Developing Curriculum Step by Step Where to Start When You Have Nothing

Table of Contents
Developing Curriculum Step by Step Where to Start When You Have Nothing ....................................1 Step 1 Develop a Task List ..................................................................................................................1 Step 2 Perform a Task Analysis..........................................................................................................3 Step 3 Developing Performance Objectives........................................................................................4 Step 4 Choose an Instructional Strategy.............................................................................................6 Step 5 Write Theory and Demonstration Steps...................................................................................8 Step 6 Develop Instructional Sheets.................................................................................................10 Step 7 Evaluate Student Performance..............................................................................................11 Summary..............................................................................................................................................13 Appendix ...............................................................................................................................................13 Task Analysis Chart.......................................................................................................................13 Action Verbs...................................................................................................................................13 Assignment Sheet..........................................................................................................................15 Operation Sheet.............................................................................................................................16 Job Sheet.......................................................................................................................................17 Sample Information Sheet ..............................................................................................................18 Module 11 Permanent Waving ....................................................................................................20

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Developing Curriculum Step by Step Where to Start When You Have Nothing
Most instructors have a fairly easy job of securing curriculum for their programs. There may already be curriculum available from another source. They may have stepped into a program that was already established. But what about programs with no curriculum? Many of the traditional vocational programs are changing; it happens frequently that an instructor may find him or herself faced with developing curriculum from scratch. Even if curriculum exists, it is rare that you will find one guide that will adequately cover everything you need to teach. If you have nothing, where do you start? Developing a curriculum from scratch is not as daunting a task as it may seem. Its time consuming and requires a lot of work. But by following established guidelines, it can come together before you know it. This guide explores a stepbystep outline to help you develop a curriculum when there is nothing else available. Follow the steps, work through the examples, and use the information in the appendix to develop your own curriculum materials. This guide is published by and available from Southeastern Instructional Materials Center 5945 Knight Avenue Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 2053452725 Fax 2053452733 Email: simc@votechresources.com Web: www.votechresources.com copyright 1999, Resource Center for Technology, a nonprofit educational agency No part of this book may be published or reprinted without prior written consent from the Resource Center for Technology

Step 1 Develop a Task List

A task list is the beginning point of any wellorganized curriculum. What is a task list? Obviously, a list of tasks to be taught. It includes the objectives to be taught in the program. How do you find out what those objectives should be? Consult your peers. Look for task lists that have already been developed. Even if you have a new program, chances are someone somewhere is already teaching the same program. You just have to do some searching to find out. Contact curriculum resource centers to see if something may be available. Consult with industry. Ask the people who will be hiring your students what they would like for entrylevel employees to know. Its even possible they have a list of objectives used in their own training programs. Use your experience. Start developing a list of the important points in your occupational area. Consult reference books. The table of contents from a good reference book, or from a combination of several books, can be a starting point for objectives. Look for standards. National standards are being adopted for many vocational areas. Find out if there are standards for yours. Most of these can be found on the Internet. Consult your local educational agency. They may have or furnish a task list for your area. OkayYouve consulted industry, pulled from your own experience, found any existing task lists, gathered reference books, and searched national standards. You have a lista rough list, but a listof objectives to be taught. Now lets turn it into a task list.

The first step is to group the tasks by nature. It may help to consider tasks to be steps of larger blocks of learning. It doesnt matter what you call the larger blocksmodules, divisions, duties, chapters, or even blocksthe concept is the same. Youre dividing up a large group of tasks into logical, manageable divisions of likekind. Lets look at an example: Job Seeking Skills this is the large block, the big picture, the main objective... we call them modules. What are the tasks, or steps, of learning this large block? Think of it this way: In order for my students to learn job seeking skills, they must: Identify job opportunities Complete a job application Develop a resume Conduct a job interview These four steps are your tasks. Of course, each of the tasks has smaller subtasks which will become your theory and demonstration; but, thats another step and will be covered later in the book. There are important points to remember when writing your tasks; this is what makes them tasks. A task is something the student will do in order to learn one part of the program. And because it is something to be done, it must be written as an action statement. That means using action words. There is a simple test to determine whether your tasks are action statements: Can you tell the student to do this? For example, lets rewrite the second task from examples above. Complete a job application Job applications Now, tell the student to perform the task. John, complete a job application. John, job applications. Which one works? What about job applications? What should John do with a job application? Complete is an action verb and makes the phrase an action statement. If your tasks tell the student exactly what is expected, you take out any margin of error through interpretation. Complete is also measurable. When the student has completed the job application, it can be graded. Every task should be measurable. Be wary of using words such as understand and know. There are tasks that can use no other word, but these will be hard to measure. Demonstrate is another tough word. In general, you dont want a student to demonstrate a task; you want him to perform the task. You, the instructor, do the demonstrating. If you need help with action verbs, weve put together a pretty thorough list to get you started. Its included in the appendix. Your task list is the skeleton outline from which you teach. As you begin to flesh out, and use, your outline, you will probably discover many changes. Test it; try it out; walk through it. Does it cover all areas to be taught? Does it contain only action statements? Are tasks grouped logically? Can it be completed in your time frame? (23 year program; 123 period blocks) Is each task a separate teaching point? Send your completed task list to industry for their reaction. Is this what they want their entrylevel employees to know? Does it cover skills actually being used in industry today? Dont worry too much about getting your task list 100% correct right off the bat. No task list is written in stone. It can, and should, evolve.

