Admissions PlacementApplied MathCareer CounselingClass RankConvocationsCredits &DiplomasEngineering coursesJob PlacementMixers
Gain in StatusGRE’sInternshipsKnowledge gainedLiberal ArtsMandatory PENon-Appl. MathSeminarsSpecial Scholarships
These are part of the typical college experience.
This is “curriculum” in broadest terms.
Items for Consideration
We can consider an educational institutionto be a system and look at curriculum
in any of three functions:
• Input
• Output
the necessary resources foroptimizing output
procedures operating on inputs
results of procedures
Note: Outputs may not be the same as goals.
Focussing on the System
Process
Items commonly rationalized as partof the institutional input are:
• they have no important effect on outcomes, or• they are unduly costly options.
ConvocationsSpecial ScholarshipsCareer Counseling
Class RankAdmissions PlacementMixers
Items rationalized in this way aretypically vulnerable to the challenge that:
Input Focus
Items rationalized in this way aretypically vulnerable to the challenge that:
• they have no important effect on outcomes, or• they are unduly costly options.
SeminarsApplied Math SequenceLiberal Arts Courses
Mandatory PENon-applied Math SequenceInternships
Items commonly rationalized as part of theinstitutional process are:
Process Focus
Items commonly rationalized as (pursuing)sought after outcomes are:
Items rationalized in this way aretypically vulnerable to the challenge that
• they are generally not attained• they are unduly costly.
Credits & DiplomasKnowledge gainedEngineering Courses
GRE’sGain in StatusJob Placement
Output Focus
We can rationalize some items in terms ofcertain possibilities of internal structure:
• Logical• Pedagogical• Disciplinary• Institutional
Note: these structures may conflict with one another.
Curricular Structure
A curriculum can be rationalizedas having a logical structure to
the extent that it is:
• Built up from simple elements to complex items by• Some rules of combination.
A: Logical Structuring
Items commonly rationalized as logicalcurriculum sequencing are:
• the “logical rules” are inappropriate, or• pedagogical concerns are violated, or• moral concerns are violated.
Admissions PlacementMath Course SequencingGains in Status
These items are typically vulnerableto the challenge that:
Examples of and Challenges to A
A curriculum can be rationalizedas having a pedagogical structure to
the extent that it is:
•Organized so as to make teaching and learning efficient.
B: Pedagogical Structuring
• they are costly options, or• organizational needs are overlooked, or• moral concerns are violated.
SeminarsInternshipsMandatory PE (mens sana in …)
Items commonly rationalized in terms of pedagogical organization are:
These are typically vulnerableto the challenge that:
Examples of and Challenges to B
A curriculum can be rationalizedas having a disciplinary structure to
the extent that it is:
•Organized according to the claims of different interest groups (i.e., academic disciplines) having expertise about it.
C: Disciplinary Structuring
Items typically rationalized as disciplinarilyorganized in the curriculum are:
These are typically vulnerableto the challenge that:
• they are costly options, or• institutional needs are overlooked, or• pedagogical concerns are violated.
Special ScholarshipsLiberal Arts StudiesEngineering
Credits & DiplomasGRE’s
Examples of and Challenges to C
A curriculum can be rationalizedas having an institutional structure to
the extent that it is:
•Organized so as to expedite the functioning of an institution.
D: Institutional Structuring
Items commonly rationalized as serving institutional functioning are:
Such items are typically vulnerableto the challenge that:
• they are costly options, or• individual needs are overlooked, or• moral concerns are violated.
Credits & DiplomasMandatory PE
Career CounselingConvocations
GRE’s
Examples of and Challenges to D
Logical
Pedagogical
Disciplinary
Institutional
StructureFOCUS
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
Admissions Placement
Math Sequencing
Gain in Status
Convocations Seminars Knowledgegained
Special Scholarships
Liberal Arts “skills”
Engineering “skills”
Admissions Placement
Mandatory PE
GRE’s
GRE’s
Diplomas
Mandatory PE
Diplomas
Diplomas
Mixers
We can see two dimensions of rationale and vulnerability!
Comparing Focus and Structure
Randall Collins (1978) proposes that allcurriculum can be understood as aimingat three general outcomes:
• Status
• Vocation
• Social Control
an increase in positionally, often intrinsically, valued benefits.
an increase in extrinsically valued benefits: e.g. job skills.
an increase in conformity to social expectations.
Note: these categories are primarily critical, hardly celebratory.
Curricular Aims
Understandable as status items are:
• they are unjustly exclusionary• they are costly options
ConvocationsSpecial ScholarshipsLiberal Arts
SeminarsAdmissions PlacementMixers
These are typically vulnerable to the challenge that:
Status Aims
• socially (or ethnically ) biased, or• occupationally inappropriate.
InternshipsEngineeringApplied Math
Career CounselingGRE’sKnowledge gained
Understandable as vocational items are:
These are typically vulnerable to the challenge that they are:
Vocational Aims
Items that can be understood as havingsocial control aims are:
• they are undemocratic, or• they support status quo inequities
Admissions PlacementConvocationsSpecial ScholarshipsCareer Counseling
Class RankMandatory PEJob PlacementGain in Status
Such items are typically vulnerable to the challenge that:
Social Control Aims
STATUS
VOCATION
SOCIAL CONTROL
FOCUSINPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
Convocations
Seminars
Liberal Arts
Engineering
GRE’sInternships
AIMS
CareerCounseling
Diplomas
GRE’s
Admissions Placement
Mandatory PE Diplomas
Comparing Focus and Aims
Logical
Pedagogical
Disciplinary
Institutional
StructureAIM
STATUS VOCATIONSOCIAL
CONTROL
Status Rankings
Convocations
Seminars
Special Scholarships
Liberal ArtsEngineering
Mandatory PE
GRE’s
Mandatory PE
DiplomasMixers
Non-AppliedMath Sequence
Applied MathSequence
Internships
Status Rankings
AdmissionsPlacement
Comparing Aims and Structure
logical
pedagogical
disciplinary
institutional
INPUT PROCSS OUTPT
statusvocational
social control
Structure
Focus
Aim
Every potential item has 3 dimensions of rationale and 3 dimensions of vulnerability!
The Three Dimensions Combined
1. A real example for every conceivable classification (36) of focus, structure and aim may not, in fact, exist.
2. The more classifications an item fits into, the greater its potential vulnerability to criticism.
3. The more classifications an item fits into, the broader the rationale that can be constructed for it.
Programming Consequences