The Tyler Curriculum Evaluation Model

TWU Nurs 5253 Elouise Ford, RN, BSN, MHEd

Curriculum Design

The curriculum represents the expression of educational ideas

Must be in a form that communicates to those association with the learning institution

Must be open to critiqueShould be easily transformed into practice

Curriculum Design cont’dExist on three levels

What is planned for the studentWhat is delivered to the student

What the student experiencesBased on values and beliefs that students

should knowMay be contested and/or problematic

Curriculum Design cont’dCurriculum, health services and the

community should share mutually beneficial relationship

Curriculum values should enhance health service provision

Must be responsive to changing values and expectations in education

Curriculum Design cont’dTwo main types of curriculum models

1. Prescriptive Models- tell what curriculum writer should do(intent) and how to create a curriculum

2. Descriptive Models- provides information of what curriculum writer actually do and (content)what the curriculum covers

The Tyler Model first developed in 1949 is Prescriptive (Prideaux, 2003)

Ralph Tyler Ralph Tyler (1902-1994) published more than

700 articles and sixteen booksBest known for The Basic Principles of

Curriculum and Instruction (Ornstein and Hunkins, 1998) which is based on an eight year study

Tyler posits the problem with education is that educational programs lack unmistakably defined purposes (“Ralph Tyler’s Little Book, ”n d)

A Classic Model: The Tyler Model Often referred to as “objective model”Emphasis on consistency among

objectives, learning experiences, and outcomes

Curriculum objectives indicate both behavior to be developed and area of content to be applied

(Keating, 2006)

Tyler’s Four Principles of TeachingPrinciple 1: Defining Appropriate Learning

Objectives

Tyler’s Teaching Principles cont’dPrinciple 2: Establishing Useful Learning

Experiences

Tyler’s Teaching Principles cont’d Principle 3: Organizing Learning Experiences

to Have a Maximum Cumulative Effect

Tyler’s Teaching Principles cont’dPrinciple 4: Evaluating the Curriculum and

Revising Those Aspects That Did Not Prove to be Effective

(Keating, 2006)

Criticism of the Tyler Model

Narrowly interpreted objectives (acceptable verbs)

Difficult and time consuming construction of behavioral objectives

Curriculum restricted to a constricted range of student skills and knowledge

critical thinking, problem solving and value acquiring processes cannot be plainly declared in behavioral objectives (Prideaux, 2003)

Primary Strengths of Tyler’s Model

Clearly stated objectives a good place to begin

Involves the active participation of the learner

(Prideaux, 2003)

Simple linear approach to development of behavior al objectives

(Billings & Halstead, 2009)

Implications for Nursing CurriculumAnother Prescriptive Model has emerged –

Outcomes based education sinceFocus on student behavior instead of staff , defines

outcomes obtained by studentProgram designers will include statements of intent

as broad curriculum aims and specific objectives (Prideaux, 2003)NLN & CCNE include outcome assessment in their

initial accreditation No one model can sufficiently guide the evaluation

of nursing curriculum ( Billings & Halstead, 2009)

Implications of Nursing Curriculum cont’d