More about the Curriculum and Instruction Discipline

The field of curriculum and instruction has been in the spotlight recently with governmental agencies advocating standards in educational institutions. The internet has also contributed in sharing of ideas on curriculum and instruction. This has encouraged open mindsets integrating new approaches into curriculum and instruction.

Curriculum designers primarily write the curriculum of educational qualifications and additionally oversee it from time to time keeping in mind latest trends in education. They make revisions as appropriate and fix approaches in measuring performance of students based on curriculum. Importantly, curriculum design is based on scientific approaches and learning theories. Curriculum designers also recommend instructional materials to facilitate learning. Moreover, they adapt latest research into curriculum and instruction to keep it updated and current with trends in the market.

There are several programs offered by multiple institutions that educate and provide field practice for students interested in curriculum and instruction courses. They include Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees. They are flexible and are available through campus and online modes. The content encompasses research design, instructor evaluation techniques and observation / analysis of teaching methods to name a few. Curriculum designers can also specialize in streams of their choice like literacy, mathematics or science.

The career outlook for this discipline is strong and jobs are projected to grow at 22% through 2016 as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries are lucrative and in May 2007, median annual earnings of curriculum designers were greater than $58,070. Salary.com reported $61,109 as per 2008 data.

Top educational institutions offering programs in this discipline include University of Phoenix and Strayer University with excellent academic credentials. Following them are CDI College and Argosy University providing equally best in class education to students. Joining the league is Kaplan University equipping students with real world skills and hands-on training through world class education.