Step 2 Perform a Task Analysis

Does your task list need to include every task that can possibly be taught? It depends on your goals and your program. Some people feel a task list should include everything; the instructor can then choose only those needed for his or her specific program, or only those needed for specific students. If youre starting a task list from scratch, including every single task can be intimidating and perhaps unnecessary. So how do you decide which tasks need to be included and which should be left out? Performing a task analysis can make that decision a lot easier. Work with one module at a time. List the module. This is the name of the major division you are working on. You can change the name to Division, Duties, or whatever youre comfortable with. Next, list all the tasks in that module. This should be every task you presently have on your task list and any you are thinking of adding. You may wish to leave off task numbers so that you can number tasks sequentially after you have completed the analysis. Once you have all tasks listed, perform the analysis by walking through each step explained below. Frequency of Use Analyzing how often a task is used can help you determine how important it is to include the task. Think of frequency in terms of using the task on the job, not in the classroom. Mark each task according to whether it is used: Every Day Frequently Once a Day Rarely A task that is used every day or frequently on the job obviously needs to be included on the task list. Remember that safety tasks are most likely tasks that would be used everyday. Learning Difficulty The difficulty of each task does not necessarily mean it doesnt belong on a task list; however, this should help you in sequencing your program. Easy tasks should be taught first, building to the more difficult ones. Perhaps you are trying to refine a task list for firstyear students. Those tasks rated as the most difficult probably belong on a more advanced task list. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes even difficult tasks need to be taught to firstyear students if they are necessary for learning later tasks. Each task should be rated as: Difficult Complex Easy Time on Task Look at both the time it will take you to teach the task and the time it will take the student to practice the task. Use whatever divisions of time work best for you hours, blocks, days, weeks. If you have not taught this task before, time needed will have to be an estimate. You can always come back and adjust it later. In addition, each new group of students will most likely vary in the time needed to practice the task. Analyzing timeontask now will help later in sequencing your lesson plans and planning your class schedule. Tasks which take the most time may need to be taught later in the program. Its quite possible that you will see a high correlation between tasks which take a long time to teach and practice and those that are rated difficult or complex. Task Classification Every task can be classified as one of three types. Many tasks will fall into more than one category. Manipulative Informational

 Attitudinal Manipulative tasks are handson. The student will perform these tasks through doing. An example would be: Complete a threeway circuit (the student will actually install the circuit) Informational tasks are those that give the student the facts or concepts he or she needs to know. These tasks require thinking through, such as in problem solving. Informational tasks generally support manipulative tasks. For example, before a student can repair an engine, he must first analyze the problem. Another example of an informational task would be: Identify hand tools Attitudinal tasks are those that require the student to learn the proper attitude towards the situation. Many times, attitude is just as important, if not more so, than knowing or doing. Although you can argue that a good attitude should be shown in every task (and it should), very few of the tasks on your list will be classified as attitudinal. This should be only the tasks the depend on the proper attitude, such as teamwork, cooperation, citizenship. Another example would be: Observe safety precautions Importance Rating If youve made it this far into the process, then you should already have a pretty good idea how important each task is. Use a rating scale to rank each task. (1 5, with 5 being the most important) Dont let previous information confuse you, though. If youve already decided a task is used rarely on the job, that does not always mean it is not important. A general example would be fire safety. Even though an employee may rarely have to deal with an electrical fire on the job, it is still important to know how. Required for Job Regardless of whether a task is easy or difficult, used every day or rarely, takes a day to teach or a week if it is required for the job, it must be included in your task list. If youre not sure whether a task is required, consult with the industry you are preparing students to enter. Remember, you should have already made industry contacts when you began developing your task list. The goal of technical education is to train students to enter the workforce. If youre not teaching what the workforce requires, youre failing your students. If you take the time to thoroughly analyze your potential task list, you will discover some valuable information about what you need to teach. A task analysis will help you sequence your lessons (well cover that in another newsletter). It will also help you decide which tasks should be included in your curriculum. The first time you analyze your task list, it will be time consuming. But once its done, youll have a useful document that will only need a minimum amount of time to keep updated. Combine this analysis with information from other sources. For example, the structure of your program may dictate how much is to be taught. A twoyear program will not allow as much to be taught as a threeyear program. How much teaching time do you have? Is your program on one, two, or threeperiod blocks? In addition, your school or system will probably have guidelines for what is to be taught. These guidelines will influence your selection of content. To help make your task analysis easier, there is a copy of the Task Analysis Chart we use included in the appendix. Weve developed and refined the chart over several years; its currently being used in teaching Occupational Analysis in vocational college courses. Every step of analysis weve discussed here is listed, and all you need to do is fill in the blanks.

