Curriculum and Instruction Design is a relatively new field. Many K-12 school systems depend on curriculum designers to assess and develop a curriculum that meets state and federal standards and measures student performance. Curriculum and instruction designers also generate new teaching tools based on education research, and implement existing technologies such as educational websites, multimedia, and CD-ROMs.
Curriculum & Instruction training programs are available at both the bachelor and master degree level. A bachelor's degree is a minimum qualification for a Curriculum Design career, but the master's is quickly becoming standard in the field. Both college degrees require a high school diploma.
Curriculum and Instruction Design programs offer a solid foundation in learning theory, instructional design, and the application of educational research methods. The program also offers an introduction to state-of-the-art education technology. Interactive learning via websites and multimedia presentations is an increasingly popular teaching mode. Aspiring curriculum designers study these new modalities, and develop strategies for teaching students with different learning styles.
Curriculum and Instruction Design is in part a response to the new emphasis on standardized assessment in public education. The Curriculum Design program also teaches designers to align instruction with these new federal and state requirements, and incorporate standardized testing into the curriculum.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts strong growth of about 26% in Curriculum and Instruction Design jobs between 2000 and 2012. The median salary for curriculum designers was over $51,000 in 2004.
Curriculum and Instruction is an exciting field with the laudable goal of improving public education. A bachelor degree can get you started on the path to a curriculum design job.
