Curriculum Mapping

>> Now that you've
written or edited

your program's SLOs,

it's time to map them
to the curriculum.

Curriculum mapping serves
two main functions.

First, it helps program

administrators
and faculty know

where the outcomes
are covered

or not covered in
the curriculum.

Second, curriculum
mapping helps to define

the appropriate
assessment points

in your assessment plan.

Before beginning
the process,

curriculum mapping
is often viewed

as a heinous
task by faculty.

But as you read in

the Uchiyama and
Raiden article,

creating a curriculum
map is not

only necessary to
program assessment,

it can promote unity and

collaboration
in the program.

To create a map,
you will need to

first collect a list of

all the programs courses.

Start with
required courses,

but feel free to add
electives if you desire.

Most people prefer to
collect their maps

in an Excel file or
in a word table.

Any file type is

acceptable as long
as it allows for

a visual representation of

the outcome's relationship
to the courses.

Begin by titling
columns as Outcome 1,

Outcome 2, and so on.

Each row lists the course.

An Excel template has been

created for your use
in this process.

Finally, it's
time to consult

with your
program's faculty.

The faculty that teaches

the course must
be a part of

this process
because only they

know how the course
aligns to the outcomes.

For each course,
ask faculty

which outcome or outcomes

their course aligns to.

Once this has
been completed,

ask them to prove
how it aligns.

It is not uncommon
after conversation to

find that some courses do

not align to outcomes
as intended.

Occasionally, programs
may find that a course

doesn't align to any of

the program stated
learning outcomes.

Courses may have drifted

over the years away from

the intended outcome or

the program may
have drifted

away from a
previous outcome.

It is at times
like this that

a program needs to make
a difficult decision.

Is the course
worth saving?

Is there value
in reworking

the course so that it

better aligns
to an outcome?

Or is it better

to eliminate the
course altogether and

offer something new
that better suits

the current goals and

missions of the program?

Once the faculty has
determined exactly

where the
program's outcomes

aligned to the curriculum,

the next step
is to determine

the level of interaction

allowed for in the course.

Ask faculty to
determine if each

course's outcome exposure
is introductory,

intermediate or
degree level.

Each level of exposure
is identified here by

a circle icon with

introductory being
an empty circle,

intermediate a half
filled circle,

and degree level a
completely filled circle.

Introductory indicates
that the student

has not previously had

experience with
the outcome.

Usually courses at
the beginning of

a curriculum will be
labeled as introductory,

but that is not
always the case.

An outcome may be very

advanced and
students may need

experience in other areas

before being introduced
to a new outcome.

Graduate programs may
find that they never

introduce a
particular outcome

and this might be okay.

Some programs may expect
that students were

introduced to
an outcome in

their undergraduate
programs.

When a program
marks an outcome

as degree level
in a course,

it is indicating that

the course is
one that will

move students
to a level of

proficiency in
that outcome.

Capstone courses are often

areas where outcomes
are at degree level.

If an outcome
is important,

one exposure is
simply not enough.

Exposure should
occur often

and ideally throughout

the course of
the curriculum.

When determining
the extent to which

a course's outcome
exposure is introductory,

intermediate, or
degree level,

have faculty once

again defend
their opinions.

The group should
agree that the map

accurately conveys

the activities of
the curriculum.

Once all courses
have been mapped,

the curriculum should
be examined for

over and under-exposure,
gaps and logic.

Ask the faculty to
look at each outcome.

Are there any
outcomes that have

too little exposure
in the curriculum,

outcomes that are never

exposed in the curriculum?

Are there
outcomes that are

never at degree level?

Are there courses
that seemingly

map to every outcome?

Are there courses
that map to nothing?

If so, should
those courses

remain in the curriculum?

Asking questions like this

will help faculty
determine if

the curriculum
adequately fits

the goals of the program.

Sometimes

the mapping process
can be uncomfortable.

No faculty member wants to

hear that the course
they teach doesn't

map to any of the
outcomes or that

it introduces an outcome

when it should
emphasize it.

If there are gaps in
outcome coverage,

it isn't always easy to

decide if a new course
should be created

or if it would
be better for

the program to rework

a current course to

better meet the goals
of the program.

Problems like these have

no clear cut answers.

Each program must find

their own way to

deal with curriculum
complications.

Your assignment
is to create

a program curriculum
map that accurately

reflects the relationship
between each of

your program's courses
and the outcomes.

We encourage
you to involve

as many faculty as you
can in this process,

as it will help to ensure

that your map is correct.

Your map must show how
each of the programs

courses aligned to

the programs
stated outcomes.

Each course
should be labeled

to explain the level of

outcome proficiency
expected in that course.

Is the course
introductory,

intermediate or
degree level?

Map should be
examined for gaps,

logic, and issues
of exposure.

If there are problems
with the map,

as it currently stands,

please create a plan
for alleviating

any curriculum problems

made evident by the map.

Once complete, send

your completed
curriculum map

and student learning

outcomes to

your institution's
assessment staff

for review and feedback.