Module 1:
Course Mapping
Welcome to Module 1: Course Mapping
Agenda
Within this module, you will be asked to watch tutorials and read articles on crafting specific, measurable, and actionable course and module level learning objectives for your course. This course mapping will form the foundation of your online or hybrid course. You will then be asked to practice writing learning objectives and to apply what you learn to create your course level and module level course objectives in your course mapping template, which will be submitted at the conclusion to this short course.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Create measurable course learning objectives
Create measurable module/unit-level objectives aligned to course-level learning objectives
Write learning objectives from the learner’s perspective
Clearly distinguish between learning objectives and learning activities
As you progress throughout this module, think specifically about the essential behaviors or skills that students will need in order to show mastery of the content.
WATCH: Course Mapping Introduction
In this 2 minute video, Katalin Wargo discusses the importance of well delineated course and module level learning objectives to keep students on track to success.
Using a course map can help to assure alignment within a course. Course mapping begins with crafting measurable learning objectives that clearly describe what learners should know and be able to do by the end of a course. Well crafted learning objectives are specific and observable enough that instructors are able to measure them. So, what does that mean? Let's look at a couple of examples.
Sample learning objective that is NOT measurable:
Students will understand appropriate tax strategies for different financial and personal scenarios.
This is not measurable because it is NOT observable. We cannot observe that a student understands. Understanding is an internal cognitive process. To revise this, we must choose a verb that is an observable action that students can perform that will show their understanding.
Revised measurable learning objective:
Students will select appropriate tax strategies for different financial and personal scenarios.
This is measurable because instructors can observe a student selecting the appropriate strategies in various ways—multiple choice question, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions.
Check Point
At this point, look at your current syllabus or a course map where you have outlined course objectives. Have you listed any outcomes that are NOT measurable? These can be easily identified by unobservable verbs or verb phrases such as the following: learn, understand, develop an understanding, know, realize.
These types of learning outcomes are almost impossible to measure. If you found some of these, or other unobservable verbs, that's alright. We are going to learn more about crafting measurable learning objectives in the following modules!
WATCH: Writing Course Level Learning Objectives
This 3 minute tutorial illustrates how to construct a specific, measurable, and actionable course-level learning objectives.
Well-crafted course objectives will be specific, actionable, measurable and written from the student's perspective.
To craft learning objectives written from the student's perspective, begin your course objectives list with the following phrase.
"By the end of this course, students will be able to"
Then construct learning objectives using the following steps:
Choose an observable action verb that describes what action students will perform.
Describe the knowledge or skills students should acquire.
Check out these cross disciplinary examples:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Apply microeconomic principles to explain why environmental problems occur.
Analyze a business situation to determine an information management need.
Develop a comprehensive, individualized wellness plan focused on overcoming a sedentary lifestyle.
It is important to differentiate between learning objectives and assessments. The distinction may seem subtle; However, learning objectives describe what students should know rather than the assessment which is used to prove what they know.
Let's look at the following two examples:
Write an essay about microeconomic principles to explain why environmental problems occur.
Apply microeconomic principles to explain why environmental problems occur.
The first learning objective foregrounds the ability to write an essay (assessment) rather than the knowledge or skills students should gain. This could cause issues with the alignment of learning activities that might focus more on teaching students how to write an essay. The second example appropriately foregrounds knowledge and skills—how to apply and explain microeconomic principles .
If the skill students need to learn is, in fact, to write an essay because it is a writing course, then the objective and the assessment may be one in the same.
Check Point
At this point, check the learning objectives listed in your current syllabus or course map for any objectives that foreground the assessment(s) rather than the knowledge and skills students should master.
PRACTICE: Writing Learning Objectives
Now that we have seen some examples of measurable and NOT measurable learning objectives, let's start drafting or revising, as needed, course-level learning objectives for a course. Remember, construct learning objectives using the following steps:
Write "By the end of this course, students will be able to" and craft each learning objective as follows.
Choose an observable action verb that describes what action students will perform. (If you like, use the Bloom's taxonomy resource below to choose observable verbs.)
Describe the knowledge or skills students should acquire.
BloomsRevised.pdfBloom's Taxonomy Resource
The Bloom's taxonomy verb wheel is broken into cognitive domain, appropriate verbs, and student products. The cognitive domain describes the cognitive level of the task you are asking students to perform. It is good practice to think intentionally about the cognitive level of learning activities so students are challenged at the appropriate level. However, when crafting learning objectives, try to stay away from using cognitive domain verbs such as understand or remember. These verbs are NOT measurable because we cannot observe a cognitive process that occurs in the brain. Choose verbs from the appropriate verbs category that express what students will be able to DO to show they understand or remember. The student products category can help to determine the kinds of assessments that may align with that learning objective.
