Usefulness before Intrinsic Worth

Intrinsic worth and usefulness are two factors that curriculum developers consider when choosing learning outcomes. Something has intrinsic worth if it is valued for its own sake, and has usefulness if it is practical (Clarkson, 2007). Whether a certain prescribed learning outcome has intrinsic worth depends on one’s values. Likewise, the usefulness of a certain outcome also depends on whether one believes that outcome to be useful. Intrinsic worth and usefulness are, therefore, subjective. However, an outcome could have intrinsic worth but not be useful; but if an outcome is useful, I think it follows that it also has intrinsic worth, for how could an outcome be useful simply for the sake of being useful? – useful towards what end, or towards fostering what value? Thus, the intrinsic worth of an outcome conflicts with its usefulness only insofar as there is no usefulness in that outcome. All prescribed learning outcomes should be chosen for their usefulness because useful outcomes are necessarily anchored to intrinsic values.
If an outcome is chosen for its intrinsic worth, it may not have any usefulness. A hypothetical intrinsic value outcome, “exude happiness,” has no apparent usefulness. Of course, one can use happiness as a means of enjoying life or as a basis for one’s worldview. However, it is not useful in any practical sense. Similarly, I value laughter because it makes me feel good, and I like to feel good; but, strictly speaking, laughter has no practical use – I cannot use it to further my learning of something. Some prescribed learning outcomes have the same characteristic. One of the Grade 7 Language Arts outcomes begins, “demonstrate pride and satisfaction in using language…” (BC Ministry of Education, 2007). We value pride and satisfaction, but they have no practical use. Thus, if an outcome is chosen for its intrinsic worth, it may not have any usefulness.
Outcomes chosen for their usefulness, on the other hand, necessarily have intrinsic worth. A hypothetical useful outcome, “develop communication skills,” also necessarily has intrinsic worth because communication is intrinsically worthwhile. Some might argue that communication only has usefulness because it is simply a means to an end; however, I would argue that communication is both the means and the end – both the expression of ideas and the mutual understanding of those ideas. If I had to choose between the “pride and satisfaction” outcome and the “develop communication skills” outcome, I would choose the latter because it is through the development of communication skills that one can gain pride and satisfaction. Conversely, pride and satisfaction do not lead to the development of communication skills.
The intrinsic worth and usefulness of outcomes are problematic because they are based on subjectivity. This is impossible to avoid. Therefore, to make the best of this problem, I suggest that we choose outcomes based on their usefulness, because outcomes that are useful are also intrinsically worthwhile. In this way, all outcomes would have usefulness and intrinsic value, and there would be no conflict.



Works Cited

Clarkson, Jerry. “Unit 4: Choosing Curriculum Content.” Education 471, Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice. July 1, 2007.
British Columia Ministry of Education. July 1, 2007.