Curriculum Maps

Curriculum maps Improve communication about teaching and learning expectations; improve program curriculum coherence; increase likelihood that students achieve outcomes; promote reflective practice. Overall, curriculum maps help us build and deliver a curriculum that is cohesive, developmental, intentional, and based on a shared set of institutional/program learning expectations.

Curriculum maps help us build and deliver a curriculum that is cohesive, developmental, intentional, and based on a shared set of institutional / program learning expectations.

Options for collaborative creation:
Giant paper grid with Post-it notes; shared document/table in SharePoint/Teams. 

In person session:
Schedule during a regular program meeting, committee meeting, or faculty retreat; allow 90 minutes for the initial mapping and discussion; plan follow-up conversations to refine the map. 

Share with new faculty, students, advising; post in hallway; confirm course outcome alignment in follow up meetings; use to aid in the continuous improvement of curriculum.

Student learning outcomes on one side (columns), courses on other side (rows).

Labels to show curricular development:

Introduce: Students are presented with the content knowledge or skill for the first time.
Reinforce (or Develop or Practice): Students already have content knowledge and can utilize it in the specific course, thus reinforcing the knowledge or skill.
Master: Students are adept at using the knowledge or skill.
Assess for program-level decision-making: Evaluate students’ proficiency at a given level.

Curriculum Map Template

The following is an excerpt from hypothetical biology program curriculum map:

Key: "I"=Introduced; "R"=reinforced and opportunity to practice; "M"=mastery at the senior or exit level; "A"=assessment evidence collected

Courses and Experiences	Program Learning Outcomes
	Apply the scientific method	Develop laboratory techniques	Diagram and explain major cellular processes	Awareness of careers and job opportunities in biological sciences
BIOL 101	I	I		I
BIOL 202	R	R	I
BIOL 303	R	M, A	R
BIOL 404	M, A		M, A	R
Other: Exit interview				A

How is a curriculum map created?

Step 1: Faculty members begin with:

• the program's intended student learning outcomes
• recommended and required courses
• other required events/experiences (e.g., residency, research, clinicals)

Step 2: Create the "map" in the form of a table.

Step 3: Enter the student learning outcomes and courses and events/experiences into the map that currently address those outcomes.

Step 4: Enter an indicator of level for each learning outcomes and course/experience (I, R, M, A)

Step 5: Faculty members analyze the curriculum map. They discuss and revise so that each outcome is introduced, reinforced/practiced, and then mastered. In addition, each outcome should have at least one "A" to indicate that evidence can be collected for program-level assessment. Not every outcome is assessed every semester, the timeline for collection will be indicated on the assessment plan.

1.   Revisiting the Purpose of Curriculum Maps

• Curriculum maps provide the what and the why for a program’s curriculum.

2.   Creating/Revising Curriculum Maps

• Program creates a generic curriculum map with the program student learning outcomes
• Individual faculty members create a curriculum map for each of their courses
• Individual course curriculum maps are combined into a program level curriculum map

3.   Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities

• Build in practice and multiple learning trials for students: introduce, reinforce, master. Students will perform best if they are introduced to the learning outcome early in the curriculum and then given sufficient practice and reinforcement before evaluation of their level of mastery takes place.
• Use the curriculum map to identify the learning opportunities (e.g., assignments, activities) that produce the program's outcomes.
• Allow faculty members to teach to their strengths (note: each person need not cover all outcomes in a single course). "Hand off" particular outcomes to those best suited for the task.
• Ask if the department/program is trying to do too much. Eliminate outcomes that are not highly valued and then focus on highly valued outcomes by including them in multiple courses. (The eliminated outcomes can still be course-level outcomes. They need not disappear completely from the curriculum.)
• Set priorities as a department/program. Everyone working together toward common outcomes can increase the likelihood that students will meet or exceed expectations.
• Communicate: Publish the curriculum map and distribute to students and faculty.
• Communicate: Each faculty member can make explicit connections across courses for the students. For example, at the beginning of the course or unit, a faculty member can remind students what they were introduced to in another course and explain how the current course will have them practice or expand their knowledge. Students do not always make those connections by themselves.