Mapping program curricula to learning outcomes

Topic 1 Learning Objective 1: Analyze the relationship between program curricula and learning outcomes.

Introduction

Mapping curriculum to learning outcomes is an important process in higher education that involves linking a program's educational goals to the courses, activities, and assessments used to achieve those goals. This process enables educators to design effective courses and programs that prepare students for success in future careers and life pursuits. By mapping curriculum and learning outcomes, educators can identify gaps, redundancies, and areas for improvement in the curriculum and make informed decisions on how to enhance the learning experience for students. In recent years, the process of linking curriculum to learning outcomes has received increased attention, and various models and tools have been developed to guide educators in their work.

General Background Readings/Viewings

Mapping program curriculum to learning outcomes is an important aspect of academic program development. It involves backward curriculum design that establishes a curriculum centered on student learning outcomes. Standard assessment practices include setting learning outcomes and aligning the curriculum to achieve those outcomes, thereby measuring specific student learning and identifying learner weaknesses and strengths.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. (2018, December). Mapping learning: A toolkit. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University.
Metzler, E., Rehrey, G., Kurz, L., and Middendorf, J. (2017). The aspirational curriculum map: A diagnostic model for action-oriented program review. To Improve the Academy 36.2.

Why mapping curriculum is important?

Developing a curriculum that is effective and coherent requires the faculty to have a clear understanding of the program's overall instructional objectives and specific learning outcomes. This knowledge will enable them to design courses that address the outcomes in a structured and effective manner. To ensure that each programmatic learning outcome is addressed, the faculty can adopt a structured process of mapping the curriculum. This process involves identifying the specific courses where related concepts and skills are introduced, reinforced, and assessed in the curriculum.

A curriculum mapping process can be beneficial in various ways. Firstly, it can stimulate useful conversations about the coherence and structure of the curriculum. It can reveal gaps and redundancies in the curriculum and ensure that courses are sequenced correctly and address the essential concepts effectively. Secondly, engaging in curriculum mapping activities can foster a sense of unity and shared purpose within the faculty. Rather than focusing solely on their individual courses, faculty members can begin to think about the curriculum.

How can administrators develop a comprehensive curricula map?

Curriculum mapping can be a comprehensive process involving multiple stakeholders, such as faculty, administrators, and students. This approach can help ensure that the curriculum correlates with the overall objectives and goals of the program. The process of curriculum mapping can also be used to identify areas in need of refinement, resulting in ongoing curriculum development and enhancement. In conclusion, an effective and coherent curriculum requires a structured mapping process, the promotion of a shared sense of purpose, and the enhancement of instructional quality.

The curriculum map shown in Table 1 is an example of the mapping matrix used by a department to identify the specific learning outcomes that support the program's broader instructional objectives. The mapping grid depicts two departmental objectives: 2 - Analytical and Problem-Solving Capabilities and 3 - Design Thinking. These objectives are supported by specific learning outcomes, represented by the abbreviations LO2a, LO2b, etc. The remainder of each section in the grid indicates where each learning outcome is introduced, reinforced, mastered, and assessed, as determined by the faculty.

The process of mapping is a useful instrument for faculty members to investigate in greater depth how the courses and curriculum contribute to the attainment of the intended learning outcomes. It enables the faculty to have a more detailed and systematic understanding of the relationships between the courses and the programmatic objectives, ensuring that the learning outcomes are addressed in a structured and efficient manner.

Notably, some learning outcomes may be reinforced across multiple courses, and assessments may be administered across multiple courses to provide continuous feedback on student progress. This procedure ensures that the faculty has a thorough comprehension of how the curriculum contributes to the development of students' essential skills and knowledge.

By utilizing a curriculum mapping process, the faculty can identify areas in which the curriculum may require refinement and determine where there are redundancies. This information can be used to modify the curriculum in order to increase its overall efficacy and cohesion. In conclusion, the curriculum mapping process is an indispensable tool for promoting effective teaching and learning practices and assuring curriculum alignment with program objectives and goals.

Typically, after curriculum mapping, the faculty decides to focus on one or two learning outcomes in greater depth each year. This strategy may involve prioritizing a learning outcome that is inadequately addressed in the curriculum or that is commonly difficult for students. The faculty can then devote the following year to investigating various strategies to enhance the development and implementation of the chosen learning outcome across multiple courses.

As opposed to relying solely on the responsibility of one or two instructors, undertaking this process as a faculty promotes a collaborative and concerted effort to resolve challenges and make improvements. This strategy promotes shared responsibility and accountability to ensure the curriculum's efficacy and the students' success. The faculty can develop a shared comprehension of the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses through this collaborative effort, allowing for continuous improvement and development.

Table 1. Sample Curricula map

How can administrators develop a comprehensive curricula map?

Curriculum mapping can be a comprehensive process involving multiple stakeholders, such as faculty, administrators, and students. This approach can help ensure that the curriculum correlates with the overall objectives and goals of the program. The process of curriculum mapping can also be used to identify areas in need of refinement, resulting in ongoing curriculum development and enhancement. In conclusion, an effective and coherent curriculum requires a structured mapping process, the promotion of a shared sense of purpose, and the enhancement of instructional quality.

The curriculum map shown in Table 1 is an example of the mapping matrix used by a department to identify the specific learning outcomes that support the program's broader instructional objectives. The mapping grid depicts two departmental objectives: 2 - Analytical and Problem-Solving Capabilities and 3 - Design Thinking. These objectives are supported by specific learning outcomes, represented by the abbreviations LO2a, LO2b, etc. The remainder of each section in the grid indicates where each learning outcome is introduced, reinforced, mastered, and assessed, as determined by the faculty.

