A concept-based curriculum centers on exploring the relationships between key ideas to foster transferable understanding rather than focusing solely on isolated facts.
Core Focus: Investigating Relationships Among Concepts
A primary characteristic of concept-based curriculum is its emphasis on understanding the connections and relationships between concepts. Unlike traditional models that might prioritize memorizing specific facts or topics in isolation, this approach aims for a deeper comprehension of underlying ideas.
As the reference states, "Concept-Based units focus on using content—topics, facts, and skills—to investigate the relationship among concepts."
The Role of Content (Topics, Facts, Skills)
In a concept-based framework, specific content (such as topics, facts, and skills) serves a crucial role, but not as the ultimate learning objective itself. Instead, content acts as the vehicle or tool through which students investigate and understand the broader concepts and their interconnections.
Think of content as the evidence or case study used to explore a larger conceptual truth. For example, studying the American Civil War (content) could be used to explore concepts like conflict, identity, and change.
Key Outcomes and Benefits
Focusing on conceptual relationships yields significant educational benefits:
- Transferable Learning: By grasping the relationship among concepts, students develop learning that is not tied to a specific context. The reference notes that uncovering these relationships "produces learning that can transfer to new situations". This means students can apply what they've learned in one subject or situation to a completely different one.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving: Understanding how concepts relate provides students with powerful mental models. This enables them to analyze novel problems and situations more effectively, helping them "unlock novel problems" by seeing patterns and applying conceptual understanding.
- Deeper Understanding: Moving beyond surface-level memorization to explore the 'why' and 'how' behind conceptual relationships leads to a more profound and lasting understanding of subjects.
In summary, a concept-based curriculum is characterized by its focus on conceptual relationships explored through content, leading to highly transferable understanding and improved problem-solving abilities.
