Short answer
Embrace collaborative and adaptive design processes, actively seeking input and partnership from a wide range of external stakeholders to create more relevant and resilient educational frameworks.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (2013)
- Method
- Case study analysis of curriculum initiatives.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Curriculum development in the digital age is increasingly characterized by a 'centrifugal' model, where educational frameworks are actively constructed and improvised from a wide array of external individuals, groups, and organizations. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2013 study published in Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling). Using Case study analysis of curriculum initiatives., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Embrace collaborative and adaptive design processes, actively seeking input and partnership from a wide range of external stakeholders to create more relevant and resilient educational frameworks.
Centrifugal Schooling: Assembling Curricula from Diverse Stakeholders
Curriculum development in the digital age is increasingly characterized by a 'centrifugal' model, where educational frameworks are actively constructed and improvised from a wide array of external individuals, groups, and organizations.
Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) · 2013
Key Findings
- 01Curriculum innovations are increasingly adopting a 'centrifugal' model, characterized by decentralization, distribution, and dispersion.
- 02This model involves the active assembly and improvisation of curricula from a heterogeneous mix of people, groups, coalitions, and institutional structures.
- 03Stakeholders in curriculum design and planning extend beyond traditional educational bodies to include local governments, corporations, foundations, charities, and NGOs.
- 04Examples include integrated technical and academic education models, competence-based curricula, and partnerships advocating for '21st-century readiness'.
Application
Design takeaway
Embrace collaborative and adaptive design processes, actively seeking input and partnership from a wide range of external stakeholders to create more relevant and resilient educational frameworks.
How to apply
When developing new educational initiatives or redesigning existing ones, identify and engage potential partners from industry, non-profits, and community organizations to co-create and refine the curriculum.
Project actions
- 01When researching a design problem, look for examples where different organizations or groups have collaborated to create a solution.
- 02Consider how your design project could benefit from or involve external stakeholders beyond the immediate user group.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a novel conceptual framework ('centrifugal schooling') for understanding curriculum change.
- +Analyzes real-world examples of innovative educational practices.
Limitations
It can be challenging to manage the diverse interests and expectations of multiple stakeholders in a collaborative design process.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the findings relies on the interpretation of case studies. Reliability could be enhanced through comparative analysis across a larger number of diverse initiatives.
Think critically
To what extent does the 'centrifugal schooling' model risk diluting educational focus or compromising pedagogical integrity due to the diverse and potentially conflicting interests of its many stakeholders?
Design Principles
"Distributed Design Collaboration: Educational design is most effective when it is co-created and iteratively developed through partnerships with diverse external entities."
This approach moves beyond traditional, top-down curriculum design by embracing a distributed and networked model. It acknowledges that effective educational strategies must adapt to the rapid pace of technological and social change by leveraging diverse expertise and resources from beyond the immediate educational institution.
What This Means for Your Design
Think of designing a school program not just by teachers, but by inviting companies, charities, and even local government to help build it, making it more connected to the real world and adaptable to new technology.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaborative design processes in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The concept of 'centrifugal schooling' highlights how contemporary curriculum design is increasingly a collaborative and distributed process, involving a heterogeneous mix of individuals, groups, and institutions beyond traditional educational bodies. This approach, characterized by decentralization and improvisation, suggests that effective design solutions emerge from actively assembling resources and expertise from a wide network of stakeholders, including corporations, foundations, and non-governmental organizations, to create more adaptive and relevant outcomes.
Source
Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling)
The Future of the Curriculum: School Knowledge in the Digital Age
journal · 2013
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about centrifugal schooling: assembling curricula from diverse stakeholders?
- Embrace collaborative and adaptive design processes, actively seeking input and partnership from a wide range of external stakeholders to create more relevant and resilient educational frameworks. Evidence: Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (2013).
- Why does "Centrifugal Schooling: Assembling Curricula from Diverse Stakeholders" matter for design?
- This approach moves beyond traditional, top-down curriculum design by embracing a distributed and networked model. It acknowledges that effective educational strategies must adapt to the rapid pace of technological and social change by leveraging diverse expertise and resources from beyond the immediate educational institution.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Embrace collaborative and adaptive design processes, actively seeking input and partnership from a wide range of external stakeholders to create more relevant and resilient educational frameworks.
- What were the main findings?
- Curriculum innovations are increasingly adopting a 'centrifugal' model, characterized by decentralization, distribution, and dispersion.. This model involves the active assembly and improvisation of curricula from a heterogeneous mix of people, groups, coalitions, and institutional structures.. Stakeholders in curriculum design and planning extend beyond traditional educational bodies to include local governments, corporations, foundations, charities, and NGOs.. Examples include integrated technical and academic education models, competence-based curricula, and partnerships advocating for '21st-century readiness'.
- What research method was used?
- Case study analysis of curriculum initiatives..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2013 journal from Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing new educational initiatives or redesigning existing ones, identify and engage potential partners from industry, non-profits, and community organizations to co-create and refine the curriculum.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focuses on specific examples and may not represent all curriculum innovations globally. The long-term impact of these 'centrifugal' models is still emerging.