An Alternative Australian Curriculum Model: Vertical Cubic Curriculum

This paper proposes an alternative curriculum model to the current Australian Curriculum, which is underpinned by a Systems Thinking methodology (Capra & Luisi 2014). Entitled a Vertical Cubic Curriculum (VCC), this design takes advantage of intelligent design tools whilst drawing on principles from the Australian Vertical Modular Curriculum (Education Department of Victoria, Australia 1980) and the three-dimensional structure proposed by Wragg’s Cubic Curriculum (Wragg, 1997). The VCC proposes an age mixed, multidimensional curriculum space (Carey, 2016) that promotes student voice and student self-efficacy; enabling teachers and students to co-construct a ‘learning curriculum.’ The VCC employs a cubic structure both as a proposed National Framework and as an implemented Cubic Vertical modular design at school level. The VCC is a highly flexible model that fosters metacognitive learning and formative (diagnostic) assessment as a continuum of development.