Curriculum Mapping and Assessment:
Utilizing Effective Curriculum Design
Principles for Improvement
For Presentation at the Nassau Community College
2014 Assessment Symposium
Presenter: Michael A. Heel
Assistant Director of Curriculum and Assessment, Monroe Community College, SUNY
President, Assessment Network of New York (ANNY)
•SECTION ONE
Brief Overview
•Assessment & Program Evaluation:
Where We Are Today.
Assessment:
Everyone’s Favorite Task
• What started out as a paradigm of research in education is
now focused on accountability
• Specialized accreditors are changing their approaches and
standards
• Middle States (MSCHE) is “upping the ante”
• The Feds are coming (parents, too)!
• As budgets tighten, “assessment for accountability”
becomes an even bigger deal…
What Middle States says
• Assessment processes are not about the faculty
(assessment results cannot reasonably be used for hiring,
promotion, or tenure decisions)
• Assessment is not about the numbers (accrediting bodies
generally don’t care about the statistics; they want to
know how we are using that information to make
strategic choices)
• Assessment should not be the top priority of a faculty
(“What are faculty members not doing while they are
engaging in excessive assessment activities?” – Suskie)
Question: Why do “we” conduct
academic assessment projects?
• A) Because the Middle States and other specialized
accrediting bodies (ABET, AACSB, etc.) require it;
• B) Because other external stakeholders (like donors,
trustees, grant applications) want us to;
• C) Because the federal government wants institutions of
higher education to be more mindful of how college students
are educated;
• D) Because we want to avoid…..THIS:
The Brighter Side: Utilizing
Assessment for Improvement
• Ideally, assessment processes are NOT all about the
numbers and statistics, but about the content and
context of the educational product (learning)
• Assessment can help department faculties organize
systematically some of the business they are already
conducting, and provide a sensible framework for those
endeavors
• Even accrediting bodies are now focusing on the “back
end” of assessment, rather than the “front end…”
TIME-OUT: The Agony and Ecstasy
of Assessment
• What have been your experiences with assessment,
good and bad?
• In your experience, what has been the relationship
of assessment work to all the other responsibilities
you carry in your professional position?
•SECTION TWO
How does assessment relate to the
curriculum?
• Assessment processes, designed and executed carefully
and purposefully, offer the faculty important insights
• Inform the faculty about student learning: patterns and
trends, strengths and weaknesses
• Engage the faculty in discussions about teaching and
learning
• Inspire faculty members and departments to make
curricular improvements to programs and courses
• Assessment is not about the numbers and data, but about
information and what we do with that information
Curriculum design as foundation
for assessment
• Assessment as a process cannot be useful without a curriculum that is well-designed, with
• Program-level mission, goals, objectives, outcomes
• Complete sets of course learning outcomes (CLOs)
• Well-written course learning outcomes (CLOs)
• Why is course and program design important to assessment?
• Integrity of assessment relies upon a curriculum with a sound foundational design
• When design is flawed, assessment will automatically be rendered less relevant
What constitutes a “well-
designed curriculum?”
• As one might expect, the best curriculum design is one
that is NOT taking a cookie-cutter approach
• Specific curriculum designs need to express the intrinsic
qualities and characteristics of their respective disciplines
• Some programs truly require rigidity in curriculum design
• Most programs can be designed with a curriculum that
possesses appropriately unique character, but that also
meet common institutional standards
Criteria for a “well-designed
curriculum”
• Design of program and/or course is:
• Consistent
• Clear to all stakeholders
• Reflective of what is taught and learned
• Responsive to the educational needs of students
• Result of professional collaboration
• Process-driven
Necessary Elements of Program
Design, Associate’s & Bachelor’s
Degrees
• Mission Statement
• Program-level goals and outcomes
• Course teaching objectives and learning outcomes
• An “aligned curriculum”
• (The same is essentially true for general education)
Relationship of Curriculum Elements
(broad to narrow)
Mission Statement
Program-level Goals and Outcomes
Course teaching objectives and
learning outcomes
DETOUR: The Language of
Curriculum & Assessment
• The language of curriculum & assessment is still not
uniform
• Differentiating “goals” from “objectives” and “outcomes”
can be difficult and irritating
• What about “mission” versus “vision,” “values,” or
“principles?”