Step 3 Developing Performance Objectives

What is a Performance Objective? It is a statement describing what the learner is able to do after the task has been taught. It includes the conditions, expected behavior, and the minimum level of achievement. A performance objective outlines the basics of your lesson; it tells what the student will do, how it will be done, and how the student will be evaluated when the task is completed. Performance objectives are an outgrowth of goals of an occupation. There is a difference between the two: Goal This is a broad statement. It is the purpose of the program

Example: Learn how to use Microsoft Word Performance Objective This is a narrow, specific statement. It is how the student will meet the goals of the program. Example: Format a document in two columns Performance objectives should be developed and written in terms a student will understand so that they know what is expected and the learning that will take place. There are four parts of a performance objective. Who will perform the task The student. Examples: the student; all 11th grade students; all secondshift employees Behavior This is the task statement the student will perform. It is an observable behavior or product. Use words that are measurable and objective. Words such as know, learn, and understand can be interpreted in different ways by different people. The behavior should be stated specifically, leaving no room for various interpretations. Examples: disassemble an engine; complete a job application; prepare an invoice Conditions The conditions under which the behavior will be performed. Examples: provided necessary information; given necessary tools and supplies; given a patient and a blood pressure cuff Evaluation A performance objective always states a standard of measurement. This is how the student will be evaluated. The evaluation must be measurable. It must also be specific. Examples: within 1/32"; answer 9 out 10 questions correctly; to manufacturers specifications; so the engine will run smoothly In order to be valid, a performance objective must meet certain criteria: Level of writing it must fit the group; the student must understand what is expected Observable the result must be measurable Action Oriented performance objectives are action oriented; the student will perform an action Specific narrow, limited in scope; focus on only one task to be performed Realistic in terms of the students ability, time involved, materials to be used, and meeting the employers expectations Here is an example of a simple performance objective: Given access to a typewriter or a computer system with necessary software, paper, and an outline or guide, the student will complete a resume. The finished resume must be complete with all specified information, and must be free of typographical errors and noticeable corrections.

The four parts of the performance objective broken down from the example: Who The student Behavior Complete a resume Conditions Given access to a typewriter or a computer system with necessary software, paper, and an outline or guide Evaluation complete with all specified information, free of typographical errors or noticeable corrections Heres another; can you identify the four parts? Given the necessary instruction, all readers of the SIMC VotechResources Newsletter will write a performance objective to meet instructors specifications. Need some practice? Use the tasks below and practice writing performance objectives for each of them. Check to ensure you have included all four required parts. Rewire a faulty lamp. Adjust engine idle. Convert a JPG image to GIF format. Construct an HTML document. Performance objectives are a valuable part of your lesson plan. Written correctly, they guide and direct your instruction in a specific direction. They tell the student exactly what to do and what to expect. Once your performance objective is written, the rest of your lesson plan should fall easily into place.

Step 4 Choose an Instructional Strategy

Choosing an instructional strategy would be the next logical step in outlining your lesson. Lets explore the various methods of reaching students with the content of your performance objective and how to choose the best method according to the task. Often, new teachers assume that if you get up in front of a class and lecture on a subject, teaching has taken place. Teaching goes far beyond just a lecture or a talk or whatever means is used to provide the informational content of the lesson. There are many other ways of delivering informational content rather than just lecture. Sometimes lecture and demonstration is perfect. Other times, a different procedure may work better. Because new teachers havent experienced anything else, they tend to teach the same way they were taught. With todays student, new and innovative teaching techniques must be implemented. Students are more adept at using problemsolving and critical thinking skills because of Nintendo, computers, and the technology they have grown up with. The traditional ways of presenting information may not reach students who are leaning in a different manner. The method of delivery you choose depends a great deal on what you are going to teach. Are you presenting information or facts? Teaching a new technique or a familiar subject? Not every delivery method will be feasible for a particular lesson. Or best for the students. Deciding how to present a lesson takes experience. Thats okay if youve been teaching for several years. But what if this is your first year? How do you know the best way to present your lesson? You may have to experiment a bit to discover the best way to present the material. Seeking advice from more experienced teachers is one way to get help. If the lesson has manipulative skills involved, the instructor must also consider showing the students how to perform the skill, whether it be by demonstration or by showing a video or using a simulation. Here are some the methods most often used to teach in the classroom: Lecture Lecture is an effective instructional method for many situations. One main advantage is that it gives the teacher complete control of the subject matter; however, because it allows less student interaction, this is also

