Helen Strong

MSc English Language Teaching Management

Syllabus Design

The question

This assignment requires you to prepare a proposal for an innovation to be introduced in your institution. It can be a design of a new curriculum or syllabus, or it can be the setting up of a new project. In your proposal include the following: rationale (a principled justification for the proposed innovation); clear reasons why the innovation is proposed; a clear statement of the objectives of the proposed innovation; a clear description of the innovation proposed; resourcing and costing of the innovation; and implementation.

The extract

Innovation is the fuel needed to drive organisational growth and future success. An organisation that fails to innovate is less likely to survive than one that does. The myth of innovation paints a picture of an 'extra-special' creative individual hatching the best and brightest ideas, but in reality, "true innovation [...] is an organisation-wide commitment to openness and communication", requiring "a culture that values original thought and that supports new and valuable ideas" (Gaynor (2002:1)).

In the area of syllabus design, innovation is crucial since the syllabus and the curriculum are the core products of a school. The development of a syllabus involves many skills. Firstly, managerial skills are called upon to ensure that there is a sound rationale behind the new product; that resources are allocated effectively; that everyone involved is organised and motivated; that the product is completed in time; that ongoing performance is monitored and deviations dealt with; and that outcomes are evaluated and compared with targets. Secondly, academic and professional knowledge and skills are essential to ensure that the product meets the standards of quality demanded by the organisation, and that it conforms to the stakeholders' needs or wants.

The purpose of this paper is firstly, to define innovation and compare innovation with change; secondly, to discuss the role of innovation at Audi Akademie, a training institution based in Ingolstadt, southern Germany; thirdly, to present an innovation proposal for a new syllabus to be implemented at Audi Akademie; fourthly, to describe and give reasons for the innovation; and finally, to discuss the resourcing, costing, implementation and evaluation of the innovation.

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