Lessons Learned: Curriculum Map As An Assessment Tool

Abstract

Participants will learn about the lessons learned while using curriculum mapping as an assessment tool, what worked well, challenges encountered, and recommendations going forward. The program will demonstrate how the program curriculum map can be linked to the general educational outcomes and aligned with intuitional outcomes (Banta, 2014; Hundley & Kahn, 2019). Curriculum mapping allows the Department to identify the courses and the assignments that will ensure that the students are receiving the content that meet the identified outcome. Completed curriculum maps should be shared with faculty who teach in the program so they can see how the program learning outcomes are aligned with courses. Once the curriculum mapping for the program has been completed, the next logical step will be to design an assessment method to test whether students in a given course have achieved the outcome.
The curriculum mapping process creates a matrix/table of the required assignments and the program learning outcomes. The matrix/table will provide a visual as to gaps, redundancies, and inconsistencies between the program course and the program learning outcomes. Curriculum mapping will reveal program strengths and weaknesses before beginning the assessment process, avoiding costly mistakes in the assessment process. The session content is helpful to those new to assessment or those who have served in assessment the assessment role for years. The session case study is from an undergraduate program in a small to medium size college, the principals can be used in any size institution.