its main disadvantage. It is often the best strategy for large groups or for lessons that consist mostly of information that must be learned. Demonstration This is probably the most used, and most necessary, method of delivery in vocational education. Demonstration means showing students how a task is performed by walking through it step by step. Drawbacks to demonstration include limited equipment and materials, time for preparation, and the amount of skill of the instructor. Brainstorming Brainstorming session get students relaxed and thinking creatively. It allows all students to have input into discussion without fear of being shot down. Brainstorming is an ideal method of using criticalthinking, reasoning, and problemsolving skills. Group Discussion Student interaction reinforces learning in group discussions. Discussions allow students to ask questions, reinforce concepts, and learn from other students perceptions. The instructor must be careful to not inhibit participation, while guiding the discussions to stay on topic. Independent Study Places responsibility for learning directly on the student. Independent study means the students work at their own pace, completing lessons and submitting assignments at any time finished. Tests are given under supervision. This method works best with students who are motivated to work independently. Cooperative Learning Group students in teams of different ability levels, each member of the team responsible for not only learning what is taught, but also for helping teammates learn. Cooperative learning has the advantages of improving behavior and attendance, increasing selfconfidence and motivation, and increasing liking of instruction and classmates. Role Playing Many tasks are naturally suited to role playing in the classroom. Practicing for a job interview is a classic example. Role playing gives students a chance to discover how they would actually react in a given situation. Computers Computers are becoming more prevalent in classrooms today. With a little time investment and a little creativity, computers can be a valuable asset in reaching students. Multimedia presentations can be created by anyone, on almost any type of computer system, and can be used to present material in a way that will keep students interested and motivated to learn. In addition to presentations, skill tutorials are available commercially, as well as in shareware/freeware format on the Internet. Computers provide immediate visual feedback and reinforcement, and programs can be individualized to a students level of ability. Question/Answer Sessions This can be a very effective teaching technique, especially when preceded by lecture. Through skilled questioning, an instructor can judge students understanding of the lesson. It allows twoway interaction between the instructor and student and can reinforce key concepts of the lesson. The best way to use a question/answer strategy is phrase questions in such a way that the student must think about the answer, not just return the instructors own words. Games/Simulations Think games have no place in the classroom? Many have untapped educational value. SimFarm is used around the country to teach agricultural skills. Monopoly can be accounting skills in action. Scrabble teaches basic spelling skills. The main benefit of games is student involvement: students become participants rather

than observers. Peer Teaching Peer teaching means students teaching students. This may be in the form of studentled discussions, oneonone discussions, or learning groups that are selfdirected. The peer teacher benefits from preparing and giving lessons to other students, and the peer student benefits by supplemental instruction. Buzz Groups This is excellent for selfdirected students. Divide the class into small groups, giving each group the same topic. At the end of a preset time limit, each group gives a report, and the class discusses the conclusions as a whole. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Encourage creativity and teamwork with this strategy ideal for large classes. Students identify, analyze and define the problem, brainstorming alternative solutions. After implementing the chosen solution, students then evaluate how well the solution solved the problem. Individualized Instruction The strategy provides students with intensive, individually planned instruction. Students can work on their own without fear of peer evaluation or competition. Individualized instruction is actually an Individualized Educational Plan for each student. When youre deciding which method to use, ask yourself: Are you confident using this method? If you dont know how to lead brainstorming groups, youll have little success with this method. Practice will help. How appropriate is the method to the content? Peer teaching doesnt work well if youre presenting a new technique to the students. Most of the time, the old familiar lecture is still best for a new subject. What is the aptitude level of your class? Sometimes an instructor has to teach down to a lower level than that desired. Before you teach your next lesson, put some thought into how you will teach it. If you usually lecture, are there more effective methods? If most of your classes are question and answer sessions, can you think of a different way to involve your students in the lesson?

Step 5 Write Theory and Demonstration Steps

There are four steps to instruction: Preparation, Presentation, Application, and Evaluation. The information weve covered so far has been part of the preparation. Now, we examine the presentation of the lesson. Most authorities consider presentation to be the most important step of lesson planning. The content of your lesson is selected in answer to the question, What does the student need to know to achieve this objective or to perform the task? Lesson content therefore needs to cover the knowledge and skills required for satisfactory student performance of the task. Your goal should be to assist the student to become the most proficient in the least amount of time. In your instruction, you will first tell the student the information needed to perform the task, then show the student how to perform the task. The steps needed to accomplish this are often called theory and demonstration. You may be familiar with other terms, such as enabling objectives and procedures, but for the purpose of this guide, well stick to the terms theory and demonstration. Every lesson has theory. This is what is explained to the students about the task. Usually, its done in the classroom. Most lessons have demonstration; this is where the students are shown how to do the task, and it is done in the lab. Its called the tell me and show me process: first tell me how to do it, then show me how to

