Curriculum Mapping

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Curriculum Mapping
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Introduction to Curriculum Mapping

• Curriculum development is an ongoing process of
  evaluation, a continuous effort to incorporate
  new technologies, research, and methodologies
  into the overall scheme, even as the goal remains
  constant a curriculum that prepares our
  students to reach the highest standards.
  Curriculum maps are the tools of the
  practitioner, the foundation upon which other
  work is basedThey reveal a wealth of
  information. Gaps in the content become evident,
  and repetitions also are easily spotted.
• H.H. Jacobs, 1997

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Steps in the Process

• Involve all faculty teaching in a program
• Survey faculty with respect to their coverage of
  learning objectives
• Share information with faculty for review and
  discussion
• Reach consensus regarding extent to which program
  is addressing objectives adequately and develop
  strategies for change as needed

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Why Use Curriculum Maps?

• Link Program Learning Outcomes to Curriculum
• Identify how required courses contribute to
  achievement of program outcomes
• Help students and faculty see how courses
  translate into a curriculum

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Sample Curriculum Maps

• The simplest maps are a matrix containing
• The learning outcomes under consideration
• A list of the courses in the program
• An indication of where the learning outcomes are
  taught in the program

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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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Curriculum Maps and Blooms Taxonomy

• Identify how knowledge skills develop
  throughout the curriculum from the lower levels
  of the taxonomy (knowledge/comprehension) to the
  higher learning levels (synthesis/application)

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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
A
S
S
K
A
K
A
S
A
S
K
K Knowledge / Comprehension A Analysis /
Application S Synthesis / Evaluation
A
S
K
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Curriculum Maps

• Help identify curriculum gaps
• Orphan outcomes
• Unsupported outcomes
• Empty requirement
• Same Level learning

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Orphan Outcome
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
K
K
K
A
A
S
S
K
A


A
S
K
S
S
K
A
S
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Unsupported Outcome
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
K
K
K
A
A
S
S
K
A
K
A
S
A
S
K
S
S
K
A
S
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Empty Requirement
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K

K
K


A

S
S
K
A
K
A
S

S
K
S
S
K
A
S
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Same Level Learning
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
K
K
K


A
A
S
S
K
A
K
A
S
A
S
K
S
S
K
A
S
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Curriculum Maps

• Use the Map to identify Assessment Points
• Points at which you will collect evidence of
  achievement of a learning outcome
• Not every outcome, every course, every faculty,
  every student, every semester

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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
Pre-Post / Value Added
A
A
S
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
S
K
A
S
K
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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
Formative Assessment
A
A
S
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
S
K
A
S
K
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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
Summative Assessment
A
A
S
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
S
K
A
S
K
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Tracking Assessment Opportunities

• Faculty indicate the types of measures they are
  using to assess the learning outcomes
• Indicate the specific assessment activities being
  utilized

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Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
X
X
X
E
P
OP
X
X
X
PF
X
X
X
E
OP
X
X
X
L
I
X
X
X
P
OP
PF
X
X
X
OP
L
I
X
X
X
E
OP
L
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Curriculum Maps

• Help identify where interventions may be
  considered

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How Assessment Works
Year 2
Year 3
Year 1
O U T C O M E
Compare Against Benchmarks, Standards, Targets, P
ast Performance
New / Revised learning event New /
Revised learning event New / Revised learning
event
New / Revised learning event New / Revised
learning event New / Revised learning event
learning event learning event learning event
component component component component BASELINE
component component component component
component component component component
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Curriculum Maps

• Help identify where interventions may be
  considered
• Additional learning opportunities
• Different kinds of learning opportunities
• Prerequisite structure
• Curriculum Revision

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Additional Opportunities
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
K
S
K
A
S
A
S
K
A
S
K
S
A
S
A
S
A
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Different Opportunities
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
S
K
A
S
K
S
A
S
A
S
A
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Prerequisite Requirements
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
A
S
A
S
K
S
A
S
A
S
A
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Curriculum Revision
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Course 5
K
A
S
K
A
S
A
S
A
S
K
S
A
S
A
S
K
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Curriculum Maps

• Big Mistakes
• Having one person create the map
• Assuming every course has to do everything
• Creating a theoretical map, not a reality map
• Assuming that courses are free-standing entities

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Benefits of Curriculum Mapping

• Effective tool for consensus and community
  building in a department or program
• Promotes a holistic perspective of a curriculum
• Clarifies relationships between courses (e.g.,
  course sections, prerequisites)
• Identifies problem areas with learning outcomes
  not taught or assessed or things taught that have
  no learning outcomes