Curriculum Reflections

A year ago, I embarked on a journey of curriculum redesign, carefully analysing what had been done previously, considering the present circumstances, and projecting forward hypotheses about the future that learners will face when they leave school.

Using Design Thinking framed the approach to solving one of the most prominent issues in curriculum design: its continuous change, often in short periods, as a result of various external factors. How do teachers keep up with this constant change? Forever redesigning the cycle and running on the hamster wheel—my mission was to try to transform this unsustainable approach to curriculum design into a sustainable one.

The endeavour led me to conclude that intent is the most crucial element. The intention behind what we are trying to achieve has hardly changed over decades of practice in education. Course specifications from national and international bodies have rarely evolved, and some would argue they now contain much less than they did 50 years ago, yet the job has only become more challenging.

The increasing difficulty of the job stems from various factors beyond curriculum design, though it remains a critical piece of the puzzle. I can’t help but think: surely we should have perfected this process by now; we’ve been repeating this cycle for years.

Nevertheless, I determined my intent and continued with the design process. I made it to the end: I developed thorough and rigorous assessment rubrics, designed and implemented a range of continuous assessments, and made learners not only accustomed to this ‘new’ approach but also capable of thriving within it. Naturally, I aligned the units of work and the curriculum to match.

Success.

But is it? Here I am, a year on, about to restart the design process. Why? Goalposts shift, circumstances change, and new directives—whether in the form of pedagogy, alterations to course specifications, or new research findings—throw things off course.

I know I am not the only one starting an academic year, restarting the cycle, asking: What do we teach, and how are we going to do it?

This time, I will carry my intent with me, but instead of determining it myself, I’m handing this one over to the students. It’s their learning, and it’s about time we let them decide.