do it. Theory steps should cover the background information a student needs to know in order to learn the task. This includes safety, terminology, equipment needed, reasons for performing each step of the task, and review of any previous tasks that are needed as prerequisites. Theory steps do not need to cover every conceivable point of information. The purpose of listing theory is to help organize the operation in the instructors mind. Terminology is important in writing theory steps. Theory only covers what you will tell the student. There is no demonstration in the theory part of the lesson. Theory statements begin with a verb, and as a rule, only a few verbs are used. These include: explain, identify, discuss, review, describe. Other verbs can be used; just remember the only thing included in theory is what you are telling the student. Here are some examples: Explain relevant safety precautions. Identify terminology related to hydroponics. Identify tools used in wall framing. Discuss the importance of measuring twice before cutting. Describe the procedure for folding a business letter. Review color codes. If your theory steps are written as in the examples above, you have a lesson outline. How much detail is included is up to you. Often the details are called substeps. Weve pulled a lesson from our Cosmetology curriculum guide to give you an example of theory and demonstration with details. Its rather long, so instead of including it with this newsletter, weve posted it to a page on our web site. You can see it here. Demonstration includes the stepbystep process necessary to perform the task, beginning with safety precautions and ending with a final step, such as checking for accuracy or cleaning up the work area. Demonstration should have these characteristics: A logical step of progression toward total task performance A sequential set of skills as substeps It can be demonstrated, performed, and evaluated as a meaningful task component All of the steps should equal the task performance Writing demonstration steps does not depend on using specific verbs in the statement. This is a stepbystep outline of the procedures you will show the students so they will be able to practice the task when instruction is complete. Some tasks require more detail than other tasks. And some tasks require no demonstration at all. If the task is Identify protective clothing relative to the occupation, then demonstration is not needed. Demonstration steps are only used when the task calls for an active performance by the student. Where do you start when writing theory and demonstration steps? Sometimes writing one or the other is easier, so start with that one. Once you have either the theory or the demonstration, you should be able to pull from that to get the other one. Usually, it is easier to write demonstration first because it is tangible. For example, suppose the task is to Photocopy five sets of a multipage document. Lets write the demonstration steps first. 1. Turn on the copy machine. 2. Check to be sure the correct type of paper is loaded in the machine and that enough paper is loaded. 3. Remove any staples or paper clips from the document. 4. Fan the pages to ensure none are stuck together. 5. Place the document face up in the document feeder. 6. Enter the correct number of copies on the control panel.

7. Set the controls to sort. 8. Press the print button. 9. When copying is finished, remove copies from sorter bin and staple each set in the upper left corner. 10. Reset the copy machine to default settings. Now that youve written the demonstration, pull from those for the theory. 1. Explain safety rules for using electrical equipment. 2. Discuss types of paper that are allowed to be used in the copier. 3. Explain the procedures for loading paper in the copier. 4. Discuss the proper method of removing staples without damaging documents. 5. Explain how the copier control panel is used. 6. Explain why the copier is always left on default settings after use. Often, demonstration steps can be found in textbooks and instruction manuals. These are a good starting point. If you are having trouble starting, try performing the task. As you do it, write down each step you have taken. After explaining a task and demonstrating how its done, the student will need to practice the task. This is the application part of the lesson plan. Many tasks can be made easier for the student to learn (and the instructor to teach) by the use of instructional sheets. The next step explains how to develop instructional sheets and how they fit into the curriculum.

Step 6 Develop Instructional Sheets

After youve completed development of your lesson plan, you may want to develop instructional aids as supporting materials for student use. Used correctly, aids such as instructional sheets can add useful information to your lessons and can help students better understand the topic. The most valuable use of these supplements is in a multilevel classroom. For example, assignment sheets can be used to provide selfstudy work for more advanced students while the rest of the class completes the current task. There are four main types of instructional sheets: Assignment Sheet Job Sheet Operation Sheet Information Sheet Assignment sheets are written assignments given to the student. This may be a study or work assignment with directions on procedure, completion requirements, references and questions or other study helps. The assignment sheet is particularly suited to students with individual differences in ability. It provides an opportunity for students to catch up with the current instruction, or to move ahead at their own pace. Assignment sheets can be given to students individually or as a group. Job sheets offer complete instructions on each step of a task, and are used in the application part of the lesson plan. They give complete references and instructions on how to perform, in the proper sequence, the operations necessary to successfully complete a job. The best use of this type of instructional sheet is when it is used in practicing and reinforcing new skills. The job sheet is similar to the types of work sheets used in industry, and can give the student practice in following written directions. An operation sheet covers only one step of the job sheet carried out in more detail. It focuses on a single manipulative operation. It should include the title of the operation, tools and equipment, materials, operation breakdown, sketches, checkpoints, and references. Operation sheets can be valuable to catchup students who have missed the demonstration part of the lesson if used correctly and thoroughly lists details of the steps. Care must be taken, however, to list the information as clearly as possible since it is often difficult to follow complicated steps by merely reading.

