This course curriculum design is meant to give an overview of a multi-year experience for students. There are four levels of instruction discussed. Students in the program this is designed for have the opportunity to take instruction that is geared for their skill level at the time of the lessons. The enrolment for the student is consistent but the actual class they attend is fluid and based on the skill acquisition needs ion the individual student. The student will be able to finish their study having experienced all of the learning outcomes. Most students will complete the course of study as a cohort, but this open class model allows for flexibility in entering the program and accessing learning content that may have been missed.
The graph of skills is a quick reference for all the skills that will be included in a multi year program. There are four skill levels and within each of those levels there are new skills to be experienced. Level 1 is an entry level and as students gain competency, they advance to the higher skill levels. The high levels need to regard the earlier level content as pre-requisites. The lower level are foundational for the higher levels of skill training.
The contents of skills are divided to represent different areas of content concern. These content areas can be taught in separate content lessons and can be combines. The sequence of each lesson may change given the needs of the student(s). The graph list all of the content areas that need to be addressed in a theoretical school year. The program I use this in has students in grades 7-12 and as you can see that is not divided evenly in four groups. The students arrive at the different levels as they need.
This is a good point to assess assessment. Students are encouraged to be challenged and work at their own pace. There are encouraged to start a video/audio portfolio of their own playing. IF the concept is understood, they will better able to asses their own playing. Goals are to be set using the curriculum content appropriate for their skill level and are to be measured by these standards. Students are to self assess their understanding of the curriculum content at the end of a lesson, end of a home practice and the end of a concert.
Formal summative assessments are harder to apply to higher level playing. Offering playing opportunities is often an easier way to motivate students to attain a playing standard. Nothing like preparing for a concert to get your attention!