The process of mapping is a useful instrument for faculty members to investigate in greater depth how the courses and curriculum contribute to the attainment of the intended learning outcomes. It enables the faculty to have a more detailed and systematic understanding of the relationships between the courses and the programmatic objectives, ensuring that the learning outcomes are addressed in a structured and efficient manner.

Notably, some learning outcomes may be reinforced across multiple courses, and assessments may be administered across multiple courses to provide continuous feedback on student progress. This procedure ensures that the faculty has a thorough comprehension of how the curriculum contributes to the development of students' essential skills and knowledge.

By utilizing a curriculum mapping process, the faculty can identify areas in which the curriculum may require refinement and determine where there are redundancies. This information can be used to modify the curriculum in order to increase its overall efficacy and cohesion. In conclusion, the curriculum mapping process is an indispensable tool for promoting effective teaching and learning practices and assuring curriculum alignment with program objectives and goals.

Typically, after curriculum mapping, the faculty decides to focus on one or two learning outcomes in greater depth each year. This strategy may involve prioritizing a learning outcome that is inadequately addressed in the curriculum or that is commonly difficult for students. The faculty can then devote the following year to investigating various strategies to enhance the development and implementation of the chosen learning outcome across multiple courses.

As opposed to relying solely on the responsibility of one or two instructors, undertaking this process as a faculty promotes a collaborative and concerted effort to resolve challenges and make improvements. This strategy promotes shared responsibility and accountability to ensure the curriculum's efficacy and the students' success. The faculty can develop a shared comprehension of the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses through this collaborative effort, allowing for continuous improvement and development.

Table 1. Sample Curricula map

Critical considerations for Senior Leaders

When mapping curricula, senior leadership and administrators of learning institutions should consider several important issues. Firstly, the curriculum should align with the educational goals of the institution, reflecting its vision and addressing the needs of its students. Standards and benchmarks set by governing bodies should also be met to ensure that students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for the workforce or higher education. Collaboration between teachers and administrators is also vital during curriculum mapping to ensure that the curriculum is effective and meaningful for students. Assessment and evaluation methods must be incorporated into the curriculum to measure student progress and inform instruction, ensuring that students are meeting the educational goals. Approaches such as curriculum mapping provide a systematic process for developing and revising curricula, allowing institutions to identify areas for improvement and foster collaboration between teachers and administrators. Ultimately, by considering these issues, institutions can offer students a high-quality education that aligns with their goals and needs.

Questions that Senior Leadership should Address

To achieve optimal results in the process, leaders must address the following questions：

What are the institution's educational objectives, and how can the curriculum align with them?
How can the curriculum satisfy the standards and benchmarks established by governing bodies to ensure that students receive a high-quality education?
How can teachers participate in the process of curriculum mapping, and what input can they provide to ensure that the curriculum is effective and meaningful for students?
Which assessment and evaluation methods should be incorporated into the curriculum to measure student progress and inform instruction, thereby ensuring that students meet the educational objectives?
How can the curriculum be revised and enhanced over time, and what mechanisms should be in place to ensure that it remains aligned with the institution's goals and meets students' needs?

By considering these concerns and engaging in a collaborative curriculum mapping process, leaders can ensure that their institution provides a vision-aligned, high-quality education.

Types of Curricula Program Mapping

Program-Level Curriculum Mapping

Program-level curriculum mapping is often leveraged to explore the nexus between the courses offered to students and the targeted learning outcomes. Moreover, using different schemes, the progression of the courses over duration should be monitored during the mapping process. Inter-faculty comparison should also be undertaken to assess the connection between related courses and reduce redundancies where necessary.

Certificate Mapping

Certificate mapping is applicable in scenarios where the learning outcomes are beneath the program assessment criteria. In this case, the learning is mapped using different frameworks, including employer, pre-determined standards, and licensure requirements. This mapping process enables administrators to foster the attainment of the required competency and meet the expectations of their employers or performance correlated to their future career paths.

General Education Mapping

General education mapping is an auxiliary mapping layer that is often used to explore the complementary components of general education to program learning outcomes. This mapping approach fosters the improvement of degree programs because it enables educators to assess the relationship between institutional learning outcomes and general education.

Co-Curricular Mapping

Apart from bolstering academic outcomes, mapping can be used to heighten integrated experiences among students. Consequently, co-curricular mapping is often used to examine the interconnection between educational outcomes and other engagements within the school environment. Hence, the student-affairs office often plays a critical role in monitoring the activeness of learners outside their learning surroundings.

(National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, 2018)

Preparation for Assignments/Assessments

To prepare for the assignment, begin by reading relevant articles and materials on linking curriculum to learning outcomes. It is useful to reflect on past experiences with curriculum development and assessment to see how mapping curriculum to learning outcomes can improve the effectiveness of educational programs. Interacting with colleagues or fellow students can also provide additional insights and perspectives. It is also useful to examine the different approaches and methods used in curriculum development and how they align with the intended learning outcomes.

Assignments/Assessments

Discussion Questions:

Why is mapping program curricula to learning outcomes important for educational institutions?
How can mapping program curricula to learning outcomes help instructors and students achieve academic success?

Reflection:

Create a scenario where an administrator uses program-level curriculum mapping techniques to design and evaluate co-curricular learning outcomes; what do you think such misalignments may cause?

References

Metzler, E., Rehrey, G., Kurz, L., and Middendorf, J. (2017). The aspirational curriculum map: A diagnostic model for action-oriented program review. A Journal of Educational Development, 36(2), 156-167. https://doi.org/10.1002/tia2.20062

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. (2018, December). Mapping learning: A toolkit. Urbana, IL: the University of Illinois and Indiana University.