Basic didactic concepts

1. Basic didactic concepts - introduction

In this activity, you will be introduced to the basic didactic terms and concepts that underpin the educational process. Key teaching terms, as well as the distinctions between a curriculum and a program, will be explained. In addition to theoretical explanations, practical examples will be presented to illustrate their application and highlight their importance and purpose. This approach will help clarify the connection between theory and real pedagogical situations.

2. Teaching

3. Curriculum

A curriculum is a didactic document that defines the scope, depth, and sequence of teaching content. It prescribes, usually in tabular form, educational areas, the order in which these areas are taught, and the weekly number of hours allocated to each area. The curriculum serves as a tool for achieving established external educational goals at a specific level of education, representing the path that teachers and students follow to attain these goals. In higher education, the curriculum is referred to as an implementation plan and, unlike a study program, it plans the delivery of teaching in a specific academic year.

An implementation plan, or implementation curriculum with its associated course implementation curricula, is a document according to which a higher education institution organizes teaching for a given academic year. The implementation plan is developed by the higher education institution and establishes a list of compulsory and elective courses, along with the names of the teachers and associates responsible for delivering them in accordance with the study program. It also defines the types of instruction, such as lectures, seminars, exercises, consultations, fieldwork, and knowledge assessment. In addition, the plan specifies the language of instruction and the locations where teaching will take place. Furthermore, the implementation plan determines the mode of delivery—whether face-to-face, online, or hybrid—as well as the start and end dates and the timetable of teaching activities. It also outlines the methods of assessment and the fulfillment of study obligations, exam periods and criteria, a list of required and recommended literature, and other information necessary for the orderly and high-quality delivery of teaching. Based on the implementation curriculum for a specific study program, each course instructor develops their own course implementation curriculum.

Examples of implementation plans from different universities, one detailed for an individual course, and the other with general, shorter information for all undergraduate and graduate studies at a single HEI:

• University of Zadar, Department of Teacher Education, implementation plan of the course Introduction to pedagogy
• University of Zagreb, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, implementation plan of full-time university undergraduate and graduate studies for the academic year 2025/2026.

Curriculum

A curriculum is a document that prescribes the scope, depth, and sequence of teaching content in a particular subject. It is broader than a syllabus, as it outlines not only the topics to be covered but also the extent, depth, and order in which they are presented and taught.

The internal objectives of a course are derived from the established external educational objectives for a specific qualification level. In accordance with these internal objectives, course content is derived from a defined occupational standard. Together, they determine what knowledge, skills, and competences students are expected to acquire and what they should be able to do by the end of the course.

Poljak emphasizes that subjects within a curriculum follow a specific order during schooling. In primary and secondary education, this order is organized by grade level, while in higher education it is organized by years of study.

The arrangement of subjects may be successive, simultaneous and combined. 
A successive arrangement means that subjects are studied gradually, one after another, in a fixed sequence. In this model, one subject is completed before moving on to the next. This arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage lies in the fact that learners can focus on a single subject at a time, which simplifies the organization of teaching. However, its disadvantage is that a subject must be studied with full intensity over a certain period, which can be demanding for students. In addition, scientific fields are interconnected, and a better understanding often requires studying concepts and knowledge from the perspectives of multiple subjects. A strictly successive arrangement does not allow for such interdisciplinary perspectives. In contrast, a simultaneous arrangement involves studying several subjects at the same time. This approach reduces some of the disadvantages of the successive arrangement, which is its main advantage. However, it also presents challenges, as it can be difficult to maintain the same level of concentration and engagement across multiple subjects. For this reason, a combined arrangement seeks to integrate the strengths of both approaches while minimizing their weaknesses and is therefore considered the most effective option.

4. Course description - components

The course description in the curriculum consists of a number of elements that together ensure clarity, consistency and pedagogical effectiveness of teaching. Each of these elements has its own function in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the course and contributes to the transparency of the teaching process. Below is a brief overview of the components of a course description according to the usual structure in the Croatian higher education system. Here you can download that document in Word (.DOCX).

1. General information

This section provides basic information about the course, including the course title, the names of the lecturer and collaborator, the year and semester in which the course is offered, the expected number of students, and the ECTS credit value. It also includes information on the number of teaching hours (lectures, seminars, and exercises) and the proportion of each form of instruction within the total ECTS value, as well as the expected number of hours of independent student work.

