1. Conduct a background research

You need to learn everything about the company, including their experience, expertise and niche.

Are their teams experienced in developing curriculum specific to your niche?

Do they have the appropriate skills, expertise, and proven success to deliver exactly what you want?

Apart from asking yourself these questions, check the online presence of the company. It can tell you a lot about their achievements and the kind of work they deliver. 

2. Evaluate the project management process

Just like any other project that requires collaboration, quality control, and meeting deadlines, you need to check if your curriculum developer can also fulfill these requirements.

Do they follow the best business practices? 

What is their philosophy on data security?

You will be required to provide sensitive information, and that makes data security a pivotal selection criterion. 

Therefore, you should have the entire process figured out before the project commences. 

3. Determine the curriculum design

You should be clear about the objective of your curriculum. Everything else that follows, including teaching methodology and approach, is decided by that objective.

And that’s what curriculum design is about. There are three major types of designs, as described below:

A. Subject-centered design

It hinges on specific disciplines or subjects such as biology, literature, and mathematics. 

The subject-centered design is common in K-12 public schools and is considered a standardized curriculum. 

If the curriculum development service provider specializes only in K-12 content, then you should check the alternatives.

However, if they create the curriculum for specific disciplines in higher-ed, they can be shortlisted for further analysis. 

B. Problem-centered design

In this type of design, students learn practical skills by focusing on the problem at hand and brainstorming the potential solutions for it. 

The problem-centered design fosters collaboration, innovation, and creativity in the classrooms. 

It does not, however, cater to individuals and their unique abilities. 

C. Learner-centered design 

This design takes into account the goals, interests, and requirements of the students.

It’s the opposite of the standardized curriculum or subject-centered design. No other design empowers students as much as the learner-centered design. 

If customization is your priority, this is the most suited design for you and your students. 

4. Check out multichannel options

Learning is no longer restricted to just classrooms. It’s the era of eLearning that has broadened the horizons of how students acquire and utilize information.

Today, there are various modes of learning available. Some of the examples include:

• Online learning modules
• Live webinars
• Audio/podcasts
• Classroom sessions

You can combine the best of all worlds to create a powerful learning experience for your students.

Finding a curriculum development service provider that offers hybrid or multichannel learning options is the key. 

5. Ask for recommendations

It’s always great to have recommendations to establish a certain level of trust and security with the company beforehand. 

If the company is experienced enough, chances are, you will easily find their past clients.

See if you can reach out to them and understand their experience of working with the service provider. 

On the contrary, you might come across clients who didn’t have their expectations delivered. 

In that case, you will have to consider striking off the provider from your list. 

6. Review social media groups

There are plenty of social media groups these days, where you can discover your ideal curriculum development service provider.

On social platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, you can not only find content developers but also their past clients and reviews.

Based on those feedbacks, you can even identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company. 

Keep a list of pros and cons with you for comparison to make the final decision later on. 

7. Attend networking events

If you want to find academic content providers, your search shouldn’t be limited to the internet. Instead, you should attend trade shows, workshops, and conferences to find the one you need. 

Apart from content developers, you can also find your counterparts. The biggest advantage of that is that they can provide the contact information of their go-to service providers. If not recommendations, you can learn about the unpleasant experiences that they may have faced. 

However, you should note that even though the company may be highly recommended, it may or may not have the expertise in the niche you are searching for. 

8. Request samples

Without a doubt, curriculum development services will incur a significant budget. 

Therefore, it’s always a good idea to ask for samples and hold consultation calls to walk you through the process of development. 

Those samples will help you scrutinize their depth of knowledge and their ability to meet your objectives, needs, and goals. 

Ask questions about how they overcome certain obstacles in their past projects. The response will help you decide if the company can handle the project in case an unexpected event takes place.