Traditional vs Thinking curriculum

"Traditional" vs "Thinking Curriculum"

It can be useful to compare more traditional approaches with what is now being described as the Thinking Oriented Curriculum (TOC).

The left columns represent some of the assumptions in more traditional views of education; the right column shows the corresponding approach in the thinking oriented curriculum. These tables tend to imply a black and white distinction between traditional and TOC models- in reality current education often contains elements from both sides. It is still useful, however, to consider the two extremes to get a feel for what is attributed to the thinking oriented curriculum.

Traditional Curriculum	The Thinking Oriented Curriculum
Teaching centered;	Learning centred;
Content focussed	Process driven
Students answering questions asked by someone else	Students setting their own questions with the help of matrices, keys, mindmaps etc
Comparing student memories at a point in time	Recording growth in thinking processes over time
Students recalling and applying prescribed content	Students applying core thinking processes as they work with content
Private thought processes	Shared experiences and learning
Writing verbal summaries and explanations	Summarising key points and showing connections on visual / mental maps
Teaching of methods for content recall	Use of metacognition for identifying and sharing thinking processes
Passing standardised or public exams for selection purposes	Developing independent , critical, creative and caring thinkers
Belief in a single intelligence that is fixed and static	Belief in multiple intelligences that can change with effort and instruction
Much “ just in case ” learning	More “ just in time ” learning

Source : M. Pohl (1)

ASPECT	CONVENTIONAL APPROACH (20th Century)	LEARNING FOR THE KNOWLEDGE ERA (21st Century)
Topic	Imposed	Negotiated
Mistakes	Should not be made	To be learned from
Assessment	Exams	Authentic – various modes
View of World	Right - wrong	Uncertainty/ shades of grey
Determined by	Central authority	Local needs in context of general/global framework
Staffed by	Subject expert	Cross curricula team
Aim	Theory to practice	Practice to theory & theory to practice
Approach	Content driven	Process & content driven
Focus	Teaching centred	Learning centred
Teacher role	Expert	Fellow learner / facilitator/sometimes expert
Emphasis	Knowing that	Knowing how & why and how to find out
Student activity	Working alone	Working collaboratively and alone – independence and interdependence
Ethos	Competitive against others	Striving for personal best against criteria & standards
Student role	Passive/receptive	Active/generative metacognitive, reflective
Learning experiences	Programmed	Flexible/opportunity guided by framework of outcomes and learners' interests/needs

Source: Julia Atkin (2)

Classroom activity	Teacher centred Didactic	Learner centred Interactive
Teacher Role	Fact teller Always expert	Collaborator Sometimes expert
Student role	Listener Always learner	Collaborator Sometimes expert
Instructional emphasis	Facts Memorization	Relationships Inquiry and invention
Concept of knowledge	Accumulation of facts	Transformation of facts
of success	Quantity	Criterion referenced Portfolios and performances
Assessment	Norm referenced Multiple-choice items	Quality
Technology use	Drill and practice	Communication, collaboration, informationaccess, expression

Source : Julia Atkin(3)

Source 1 : Michael Pohl, Professional Development Workshop 2004
Source 2 : Julia Atkin, From Values and Beliefs about Learning to Principles and Practice (see http://www.learning-by-design.com)