Towards learner-centred design: the development of a model for considering curriculum design

Learner-centred design has received considerable attention for many years now. Despite this attention, it is common to find institutionally sanctioned teacher- centred design across educational sectors. The Institute for Adult Learning project What Is Quality Curriculum?, in the context of the Diploma of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE), explored the issues of what constitutes quality curriculum from the perspective of a learner-centred design. We studied and interviewed two contrasting groups, one being international scholars and the other Singaporean DACE curriculum designers, learning facilitators and quality assurance managers, analysed DACE curriculum and courseware materials and Singapore Workforce Development Agency curriculum support documents, and undertook practitioner observation. We identified two contrasting approaches: the instrumental curriculum and the interpretive curriculum. As a result of our reflection on the findings, we developed a model, the IDeA Model, for enhancing curriculum quality by posing questions for reflection that encourage a learner- centred approach. This paper will briefly tell the story of the research that led to the development of the Model, provide details of the Model and conclude with the possibilities for it.