What are the initial steps in the curriculum development process regarding the educational needs of the audience?

The initial steps in the curriculum development process focus on understanding the educational needs of the audience, making the assessment of those needs and learner characteristics crucial. This involves identifying what the audience already knows, what gaps exist in their knowledge, and how these gaps can be addressed effectively through education. By evaluating the educational needs, one can tailor the curriculum to ensure it is relevant and meets the learners' needs.

Gathering feedback from past lessons, while valuable for refining and improving the curriculum, typically occurs after the initial assessment of learner needs and is more about evaluating what has already been delivered. Similarly, determining instructional materials comes after understanding the audience's needs and characteristics, as the selected materials should be aligned with the determined educational objectives. Assessing learning styles is also important, but it is a more specific aspect of evaluating the audience that typically follows the broader assessment of educational needs. Overall, understanding educational needs and learner characteristics provides the foundation for an effective and targeted curriculum.