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Curriculum Mapping

What is Curriculum Mapping?

In academic assessment, curriculum mapping is defined as a relationship between the program learning goals/outcome and courses/educational opportunities of a program. It is a grid that portrays alignment between the student learning goals/outcomes and the curriculum, i.e. showing what is being learned and where it’s being learned.

Why do Curriculum Mapping?

Mapping courses and/or educational opportunities to program learning goals and outcomes provides an understanding of what is being learned at which educational opportunity in a particular program. It also assists in determining any gaps between the program student learning outcomes and courses. It serves as a road-map when assessing student learning in programs so that appropriate measures can be identified based on outcomes and courses

How to Map Curriculum

There are several ways to map courses to student learning outcomes as seen below.  Courses and other educational opportunities can be listed vertically while goals/outcomes horizontally while denoting a letter/symbol to mark that this learning opportunity meets this outcome.  This process can also be reversed and various letters, symbols or scales can be used to show program goals and outcomes that appear in multiple places within the curriculum. 

Some ways (scales) to denote outcomes existence in program courses:

  • I=Introduced, R=Reinforced, M=Mastered

Below is an example; programs are advised to use the college template.

Fictitious Examples: 

Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)

Bio 201

biod 202

bio 300

bio 400

seminar 486

Students can apply the fundamental principles and concepts upon which modern biology is founded.

I

I

R

M

M

Students can analyze and communicate scientific ideas in both written and oral form.

I

R

R

M

M

Students can demonstrate technical laboratory skills to collect and analyze data using appropriate statistical methods.

I

I

R

R

M

Sources:

[1] "Glossary of Assessment Terms", George Mason University, Office of Institutional Assessment, accessed September 2016 https://assessment.gmu.edu/resources/glossary-of-assessment-terms/

[2] Suskie, Linda. Assessing Student Learning, a common sense guide. (c) 2004 by Anker Publishing now part of Jossey-Bass.

[3] "Academic Program Design and Assessment to Support Semester Conversion: A Guide for Faculty", California State University, East Bay, Office of Educational Effectiveness, updated September 25, 2015, accessed September 2016 at <https://www.csueastbay.edu/about/institutional-effectiveness/educ-effectiveness/learn-assess/semester-conversion/conversion-guide-6-15-15.pdf>

[4] "Curriculum Mapping/Curriculum Matrix", University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, last updated October 2013, accessed on September 2016, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/assessment/howto/mapping.htm

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