Alternative Approach For Designing Curricula in General Degree Study Programs: A Lesson From Sri Lanka

Abstract

Curriculum Development (CD) is an vital requirement for updating available or newly designed curricular and is an process of improving the curriculum. Several approaches has been used in developing a curricula in the field of education. Commonly used approaches Consist of analysis (i.e. situation, need analysis, task analysis), Design (i.e. objectives and design curricular), Selecting (i.e. chose of appropriate learning outcomes and teaching methods, chose of appropriate assessment method), Formation ( i.e. formation of the curriculum implementation and evaluating committee) and Review ( i.e. curriculum review committee) (CaDSFR). The designing part of the CaDSFR has been modified as an organism approach of this experiment. The major objective of this study is to apply an alternative approach for designing of new curricular for the General Degree Study Programs (GDSP). In additions, an alternative model will develop for identifying and illustrating the organism approach. The methodology that has been applied for the CD has five folds, i.e. (a) Selecting and appointing an Educationist and Subject Specialists for each subject streams of the faculty from outside the university and they were assigned for the task, (b) Conducting a workshop for Curriculum Planning, (c) Conducting mini-workshops at Department level for discussing bench mark and other issues related to CD, (d) Formulating a Common Framework for the CD and (e) Finalizing the CD. Stakeholders‟ views and consultation from outside the university have provided excellent feedback and support for the CD. The five folds strategies have been applied for the CD of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka in 2013/14. The FSS has nine Departments and been offering seventeen Degree programs including General Degrees, Special Degrees and Postgraduate Degrees like M.A., M.S.Sc., M.phil.and PhD. The Consist analysis of the CaDSFR strongly proven the urgency of revising the GDSP, because available curricular is older than a decade. Accordingly, the CaDSFER process has been applied for the CD. In particular, novel approach of five folds that applied for designing part of the curricular of the FSS and the process is near to completion. As a different program, the experiences CD process of the FSS may useful for the respective parties who involve with CD.