CORD Curriculum Development Projects

CORD has successfully completed hundreds of curriculum design and development projects in its 30-year history.  Below are just a few examples of current and previous initiatives.

STEM Transitions: Enhancing Math and Science Rigor Through Evidence-Based Curriculum Projects

CORD has developed 63 integrated curriculum projects to engage community college students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (or “STEM”) related activities. The effort is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education through a cooperative agreement with the League for Innovation in the Community College. Read more... 

Simulations for Performance Assessments that Report on Knowledge and Skills (SPARKS)  

Building on the success of the CAPA project, this collaboration between the Concord Consortium, CORD, Tidewater Community College, and the University of Illinois, Chicago, will produce a sequence of formative assessments based on simulations of electronic circuits and test equipment. The assessments will be designed to be used in an introductory college course in electronics, either in the classroom or as self-paced activities to be undertaken by students outside of class. Each assessment will challenge the user to accomplish some task - either making a measurement or trouble-shooting a circuit. The computer will then monitor the student's and generate reports for use either by the student, the instructor, or both. The reports will indicate not only whether or not students were able to accomplish the task but also, how they approached it. If a student did something wrong, the computer will point it out; if he left out a critical step, that too will be observed and reported. Students will be encouraged to take the assessments over and over in order to improve their score, and the assessments will incorporate some random elements so that this does not become a trivial exercise in memorization. Longitudinal reports will enable both students and instructors to view test scores over time, in order to compare and evaluate learning profiles.  Read more... 

The Hawai'i Excellence through Science and Technology (HiEST) Academy 

The Hawai'i Excellence through Science and Technology (HiEST) Academy is part of a comprehensive state initiative to engage more students in school-based activities and programs that are designed to improve their mathematics and science skills. The purpose of the HiEST Academy is to increase the readiness and motivation of Hawai'i high school graduates to pursue postsecondary training and career options in STEM and STEM-related disciplines.  Read more...