Constructivism theory emphasizes the significance of the student’s role as an active agent in their own learning process. According to French psychologist Jean Piaget, students must actively engage in constructing knowledge and developing skills within the subjects they are learning. The theory of stage-based cognitive development suggests that we should design courses and lectures with consideration for the curriculum. Knowledge acquisition does not occur automatically but instead requires a learning process facilitated by various media tools. In this context, teachers and instructors play a crucial role in guiding and teaching students, facilitating active learning activities. These activities enable students to transfer their knowledge and skills across multiple dimensions while also fostering their confidence.
Curriculum-based assessment holds great importance in supporting our scientific teaching approach. When implementing scientific teaching, it is crucial for teachers to begin by defining the scope of study and identifying specific goals. They should then articulate the step-by-step processes necessary for achieving these goals and provide appropriate approaches and materials to support the learning process. Teachers need to verify the effectiveness of these strategies in practice and subsequently summarize their findings in a testimonial format. This ensures that we can effectively implement teaching methods tailored to the needs of individual students within the discipline we teach.
After teaching math courses for many years, I have observed that younger students tend to construct knowledge at a faster pace compared to older students. However, the older students demonstrate a stronger ability to apply their knowledge in a broader context. Initially, I couldn’t explain this phenomenon and simply assumed that younger students have better memorization skills. I believed that they often rely on memorization as a primary learning method. As a result, younger students may experience misunderstandings or confusion with concepts as they prioritize quizzes and exams to obtain grades.
At the time, I didn’t verify my assumption, and I also failed to consider the curriculum’s role in integrating student learning across disciplines. By incorporating cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches into the subjects we teach, we can provide students with a more comprehensive understanding of the material. It is essential to explore alternative explanations and consider the impact of teaching strategies and curriculum design on student learning outcomes.
I had an impactful experience when I implemented curriculum-based measurement to assess my college students’ progress in a general math course. Initially, I lacked confidence in a particular student’s ability to learn math as he consistently refused to follow my instructions and neglected to complete homework assignments. Compared to his peers, his level of participation was significantly lower, and it seemed as though he paid no attention during class. I believed he would fail if he did not change his attitude.
However, my perspective shifted when I incorporated curriculum-based assessment into the class. This experience allowed me to understand that the student’s behavior, which seemed unacceptable to the general population, had underlying reasons. It made me realize that instead of solely focusing on his attitude, I needed to improve my teaching pedagogy by implementing a backward design approach for lectures and assignments. This approach helped me become more effective in meeting the diverse needs of my students.
As mentioned before, it is crucial to conduct curriculum-based assessments and precise teaching measurements to ensure the accuracy of our teaching. To achieve accuracy in teaching, we can employ an accuracy-based curriculum model and a criteria-based curriculum model. These models allow us to address any issues that arise from performance assessments given to students and ensure alignment with our instructional and curriculum requirements. By specifying the measures needed, we can determine where to begin and how to proceed in our teaching process. While this curriculum-based model is commonly employed in conceptual teaching, it is not limited to that area. It can be applied across various teaching approaches to enhance instructional effectiveness.