Office Chat: Parallel Curriculum Model

Today, I continue my conversations with University of Mary Washington (UMW) faculty by talking with Dr. Rebecca Hayes about the Parallel Curriculum Model (PCM). My purpose is to stimulate my own thinking (and hopefully the reader’s thinking as well) about new ways to support learning in online classes.

I am very interested in all that we do at UMW, especially in regards to teaching and learning – and we have a very knowledgeable faculty doing fascinating things in the classroom. Here, Dr. Hayes talks about “making connections” which is one of the parallels in PCM. And that is exactly what this series of office chats is about – making connections between proven pedagogical techniques in the traditional classroom and how they can be adapted for use in the online classroom.

Note: My apologies to the viewer and to Dr. Hayes for the poor quality of the video. However, Dr. Hayes discusses the topic with a clarity and obvious concern for both subject and student that is too valuable to discard.

As Dr. Hayes mentions, the Parallel Curriculum Model was developed by Carol Tomlinson, Joseph Renzulli, and others. The parallels are the Core Curriculum, Curriculum of Connections, the Curriculum of Practice, and the Curriculum of Identity. These in turn have counterparts in the student’s cognitive development within the discipline. The Core is analogous to a novice in the discipline, Connections where the student begins to “apprentice” in the discipline, Practice where the student begins to mature into a practitioner, and Identity where the student attains some degree of expertise or self-identification within the discipline.

This model was developed with school children in mind – particularly in challenging high-ability students (Tomlinson, 2001). However, when we think about the adult online learner several “parallels” between PCM and Knowles’ theory of andragogy come to mind.  Particularly, I am struck with the correspondence between the parallels of connection and identity and the andragological issue of relevance. In online learning, we are continually attempting to make connections betwee the expected learning outcomes and the student’s sphere of experience. By differentiating assignments, small team grouping, and assessment vehicles, the professor allows for connections among and within disciplines.

The parallel of identity is strongly evident in adult online instruction. In many cases adult learners are already professionals early in their careers looking for career advancement or possibly looking for a change in career paths. In either case, the learner brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to the online classroom which in turn the professor can leverage in differentiated instructional opportunities.

Dr. Hayes describes the progression form novice to expert learner. This is exactly our purpose in online learning programs.  Whether the student begins at the novice level or, as more common, at the apprentice level, the online program stresses the complete development of the learner through experiential learning and continued life-long learning and professional development. After completing an online program, the adult  learner should be approaching a mastery of the subject corresponding to the curriculum of identity (or expert level).

References:

Knowles, M.S., Holton, E.F., Swanson, R.A. (2005) The Adult Learner, Sixth Edition: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Selections available Amazon Look Inside at http://www.amazon.com/Adult-Learner-Sixth-Definitive-Development/dp/0750678372/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224597899&sr=8-1.

Tomlinson, C.A., Kaplan, S.N., Purcell, J.H., Leppien, J.H., Burns, D.E., and Strickland, C.A. (2006). The Parallel Curriculum in the Classroom: Units for Application Across the Content Areas K-12. Selections available via Google Book Search: http://books.google.com/books?id=teL0_QW53k4C&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=core+curriculum+practice+identity&source=web&ots=WeCkiAVhpZ&sig=y3qVxFX9UumEjtI1U2Bbcvor4bM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result

Tomlinson, C.A., Kaplan, S.N., Leppien, J.H. (2001). The Parallel Curriculum: A Design to Develop High Potential and Challenge High-ability Learners. Selections available via Google Book Search: http://books.google.com/books?id=3UNHUxmdEAkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=parallel+curriculum#PPR5,M1