ED 255: Introduction to Curriculum Development
Faculty of Arts Law and Education / School of Education
Final Examination
Semester 2 2019
Online Mode
Duration of Exam: 3 hours + 10 minutes
Reading Time: 10 minutes
Writing Time: 3 hours
Instructions:
3 Sections and 7 questions to be answered in the answer booklet provided
60 % of coursework and 100 % overall mark
5 pages
Closed Book Examination
The University of the South Pacific
Serving the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF ARTS, LAW AND EDUCATION
___________________________________________
ED255: INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
FINAL EXAMINATION
Semester 2, 2019
Online
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Time Allowed: 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time
40 marks
Instructions:
1. There are THREE sections to this paper.
SECTION A: Short Answers 10 marks
SECTION B: Paragraph Writing 10 marks
SECTION C: Essay Writing 20 marks
2. Note the choices you have to make in each section.
3. Read each question carefully before attempting to provide an answer.
4. This examination is worth 40% of your overall mark. The minimum examination pass mark is
20/40.
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SECTION A. SHORT ANSWERS
Definitions 10 MARKS
Use 50 words to define any five (5) of the following terms. Each definition is worth 2 marks. Use
a relevant example to support your definition.
1. Indigenous education
2. Curriculum development
3. Curriculum theory
4. Value – laden curriculum
5. Centralized approach
6. System based curriculum
7. Interaction model
8. Innovation
9. Top – Down approach
10. Inclusive curriculum
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SECTION B. PARAGRAPH WRITING 10 MARKS
Choose any TWO of the following questions and write a paragraph of about 100 – 150 words on each
question. Your paragraph should not exceed half a page. Provide at least one example to support your
discussion. You may use a model sketch to support your answer.
Each question is worth 5 marks.
Question 1. Describe the term curriculum mapping and discuss its significance in curriculum
development.
Question 2. In your own words, explain two principles of the Teacher as a curriculum leader.
Question 3. Explain the significance of indigenous knowledge in curriculum development.
Question 4. Describe the agendas of the formal education system and state their relevance in
your country’s education system.
Question 5. Evaluate the significance of professional development in curriculum development
in your country.
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SECTION C. ESSAY WRITING 20 MARKS
Choose TWO of the following questions and write an essay of about 1000 – 1500 words for each
question. Use the different parts of the questions as a guide in writing your essay for each question. You
are expected to relate your answer to relevant concepts and key terms studied in this course. Relate your
discussion to what you have learnt about education in Pacific Island Countries and your home country
by providing examples. You may also like to draw a model where necessary to support your discussion.
Each question is worth 10 marks.
1. CURRICULUM MAPPING
a. Describe the curriculum development process in your country.
b. Explain two agendas of your country’s curriculum.
c. Describe a curriculum development project that tried to address one curriculum issue in
your country or the Pacific region.
d. State if the solution implemented in the project you have described in 1 (c) above was
relevant and state one reason for this.
2. CURRICULUM CHANGE
a. Discuss one curriculum change that occurred in your country.
b. Differentiate power coercive and normative re-educative strategies.
c. Describe a curriculum innovation that you or your teacher implemented in your school.
d. Discuss one impact of the curriculum innovation you have described in 2 (c) above on
students and society.
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3. ASSESSMENT IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
a. Explain the significance of evaluation in curriculum development in your school or
country.
b. Describe one assessment for learning strategy used in your school or country.
c. Discuss two impacts of the strategy you have described in 3 (b) above.
d. Describe one challenge teachers’ in your country face in implementing the strategy you
have described in 3 (b) above and state how it was addressed.
4. ISSUES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
a. Describe a social issue in your country that you think could be addressed through its
inclusion in the curriculum.
b. Describe one way you can include the social issue you have described in 4 (a) above in
your country’s curriculum.
c. Explain one issue/ problem that curriculum practitioners can face when including the
issue you have described in 4 (a) above in the curriculum.
d. State one way the issue/problem you have explained in 4 (c) above can be addressed?
END
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