2. Course description

This central part of the implementation plan includes a series of elements that determine the educational content, outcomes and methodology of work.

1.1. Course objectives

The objectives of the course are defined, specifying the knowledge, skills, and competences that students are expected to acquire upon completion of the course. These objectives focus on the development of the theoretical and/or practical aspects of the course’s professional and scientific content.

1.2. Course enrollment requirements

Enrollment prerequisites are listed, if applicable, such as previously completed courses or a required level of prior knowledge.

1.3. Course learning outcomes

The section also describes the specific knowledge and skills that students should demonstrate after successfully completing the course. Learning outcomes are formulated in a measurable and verifiable manner and are aligned with the teaching and assessment methods.

1.4. Connection with the learning outcomes of the study program

It states how the course contributes to meeting the learning outcomes of the study program.

1.5. Course content

The course structure is presented according to thematic units, teaching units or weeks. This section serves as the basis for creating an implementation plan.

1.6. Teaching method

The organizational form of teaching is determined (e.g. classical, modular, online, etc.).

1.7. Types of teaching

This specifies which forms of teaching are used within the course (e.g. lectures, seminars, exercises, fieldwork, mentoring) along with the corresponding number of teaching hours.

1.8. Student obligations

Activities that students need to complete during the course are defined, such as attending classes and completing seminar papers, essays, research or practical assignments.

1.9. Monitoring student work

It states which forms of monitoring will be used to evaluate students. This includes various methods such as attendance, activity, written and oral exams, seminar papers, projects, etc.

1.10. Grading and evaluation of student work

The method of forming the final grade is defined, including the number and type of preliminary exams, the final exam, etc.

1.11. Required reading

The titles of the basic literature required for mastering the content of the course are listed.

1.12. Additional literature

Additional literature is listed here that is not necessary but can contribute to a better understanding of the content and broadening knowledge.

1.13. Quality assurance methods

Describes methods for ensuring and monitoring the quality of course delivery and the acquisition of intended knowledge, skills and competencies. This may include analysis of pass rates, student surveys, evaluations of learning outcomes and other forms of internal quality assurance.

5. Additional terms

In the context of planning and structuring the teaching content of a course, it is common to use the terms thematic unit, teaching topic and teaching unit. Although these terms are sometimes treated as synonyms in practice, a systematic approach to teaching requires that they be distinguished according to their scope and purpose within the teaching process.

Thematic unit

"A thematic unit consists of more complex parts of the curriculum dominated by a certain central theme permeated by a basic idea" (Poljak, 1991). It represents a coherent segment of course content that encompasses a group of interconnected topics and concepts. It usually includes several thematic units and is broader in both time and content. It often corresponds to a larger logical or problem-based component of the course (e.g. "History of Research Methodology" or "Fundamentals of Syntax"). In the planning process, it serves as an organizational framework that helps structure the material according to the stages of learning.

Teaching topic

A teaching topic refers to a narrower segment of content within a teaching unit and covers a specific theoretical or practical area. A topic may be developed through one or more teaching units. Although in higher education planning greater emphasis is usually placed on teaching units and teaching units, the teaching topic can serve as an intermediate level of organization, particularly when course content requires more detailed articulation.

Teaching unit

According to Poljak (1991), a teaching unit is the amount of teaching content planned for a single teaching hour or a double hour (so-called block hour) and is derived from the analysis of a whole or topic. It represents the smallest content and organizational element of teaching and has clearly defined topic, objectives, learning outcomes and teaching methods. A teaching unit may take the form of a lecture, seminar, exercise or another form of teaching activity, and its purpose is to achieve specific learning outcomes.

Distinguishing between these levels is useful for precise planning, aligning content with learning outcomes, and developing implementation plans that are clear, transparent, and methodically based.

6. Bibliography

Petričević, D., Nikolić, G., Domović, D. i Obad, J. (2017). Kurikulumske i didaktičko-metodičke osnove visokoškolske nastave. Pučko otvoreno učilište Zagreb.

Poljak, V. (1980). Didaktika. Školska knjiga.

Pranjić, M. (2005) Didaktika: Povijest, Osnove, Profiliranje, postupak. Golden marketing - Tehnička knjiga : Hrvatski studiji Sveučilišta u Zagrebu.