Once you feel you've got the hang of it, go ahead and include your course level learning objectives in the HPU Online Course Map Template. To make an editable copy of the template: open the document, ensure you are signed in to Google, select file, then make a copy. A course map exemplar is also provided below.
Religion_CM_Example.docxCheck Point
Online and hybrid courses should be organized in Blackboard using modules. Modules help to provide an intuitively navigable pathway for students to progress throughout a course. If you have not already broken your course into modules, use this guide to help conceptualize how you might implement modules.
Designing for Modularity.pdfWATCH: Writing Module Level Learning Objectives
This 2 minute tutorial illustrates how to construct a specific, measurable, and actionable module-level learning objectives.
Much like course objectives, module objectives need to be specific, actionable, and measurable, and written from the learner's perspective. You can use the same formula for writing module objectives as course objectives; just keep in mind that the focus is much more discrete. Course level learning objectives are broad in focus; whereas module level learning objectives dig down into the component parts of those broader learning objectives. Let's look at an example.
Course level learning objective:
Articulate the history, major figures, significant texts and modern contexts for both Eastern and Western religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahá’Ă.
Sample Module level learning objectives from different modules in the same course:
Explain the origins and historical development of Hinduism.
Compare and contrast the major sects or branches of Hinduism today.
Define basic Jain & Buddhist terms and concepts.
Explain the origins and historical development of Jainism & Buddhism.
Define basic Daoist, Confucian & Shinto terms and concepts.
Explain the origins and historical development of Daoism, Confucianism & Shinto.
We can see in this example how the module level learning objectives break the course level learning objectives into more discrete pieces. Take a look at the sample course map below to better understand how module objectives align to course objectives.
Religion_CM_Example.docxPRACTICE: Writing Module-Level Learning Objectives
Now that we have explored some examples of measurable and discrete module-level learning objectives, let's start drafting or revising, as needed, module-level learning objectives for a course.
Remember, construct learning objectives using the following steps:
Choose ONE course-level learning objective (CLO). Then draft 5-8 module-level learning objectives that will function as smaller, more discrete pieces of that CLO. These can appear within the same module or across modules in your course map.
Choose an observable action verb that describes what action students will perform. (If you like, use the Bloom's taxonomy resource to choose observable verbs.)
Describe the knowledge or skills students should acquire.
Once you feel you've got the hang of drafting your module-level learning objectives (MLOs), go ahead and include them in the HPU Online Course Map Template.
To make an editable copy of the template: open the document, ensure you are signed in to Google, select file, then make a copy.
Use a numbering system such as appears in the exemplar above to indicate the alignment between CLOs and MLOs.
Watch Out For "Fake" Learning Objectives
Sometimes learning objectives foreground topics, resources, activities, or assessments rather than the knowledge and skills students should master throughout the course. These kinds of learning objectives can cause alignment issues within a course and should be revised to focus on knowledge and skills.
Let's look at some examples adapted from Quality Matters: Fake SLO's and Upside Down Alignment Webinar hosted by Dr. Lisa Kidder & Dr. Sacha Johnson.
Objectives Written as Topics
Develop an understanding of the historical roots/significance of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including knowledge of evolving theories and trends and their ramifications.
Here we can ask what students should DO to show understanding of evolving theories and trends. Will students explain, compare and contrast, synthesize?
Develop your understanding of the ethical and legal considerations in professional and technical writing.
Once again, what will students DO to show their understanding? Will they outline, identify, or argue the ethical and legal considerations?
Objectives Written as Resources
Understand how to use the library database.
What will students use library databases to DO? Will they use library databases to conduct research on a specific topic?
Synthesize and evaluate information from articles and reading.
Even though the verbs synthesis and evaluate are observable, this foregrounds the articles and readings rather than the specific content knowledge students should master.
Critically assess and make sound managerial judgments relative to a case study.
Even though the verb assess is observable, this foregrounds the case study rather than the specific content knowledge students should master.
Objectives Written as Activities
Read an informal oral-motor evaluation.
Are we teaching students to read? Or is there a specific disciplinary skill or knowledge they should attain from the reading?
Locate assessment information using the ASHA Practice Portal.
Once again, is the purpose to teach students how to locate information or should they master a specific skill through the exploration of the ASHA Practice Portal?
Objectives Written as Assessments
- Submit a lesson plan based on your investigation of a treatment approach using resources.
There are specific disciplinary skills necessary to create a lesson plan. Listing specific skills such as "scaffolding learning activities" better indicates how to achieve mastery through the creation of a lesson plan.
- Turn in a boundary survey map from given topographic features.
What do students need to DO regarding topographic features in order to successfully create a boundary survey map?
Check Point
Now that we have explored examples of "fake" learning objectives, review the objectives in your course map to identify any potential fake learning objectives that may need to be revised. Revise by identifying the specific knowledge and skills students need to master and foreground those in the learning objectives.