• Find a sensible internal language standard, and develop your
own internally consistent approach
Terms for this presentation (1):
• Program-level goals
• defined as the faculty’s aspirations, broadly expressed,
for the program’s operation; linked and supporting the
program mission statement; not assessed
• Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
• Statements summarizing specific summative learning
targets that students are expected to meet cumulatively
over the course of their educational experience
Terms for this presentation (2):
• Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
• Statements summarizing specific summative learning targets
that students are expected to meet cumulatively upon the
completion of a particular course
• Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
• Statements summarizing specific summative learning targets
that students are expected to meet – a generic, umbrella term
that may apply to a single course, several courses, or a
student’s entire institutional experience
• Course Teaching Objectives
• Statements that frame the instructor’s aspirations of learning
for the student, and that express the learning environment
and/or the learning experience the student will have in a
particular course
Example: PLOs: Biotechnology A.S.
Degree Program
A graduate of the Biotechnology Program will be able to:
• 1. Demonstrate effective written communication skills.
• 2. Demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
• 3. Solve problems related to biological topics.
• 4. Apply computer skills to routine laboratory applications.
• 5. Describe foundation concepts in the discipline of molecular biology.
• 6. Discuss foundation concepts in the discipline of biochemistry.
• 7. Utilize core molecular biology techniques commonly employed in a research/industry laboratory.
• 8. Conduct appropriate experimental protocols.
• 9. Analyze and interpret experimental data.
• 10. Operate laboratory equipment commonly used in a research/industry setting.
Example: Field Studies in Biology
(Teaching Objectives)• 1. This course will provide students the opportunity to experience conditions, equipment and methods used by scientists to study biology in the natural environment.
• 2. The instructor of the course will promote the development of skills necessary to construct a scientific field notebook detailing observations, data, and experiments conducted in the field.
• 3. In this course, students will have the opportunity to conduct and report results of experiments conducted in the field.
• 4. This course and the instructor will promote the development of skills required to draw inferences based on observations made in the field.
Example: Field Studies in Biology (CLOs)
• Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• 1. Describe the physical, biological, or chemical factors that help shape a
particular environment studied.
• 2. Make and record observations of natural biology, geology, chemistry, or
atmospheric features of a particular habitat or environment.
• 3. Develop inferences and explanations for observations made in the field.
• 4. Demonstrate the proper use of scientific equipment used for the collection
of field data.
• 5. Construct a scientific field notebook that fully documents observed field
phenomenon.
• 6. Execute a field-based scientific experiment.
• 7. Report the results of a field-based scientific experiment.
• 8. Identify and describe significant organisms common to the environment
studied.
• 9. Discuss the distribution and the relative abundance of organisms observed
in the environment studied.
Course Learning Outcomes – “Where
the Rubber Hits the Road”
• What is the purpose of having CLOs?
• Convey to external and internal stakeholders an honest representation of the common learning that will occur in each course (and each section), regardless of who teaches it
• Middle States calls this our contract with students, parents, and the community served
• Common content should be agreed-upon by participating faculty
• CLOs as presented on syllabi should serve as the foundation for course organization
Section Summary
• Mission Statements and Program-level Learning
Outcomes (PLOs) frame the broad structure, aspirations,
and expectations of degree programs (and general
education)
• Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) provide the basis for
specifying specific expectations for student learning
• CLOs should support and link to PLOs in meaningful
ways.
•SECTION THREE
Now What?
• The basis of a sound program curriculum includes both
design and assessment
• Curriculum mapping and alignment provide the gateway
to meaningful assessment processes
Curriculum Alignment as a process
gives us the chance to:
• Connect what we do in the classroom with what’s going
on the real world
• Demonstrate that students are learning what we intend for
them to learn
• Understand whether or not the courses we are teaching
substantively support the curriculum we have designed
• Pause and consider whether the education we are
providing supports the needs of our constituencies
Sounds good, but why bother?
• Busy program and department faculties run the risk of
operating their courses and programs on “auto-pilot.”
• “It ain’t broke!”
• “The assessment results show we’re doing okay…”
• “I’m doing assessment, I’m doing program review,
what more do you want from me?”
• Even the most invested faculty members may seem
reluctant to add (what are perceived to be) extra steps in
the assessment and program review process
When skeptic becomes problem-
solver…
• No one likes doing extra work
• BUT, what if that work, once undertaken, winds up being
valuable, and offers up results that are immediate and
worth the time spent?
• The first-time investment requires the greatest effort
• The value of doing academic assessment is not always
apparent – curriculum alignment often clarifies that value
(remember – “useful” and “truthful”)
“A well-designed curriculum map is one of the most
effective tools you can create for documenting how your
program-level outcomes are supported by your
curriculum.”
-- Michael Middaugh
Retired Chair, MSCHE Executive Committee
A Basic Toolbox for Assessing Institutional Effectiveness
Cranberry Township, PA, August 2010
Initiating the Mapping Process
• Distribute a numbered/lettered list of Program Learning Outcomes among the relevant faculty members
• Challenge each faculty member:
• For each class he/she teaches in the program, determine which of the PLOs is covered in the class as a MAJOR part of the course content; indicate also MINOR coverage (separately)
• This exercise benefits from input from multiple faculty members who teach different sections of the same course, but who respond independently
• Collect and display the information in grid format
Clear, right?
