This book reflects an exceptional collection of articles, literature reviews and research finding primarily linked to curriculum and material development activities. The book covers various aspects from the theoretical frameworks and research findings that govern curriculum and material development processes to actual classroom practices that incorporated learners’ needs and contexts. Articles and research findings selected and presented in this book are primarily based on practicing school teachers’ interest. In addition to its wide coverage in terms of topics and contents, the book authors and contributors are from both local and abroad. This is intended for university students, curriculum planners, teachers, school administrators and teacher trainers that serve as guide for courses in language material design and curriculum and instruction.

This book has been written to provide a current, practical, Australian-based approach to designing and developing curriculum. The demands of schools and educational systems today are such that teachers with practical curriculum skills are highly valued and this book provides a vital source for teachers who wish to build their skills in the field of curriculum design and development. The book addresses the needs of curriculum developers by examining the nature of the curriculum process and how it can be applied in schools. A particular strength is the way in which the chapters are structured around a model of curriculum development. As the model unfolds the reader is familiarised with the various elements of curriculum including situational analysis, intent, content, learning activities and evaluation. Teachers will appreciate the value of understanding these elements and in so doing will acquire valuable skills of curriculum design and development. A feature of this book is that it addresses the issues of curriculum implementation and curriculum change. To devise a curriculum document in these times is tough enough. Those who wish to see their curricula succeed must be involved with implementing that curriculum and the curriculum change that results. This important new book is particularly appropriate to classroom teachers, system developers and student teachers studying curriculum.

This book represents a collection of papers that relate to the challenges and problems posed by the ever-changing and diversified nature of today’s classroom. The papers discuss and demonstrate methodologies and learning strategies, and in the process, recommend effective practices that are practical and open to adaptation for different teaching and learning contexts. They range from suggestions on how to exploit information technology resources to individual or specific case studies. These case studies report on a variety of contextual issues and problems that are specified to particular learning contexts. This book, therefore, thus not only offers examples of tried and tested teaching strategies but also offers useful insights into specific sociocultural problems that are experienced by learners as well as teachers and interested stakeholders in particular settings and countries. The papers offer a comprehensive documentation of past as well as present problems faced by teachers, policy makers and students, and discuss ways and strategies of overcoming such problems such that the teaching and learning process is not only enhanced but made more meaningful and fulfilling to both teachers and learners. The inherently global perspective of the papers in this book makes it an enriching compendium.

In the age of the Internet, we educate people much as we did during the Industrial Revolution. We educate them for a world that no longer exists, instilling values antithetical to those of a free, 21st century democracy. Worst of all, too many schools extinguish the very creativity and joy they ought to nourish. In Turning Learning Right Side Up, legendary systems scientist Dr. Russell Ackoff and “in-the-trenches” education innovator Daniel Greenberg offer a radically new path forward. In the year’s most provocative conversation, they take on the very deepest questions about education: What should be its true purpose? Do classrooms make sense anymore? What should individuals contribute to their own education? Are yesterday’s distinctions between subjects--and between the arts and sciences--still meaningful? What would the ideal lifelong education look like--at K-12, in universities, in the workplace, and beyond? Ackoff and Greenberg each have experience making radical change work--successfully. Here, they combine deep idealism with a relentless focus on the real world--and arrive at solutions that are profoundly sensible and powerfully compelling. Why today’s educational system fails--and why superficial reforms won’t help The questions politicians won’t ask--and the answers they don’t want to hear How do people learn--and why do they choose to learn? Creating schools that reflect what we know about learning In a 21st century democracy, what values must we nurture? ...and why aren’t we nurturing them? How can tomorrow’s “ideal schools” be operated and funded? A plan that cuts through political gridlock and can actually work Beyond schools: building a society of passionate lifelong learners Learning from childhood to college to workplace through retirement Reinventing Learning for the Next Century: How We Can, and Why We Must An extraordinary conversation about the very deepest questions... Today, what is education for? Where should it take place? How? When? What is the ideal school? The ideal lifelong learning experience? Who should be in charge of education? And who pays for it all? Over the past 150 years, virtually everything has changed...except education. Schools were designed as factories, to train factory workers. The factories are gone, but the schools haven’t changed. It’s time for us to return to first principles...or formulate new first principles...and reimagine education from the ground up. In Turning Learning Right Side Up, two of this generation’s most provocative thinkers--and practical doers--have done just that. They draw on the latest scientific research, the most enduring human wisdom, and their unique lifelong personal experiences transforming institutions that resist change. And, along the way, they offer a powerful blueprint for a thriving society of passionate lifelong learners.

Assessment in Health Professions Education, second edition, provides a comprehensive guide for educators in the health professions—medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health fields. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated by leaders in the field. Part I of the book presents an introduction to assessment fundamentals and their theoretical underpinnings from the perspective of the health professions. Part II covers specific assessment methods, with a focus on validity, best practices, challenges, and practical guidelines for the effective implementation of successful assessment programs. Part III addresses special topics and recent innovative approaches, including narrative assessment, situational judgment tests, programmatic assessment, mastery learning settings, and the key features approach. This accessible text addresses the essential concepts for the health professions educator and provides the background needed to understand, interpret, develop, and effectively implement assessment methods.