Distribution of Content
Consider the curriculum in the same way you would a book table-of-contents - each chapter in a book will be similar in length, and have approximately the same number of sections.
The same principle applies to Curriculum Design, we recommend that:
(i) Topics have a similar number of Concepts.
(ii) The recommended minimum is 5 Concepts per Topic.
(iii) The recommended maximum is 20 Concepts per Topic.
(iv) Concepts have a similar number of questions.
(v) The required minimum is 9 questions per Concept, spread across 3xEasy, 3xMedium and 3xHard
(vi) The recommended maximum is 18 questions per Concept.
Granularity of Concepts
In terms of granularity, it’s important to ensure that the curriculum is decomposed correctly. A good concept has the following features:
Equally Sized – Each concept will contain ~ the same amount of material
Duration – Each concept will take ~20 minutes for a student to complete.
Discrete – Each concept tests a discrete skill.
Curriculum-Alignment
If the product must satisfy a national or professional set of standards, it’s important that the full team is internally aligned on the correct version of these standards.
It is possible to create different maps to satisfy different regional requirements. If this is needed, it’s important to flag it early as a requirement to Adaptemy.
Subject Matter Expertise
We highly recommend that the Curriculum Map is peer-reviewed. No two SMEs will have the exact same approach to the optimal organisation of concepts in the map, so an open conversation will result in the best outcome for your users. Ideally your SMEs are not only familiar with the national curriculum, but also have experience in authoring content and recent classroom experience.