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Information sheets give the student information that is not available otherwise. These sheets may include such facts as terms, equipment, materials and processes necessary for understanding the instructional unit. Information sheets are often the most misunderstood and misused type of instructional aid. A photocopied page from the students text is not an information sheet because it is already available to the student. However, a compilation of tips and shortcuts that the instructor has learned over the years is an excellent information sheetit presents information the student is not likely to find in another place. Heres an example of how instructional sheets work together: Task Publish a web page Assignment Sheet This explains that the student is to create and publish a web page, and lists the materials and resources needed, along with any references where the student can find more information. The assignment sheet tells the student what to do, how to do it, how much time is allowed for completion, whether the task is to be completed in class or as homework, and any other information the student needs to know. It may also include a written test or additional activities that can reinforce the lesson. Job Sheet This is a list of every step that is needed to publish a web page. The steps should be listed in the order to be performed, and should be stated in occupational terms. There may be checkpoints, where the student should stop and have the instructor check his or her work before proceeding further. Operation Sheet List the same information as in the job sheet, but only for one step. For example, uploading the web page by FTP would be more complicated than writing code for graphics. Make a separate operation sheet just for that step. Use more details in explaining the FTP process. Use drawings or charts if necessary. This is particularly useful if the student was absent the day FTP usage was demonstrated in class. Information Sheet Any additional information the student needs on publishing a web page should be presented in an information sheet. This may be a listing of HTML codes, definitions of terms used, or sources of text ideas or free graphics. To help you better understand the information contained on each type of instructional sheet, a sample of each one is included in the appendix. The samples include: A chart showing an overview of the types of Instruction Sheets Assignment Sheet explanation and blank sheet Job Sheet explanation and blank sheet Operation Sheet explanation and blank sheet Information Sheet explanation and blank sheet

Step 7 Evaluate Student Performance

The last step in curriculum development is important because in order to evaluate the student performance, you will need to develop written and performance tests. You will remember when we talked about developing performance objectives we said they must be written in measurable terms. The measurement is the evaluation, and there must be some method of determining if the student has reached the desired goal. Evaluation serves several purposes. First, it allows the instructor to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. If many students do poorly on the evaluation, it could be that the subject wasnt covered clearly and thoroughly or that the test was not valid. To make sure the material was covered adequately, take another look at the theory and demonstration steps that were developed. Do they cover everything? Do they cover enough? Would more instructional sheets have helped? Or it could just be that this task is difficult and more practice time was needed before evaluation. If you feel the test was inadequate, analyze it and rewrite if necessary.

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Evaluation also serves as a basis of student grades. In a program that involves learning handson skills, grades should be based on actual student performance. This is the best indicator of how well the student has learned the task. Third, evaluation of students can be used as a basis for decisions on upgrading and improving the program. It gives the instructor feedback on which tasks need more or less time for instruction, allowing the schedule to be readjusted. Perhaps the students would have done better on the test if different equipment or tools were available. The curriculum may need to be adjusted to compensate for time frames, available equipment, or student abilities. Also, evaluations give the students feedback. It lets the students know their strengths and weaknesses, it measures their ability and knowledge, and when the student receives a good evaluation, it strengthens their confidence in themselves. There are times when a written test is neededto test knowledge of terminology, for example. To be a reliable and valid measurement, a written test needs to be comprehensive; in other words, not just multiplechoice questions. A combination of multiplechoice, true/false, fillintheblank, and essay questions allows a measurement of a broad range of student comprehension and ability, including: memory/recall, rationalization/problem solving, identification, and writing/thinking skills. In a vocational/technical program, however, the best indicator of student performance is the actual performance. When the performance objective for the task is written correctly, the evaluation is already there. Lets look at a previous example weve used for writing performance objectives. Given access to a typewriter or a computer system with necessary software, paper, and an outline or guide, the student will complete a resume. The finished resume must be complete with all specified information, and must be free of typographical errors and noticeable corrections. The evaluation here is: The student will complete a resume. It must be complete with all specified information. It must be free of typographical errors. It must not have any noticeable corrections. Once the student has completed a resume, the instructor knows exactly what to grade and what is required for a passing grade. This is the basis of the performance test. And this is an important reason why performance objectives are written in measurable terms. In fact, almost the entire test is contained in the performance test. It states what the student will do, what materials, tools or resources are needed to perform the task, and what criteria the task will be graded on. The simplest method of constructing a performance test is to take the performance objective and rewrite it in a format that can be used for a test. Other factors need to be considered in the evaluation process along with what is stated in the objective. These are factors that are important to the performance of the task, but may not be stated in the objective. They can include initiative, care and use of tools, quality of work, speed, interest, attitude, neatness, safety, cooperation, and cleaning up after the task. Not every task will require a performance test. Some tasks are building tasks, which means they are important and required before other tasks can be learned, but they may not be the main focus of what the instructor wants the student to learn. It is appropriate to develop a performance test that combines several tasks that are related and build on each other. The main point to consider when deciding on whether a performance test is needed is the importance of the task to the overall goal. Most performance test formats include a checklist for criteria to evaluate. A point system of some type is needed to determine if the student has passed. It may be that the student completed all criteria, but was it done correctly? The number of points for each criteria should be determined by the instructor and based on the importance of each step. For example, if the task is to cut a board with a table saw, it is much more important to observe safety precautions than to clean up the sawdust after cutting.