How about an example?
Case Study
Beekeeping
at Cranmore Community College
Example: Program Learning Outcomes
A graduate of the A.A.S. degree program in Apicultural Science will be able to:
a. Construct and maintain beehives of appropriate design relative to the beekeeper’s purpose (breeding, honey production, supporting agriculture, etc.) and the breed of bee;
b. Create appropriate breeding environments and apply professionally-recommended techniques in promoting healthy fertility and growth of bee populations;
c. Apply and interpret basic genetic tests of bee samples;
d. Conduct appropriate hybridization techniques;
e. Identify, recognize, and respond to insect behaviors, including those of bee, competing insect, and predator insect species;
f. Promote health and wellness among bee populations;
g. Cultivate plant species supportive of the healthy maintenance of bee populations;
h. Recognize and manage responses to threats to bee populations, such as changes in the seasons, extreme weather conditions, or the presence of pesticides and other toxins in the environment;
i. Apply basic business management principles to the management of the costs and expenses of beekeeping;
j. Discuss the ethical principles underpinning beekeeping as both a hobby and a profession;
k. Describe the role of bee species in the maintenance of a healthy and sustainable agricultural business;
l. Teach and train apprentice beekeepers in the rudimentary aspects of the practice of beekeeping;
m. Capably communicate the basic tenets of good beekeeping practices to individuals unfamiliar with bees and the practice of beekeeping.
What Are We Looking For?
• The primary reason we construct a curriculum map is to be
able to formulate a picture of program design that helps us
discern patterns of coverage
• Look for gaps – are PLOs all covered?
• Look for reinforced learning – are PLOs covered
“sufficiently?”
• Look for redundancy – are some PLOs getting too much
attention, at the cost of other curriculum content?
• Look for course purposefulness – are particular courses
seemingly adding very little to the curriculum?
• Look for course content overload – sometimes, less really
is more!
PLO
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ENV
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ENV
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BIO
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APS
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APS
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APS
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a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
PLO
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BIO
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a M m M M
b m M m m M M
c m m
d M m m m
e M m
f m m m M m m m M
g m M M m
h m m m M m m M M
i m M m m M M
j m M m
k m M m m
l m
m
TIME-OUT: Group Assessment
•WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Preliminary Review Indicated:
• Program Learning Outcome “m” is not covered
• Faculty discussion revealed that virtually every faculty
member thought others were covering the outcome in
their respective courses
• Most faculty members did not feel qualified to teach or
grade students on their communication skills
• ENV 111 and APS 112 seemed of little value to the
curriculum
• PLO’s “c,” “e,” and “l” are under-covered
But wait, there’s MORE
• The curriculum mapping exercise ALSO picked up some
areas where there were redundancies, and where courses
seemed over-packed
• Outcomes “f” and “h” were covered in almost every
course, and Outcomes “b” and “g” seemed also to be
overly emphasized given their relative importance to the
whole curriculum
• Four courses (APS 244 and APS 260) seemed too densely
packed with redundant content
Follow-up on the initial mapping
• The program faculty is now both empowered and
challenged to “fix” these curriculum issues
• Benefit of this simple procedure is that the pictorial
representation gives participants a quick and easy
understanding of an otherwise complex system
Changes to Curriculum
• Outcome “m” now covered in an APS course each semester
of a student’s plan of study
• Outcomes “c” and “d” were dependent upon BIO 205, so
courses scheduled in the second year had to address these
outcomes
• Significant course redesigns for APS 112, APS 244, APS
260, and APS 252 to accommodate and address both gaps
and redundancies in curriculum, particularly Outcome “l”
• ENV 112 retained, to fulfill Natural Science requirement,
and because it is a pre-req for ENV 172
• Moving forward, the faculty must now document student
learning
PLO
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a m M m M m
b m M m m M M
c m M M
d M M m M m
e M m M
f m m m M m m m M
g m M M m
h m m M M m m M M
i m M m m M M
j m M m M
k m m M m m
l M M m
m M M M M
Ascertaining an Assessment Strategy
for Courses
• Above all else, assessment should be useful and efficient, so
think strategically!
