Online curriculum deliberation by adult literacy stakeholders
Subtitle: a case study.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 256
Subjects: Adult education -- Curricula -- Canada.; Functional literacy -- Study and teaching -- Canada.; Curriculum planning -- Canada.; Computer conferencing in education -- Canada.
Description: The findings indicate that the process unfolded in a manner similar to that proposed by Schwab for face-to-face deliberations; that is, in a forward moving, spiral fashion toward involving three main activities. These activities included questioning/justifying, deliberating, and, accommodating. All three activities were present throughout the process, but for a period of time each of the three was predominant and these periods were designated as stages. In Stage 1 the teams' energies were focused on questioning the Curriculum Developer about the background and rationale of the curriculum. In Stage 2 participants concentrated on deliberating. This involved identifying weaknesses or gaps in the curriculum, generating alternatives and then weighing or judging these. In Stage 3 the team shifted to  accommodating the various needs/wants of the members.This exploratory case study investigated the process of curriculum deliberation, conceptualized by educator Joseph Schwab in the 1970's. The process is concerned with justifying and refining curricular materials based on the pluralistic perspectives of various stakeholders. In this study, two teams of adult literacy stakeholders deliberated in an online, asynchronous discussion forum about an online course regarding adult learning.A number of factors that influence the deliberative process were identified in the study. These included; the curriculum, the Chairperson, participants' perceptions about the process, the stake that team members held in the curriculum, time, technology, anonymity, and experience. In addition, the study confirmed that computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a viable medium in which to conduct the curriculum deliberation process. In particular, CMC is well suited to promoting and sustaining the type of critically reflective dialogue Schwab insisted is crucial to the effectiveness of the process. At the same time, further research into the feasibility and effectiveness of adding synchronous CMC elements, which can enhance the interpersonal/social aspects of CMC and assist with completing various tasks associated with the process, is suggested.Finally, in an effort to address a long-neglected requirement for practical details about how to operationalize the curriculum deliberative process, a list of guidelines for conveners, planners and chairpersons of similar curriculum deliberation endeavours was developed.
Notes: Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-06, Section: A, page: 2085.