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There is no specific format used for writing performance tests. Some schools will provide their own format, and some teachers find or develop one that works best for their needs. There is an example of the one we use here at SIMC in the appendix. It is simply an established outline with the information from each performance objective filled in for the test. Weve included a filledin example and a blank format for you to use or adapt.

Summary
It is important to remember that once you develop your instructional material, it is never really finished. A valid and usable curriculum is one that is constantly under revision to keep up to date with advances in the field and improve instructional content. The first step we started with, developing a list of tasks, is the step you will probably revise most often. Keeping your task list up to date is important to ensure you are teaching the most current content in your field. Now would be a good time to review the task list development process. The information presented in this guide was originally published as a series of articles in VotechResources, an email newsletter from Southeastern Instructional Materials. The full text of the newsletters and information on subscribing can be found at: http://www.votechresources.com

Appendix
Task Analysis Chart Module Frequency of Use Once a Week Learning Difficulty Rarely Difficult Complex Easy Time on Task To Practice To Teach

Task # Description Every Frequently of Task Day

Manipulati

Action Verbs When developing vocational curriculum, the first step is to identify tasks students are to accomplish. Each task must begin with an action verb denoting what the student is expected to do. Below is a list of action verbs we have compiled to make this easier. abbreviate accept accomplish actuate adapt ad adjust advise aid compile complete comply compute conclude condition conduct confer connect erect establish estimate evaluate examine expand expedite explain express label level list locate lubricate maintain make manipulate mark prove provide qualify question quote ready rearrange reassemble recall search secure select set setup sharpen shorten signal signify

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alert align allocate alphabetize alter alternate analyze answer apply appraise arrange articulate ascertain assemble assess assign assist assure attach attempt attend balance build calculate calibrate categorize change charge chart check check out choose circle cite classify clean

consider consolidate construct contrast control coordinate copy correct count criticize cut deduce define

extract fabricate figure file find finish follow form formulate frame furnish gather generalize

match mate measure mix modify monitor mount multiply nail name neutralize note notify observe obtain omit operate order organize orient overhaul paint

recapitulate receive

simplify simulate

recommend solve recondition reconstruct record regroup regulate reject relate relay remove renovate reorder reorganize repair repeat rephrase replace replenish reproduce request sort specify start state stimulate stir store stow strike structure submit suggest supervise support survey switch synchronize synthesize systematize tabulate tally test tighten toll trace transmit transport trim troubleshoot turn underline utilize verbalize

demonstrate generate describe design designate detect determine develop devise diagnose diagram differentiate graph grind guard guide hammer handle harmonize help identify illustrate

paraphrase resolve patch perform place plan point position practice predict prepare prescribe present prevent probe restate restore restructure retell return review rework rewrite rotate route safeguard safety salvage

disassemble immerse disconnect discover discriminate discuss dismantle display dispose distinguish distribute draw drill improve include indicate induce infer inform initiate inject inspect install insure

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clear collect combine

duplicate eliminate employ

integrate

proceed

sand save saw scan schedule

verify volunteer zero

investigate process isolate itemize join program project propose

communicate engage compare enter

Assignment Sheet School ________________ For ___________________ Assignment Sheet No. ____

(Insert title of assignment)

OBJECTIVE:

(Short, concise statement informing the student of the purpose or objective of the assignment sheet)

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION:

(Short, concise statement to motivate the student to complete the assignment)

ASSIGNED READINGS:

(Listing of all printed matter and other resources to be used by the student in completing the assignment)

(List the facts of publication: author, title, publisher, date, and page numbers covering the assignment)

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS, or ACTIVITY:

(The assignment should adequately cover the specific subject in this assignment sheet)

(Questions and problems should be stated clearly and concisely)

(The student should clearly understand what is to be done) School ________________ For ___________________ Assignment Sheet No._____

OBJECTIVE:

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION:

ASSIGNED READINGS:

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS, or ACTIVITY:

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Operation Sheet School ______________ For __________________ Operation Sheet No. __________

(Insert name of operation)

SKETCH OR DRAWING:

(Provide drawing or make sketch if necessary.)

MATERIALS:

(List materials needed to perform operation.)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

(List tools and equipment needed to perform operation.)

PROCEDURES:

(State each step in the operation.)

(Steps should be stated clearly and concisely in occupational terms.)

(List steps in proper sequence.)

(Number steps consecutively.)

