The Tyler Curriculum Evaluation Model

TWU Nurs 5253

Emily Durbin
Elouise Ford
Tressa Hunter

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 critique
Should be easily transformed into practice
 Curriculum Design contd
Exist on three levels
What is planned for the student
What is delivered to the student
What the student experiences
Based on values and beliefs that students should know
May be contested and/or problematic
 Curriculum Design contd
Curriculum, 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 contd
Two 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 books
Best 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 Tylers 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)
Tylers Four Principles of Teaching
Principle 1: Defining Appropriate Learning Objectives
Tylers Teaching Principles contd
Principle 2: Establishing Useful Learning Experiences
Tylers Teaching Principles contd
Principle 3: Organizing Learning Experiences to Have a
Maximum Cumulative Effect
Tylers Teaching Principles contd
Principle 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 Tylers Model
Clearly stated objectives a good place to begin

Involves the active participation of the learner

(Prideaux, 2003)
Simple linear approach to development of behavioral
objectives
(Billings & Halstead, 2009)
Implications for Nursing Curriculum
Behavioral objectives no longer the gold standard
another prescriptive model has emerged since 1980s,
outcomes based education
Outcome based education focus on student behavior
instead of staff, defines outcomes obtained by student
Program designers include statements of intent as
broad curriculum aims and specific objectives
(Prideaux, 2003)
 Implications of Nursing Curriculum contd

National League of Nursing & Commission of

Collegiate Nursing Education include outcome
assessment in their initial accreditation criteria
No one model can sufficiently guide the evaluation of
nursing curriculum
Recommend that nurse educators blend elements of
more than one model to evaluate nursing curriculum
(Billings & Halstead, 2009)
 References
Billings, D. M. & Halstead, J.A. (2009).Teaching in nursing: A guide for
faculty. St. Louis, Missouri: Saunder Elsevier
Keating, S. (2006). Curriculum development and evaluation in
nursing. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Prideaux, D. (2003). Curriculum design: ABC of learning and teaching in
medicine. British Medical Journal, 326(7383), 268-270. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125124/?tool=pubmed
University of South Florida College of Education. (n. d.). Ralph Tylers little
book. Retrieved from
www.coedu.usf.edu/agents/dlewis/publications/tyler.htm