A curriculum is a basic outline that teachers use to create their year’s lesson plans. Countries, regions, grade levels, and subject matter all have different curricula. The curriculum may also specify what reading, writing, and speaking goals each student must meet the end of the school year. Curricula can be very specific, clearly defining what a teacher can cover in her classroom, or very broad, allowing the teacher to tailor the curriculum to her students’ needs. An open curriculum is one in which the student or teacher determines the educational topics covered and the amount of time spent on each, depending on the educational level.
Because high schools typically follow national or regional curricula, open curriculum high schools could be alternative or charter schools. An open curriculum’s goal is to involve both the teacher and the student in the individual learning process. Teachers may be able to choose which works to cover in Language Arts, which time periods to focus on in World History, which labs to do in Chemistry, and how to address concepts in Geometry depending on the school. Because open curriculum schools require teachers and students to collaborate closely, class sizes are typically smaller than those found in most public schools.
Students in high school can work with their teachers one-on-one to develop an individualized learning plan. Educational goals and how the student will be evaluated after completing a unit or assignment may be included in the plan. Students are encouraged to do hands-on work in the classroom and more independent work at home in an open curriculum. Teachers are considered facilitators of learning in open curriculum schools, and students are held accountable for their learning gains.
College curricula vary greatly and are usually less restricted than high school curricula. Some colleges have core curricula, which require all students to complete certain course requirements in order to graduate. Students are expected to complete a certain number of classes in each subject area at colleges that follow curricula with a distribution requirement. Students must choose a major and complete a certain number of semesters to graduate from schools that follow a completely open curriculum. Students who attend colleges with open curricula can take any class they want as long as they meet the prerequisites.
Students who attend colleges that follow a core curriculum will share a number of classes with the rest of the student body. Students in schools with an open curriculum have the option of taking a variety of courses. Some students, on the other hand, prefer to immerse themselves in their chosen field of study.