(Safety and key points should be listed with steps where they apply.)

(Double space between each step.)

CHECK POINT:

(A check point may occur at any step in the procedure where the instructor desires to check the student's work before allowing him/her to proceed.)

(There may be more than one check point in the operation.)

(Place the words CHECK POINT in the left margin at the point in the procedure where the student is to be checked by the instructor before the student is to proceed with the next step.) School ______________ For __________________ Operation Sheet No. __________

SKETCH OR DRAWING:

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MATERIALS:

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

PROCEDURES:

CHECK POINT: Job Sheet School _______________ For ______________ Job Sheet No. _______

(Insert name of job)

SKETCH OR DRAWING:

(Provide drawing or make sketch if necessary.)

MATERIALS:

(List materials needed to perform job.)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

(List tools and equipment needed to perform job.)

PROCEDURES:

(State each operation or step in the job. Operations should be stated clearly and concisely.)

(List operations in proper sequence.)

(Number steps consecutively.)

(Safety and key points should be listed with the operations where they apply.)

(Double space between each operation.)

CHECK POINT:

(A check point may occur at any operation in the procedure where the instructor desires to check the student's work before allowing him/her to proceed.)

(There may be more than one check point in the job.)

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(Place the words CHECK POINT in the left margin at the point in the procedure where the student is to be checked by the instructor before the student is to proceed with the next operation.) School _______________ For ______________ Job Sheet No. _______

SKETCH OR DRAWING:

MATERIALS:

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

PROCEDURES:

CHECK POINT: Sample Information Sheet (Insert name of job) INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION: (Provide information the student does not have access to otherwise. The format of this sheet varies with the informaton provided.)

GENERAL INFORMATION: SAMPLE INFORMATION SHEET The Twist Drill INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION: The twist drill is a scientifically designed, efficient rotary cutting tool. It is used by industry to accomplish three objectives:

Improve accuracy of the drilled hole Speed up production output Improve drilling efficiency

Twist drills, or common drills, get their names form the method of manu facturer. The majority of these drills have rough flutes forged or milled, then twisted to get their shapes. After the drills have been twisted, they are milled to various sizes and heat treated to cut down

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the possibility of burning up when they are used at high speeds. Then they are ground to exact sizes.

Twist drills are not necessarily confined to any one trade. These drills are an economical means of speeding up a job; they may be redressed, or sharpened, and used over and over. Bolt and screw sizes suggest drill sizes.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The twist drill is made up of three main parts. Each main part is scientifically designed to accomplish a specific action during the drilling process.

Point does the actual cutting and has a cone shape. Body removes chips and is spiral in shape. Shank attaches drill to machine; may be tapered or straight in shape.

The coneshaped cutting point is made up of four parts.

Dead center the exact center of the drill, vertical axis, sharp and at the very end of the drill. Lips sharp cutting edges of the drill point. Heel away from cutting edges of the point; separates point from body. Lip clearance amount of tapered relief on point back of lips. SAMPLE INFORMATION SHEET BIOS Basic Optimization Tricks Make sure that all standard settings correspond to the installed components of your system. For instance, you should verify the date, the time, available memory, hard disks and floppy disks. Make sure that your cache memory (internal and external) is enabled. Of course you must have internal (L1) and external (L2) cache memory present which is always the case for recent systems (less than five years old). Make sure that your Wait States values are at the minimum possible. You must however be careful because if values are too low, your system may freeze (hang up). Make sure to shadow your Video and System ROM. On older systems, this may improve performance significantly, while on newer it may not make much difference. Make sure to use a coherent power management strategy. Choosing the right timing may increase the life expectancy of your hard disk. Hard disk speed is the major bottleneck for a system performance, notably for those with 16 MB of memory and more. You may have the fastest CPU, lots of memory and a confortable cache, but if you have a crummy hard disk, you may not see improvement in performances.

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Module 11 Permanent Waving Performance Test Prepare patron and give a permanent wave Equipment/Materials Patron Drape Shampoo Waving lotion End papers Neutralizer Perm rods Protective cream Neutral or cream rinse Cotton Test Administration Given a patron, the necessary equipment and materials, the student will prepare the patron and give a permanent wave. Test Evaluation ___ Patron properly prepared ___ All safety precautions followed ___ Hair shampooed ___ Hair and scalp properly analyzed ___ Proper rods selected ___ Appropriate wrap technique used ___ Waving lotion applied properly ___ Tested curl for curling development ___ Wave solution rinsed ___ Hair neutralized correctly ___ Clients record card filled out Instructor Comments:__________________________________ _____________________________________________________ MODULE _____________________________________________ Performance Test ______________________________________ Equipment/Materials Test Administration Test Evaluation ____ ______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ ______________________________ Neutralizer Towels Clips Water Spray bottle Rattail comb Timer Record cards Manufacturers directions

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____ ______________________________ Instructor Comments: ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

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