• Not all CLOs for all courses need to be assessed (although at
some point, the program faculty might consider assessing
more broadly with purpose)
• Some courses are stronger in some areas of interest than
others
• Although multiple courses may cover the same outcome, not
every course provides good assessment opportunities
• Some courses offer breadth over depth
• Some PLO’s can only be covered (and measured) in specific
courses
PLO
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a m M M m
b m M m m M M
c m M M
d M M m M m
e M m M
f m m m M m m M
g m M M m
h m m M M m m M
i m M m m M M
j m M m M
k m m M m m
l M M m
m M M M M
Final “Linkage” Documented
• The faculty has to determine which Course Learning
Outcomes best suit the matching PLO
• The assumption is that individual courses are taught
according to their respective CLOs
• If CLOs are supported by graded (and thus, embedded)
student assignments, then that documentation will directly
demonstrate support for the PLO (MSCHE wants direct
evidence where possible)
• Common sense rules for assessment still apply (as do the
broad MSCHE assessment principles)
PLO
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a clo #2 clo #1
b clo #6 clo #1
c clo #5 clo #4
d clo #4 clo #3
e clo #1
f clo #1 clo #2
g clo #8 clo #2
h clo #3 clo #2
i clo #5 clo #3
j clo #1 clo #7
k clo #3 clo #4 clo #2
l clo #6 clo #4
m clo #7 clo #9 clo #11
Bringing everything together
• Note that all APS courses are participating in the
assessment of at least one Course Learning Outcome
• All PLO’s are covered by at least one assessed course
• Remember that MSCHE cares only that the Department
faculty demonstrate that PLO’s have been assessed; they
aren’t concerned about the minutiae
• This process allows the faculty to show that, by fulfilling
linked CLOs, they are likewise showing that PLOs have
been measured and analyzed
Inputting and Interpreting Assessment
Results
• Program faculty set a benchmark standard of learning of
80% for each outcome
• Based on historic rates of success in the program
• Faculty agreed that:
• Highest result would count, unless later results showed
a backward trend of learning
• If result < 80%, they would discuss
• If result < 60%, then this outcome would need
immediate and special attention
• If result > 95%, check for integrity & rigor
PLO
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a 88% 95%
b 82% 100%
c 58% 69%
d 55% 73%
e 69%
f 94% 92%
g 40% 68%
h 77% 80%
i 61% 80%
j 49% 65%
k 55% 80% 88%
l 60% 80%
m 38% 52% 78%
TIME-OUT: Group Assessment
•WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Conclusions from Assessment
• Outcomes a, b, f, are in very good shape
• Outcomes h, i, k, l looking good too
• Outcomes c, d, e, g, j, m all discussed
• What’s up with APS 244?
Unexpected benefits
• As with many assessment activities, once the group
moves beyond the “worker bee” focus (pardon the pun),
the opportunity to consider the bigger picture is usually
gratifying and engaging
• Relationship and roles of individual courses within a
curriculum are greatly clarified
• The benefit extends also to other stakeholders, who can
now be reassured that a program curriculum “delivers” on
what is advertized
• This particular exercise can help build faculty consensus,
teamwork, and identity
•SECTION FOUR
Case Study
•Religious Studies A.S. Degree at
Franklin Community College
Another Example--
• Consider the following application of curriculum
mapping (based on an actual experience; the discipline
has been changed, and the institution remains
anonymous):
• Department of Philosophy and Religion at a 2-year
institution offers a major, but serves far more students
who take courses to satisfy the institution’s general
education humanities requirement
• What should that faculty’s approach be to assessment?
• How can the process of curriculum mapping help the
faculty to figure this out?
Their Mission Statement
• The Mission of the Religious Studies degree program is
to provide students with a complete educational
experience. Students majoring in Religious Studies will
grow intellectually, civically, emotionally and spiritually.
Students graduating with a degree in Religious Studies
will be well-rounded individuals capable of completing a
B.A. degree, will have a tolerant world view, and will
have knowledge of a variety of cultures and belief
systems, allowing them to capably interact with people of
wide and varying backgrounds.
Program Goals
• To offer students an understanding of the basis for
spiritual thought;
• To develop in students an understanding and respect for
religious thinking, both western and non-western
• To provide students with an understanding of the
historical developments of world religions
• To expose students to a variety of ethics models
• To help students become better citizens
• To promote strong emotional and spiritual health among
students
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduating students with an Associate’s degree in Religious Studies will
be able to:
• 1) Interpret, analyze and evaluate literature, founded in both religious
faiths and secularism, in terms of the spiritual and ethical standards from
within the society in which that literature is based.
• 2) Interpret, analyze and evaluate public discourse, in all media forms,
in terms of the spiritual and ethical standards from within the society in
which that discourse occurs.
• 3) Discuss the main historical developments of at least four of the
following world religious paradigms: Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism,
Islam, Buddhism.
• 4) Identify cultural differences based on unshared historical religious
experiences.
• 5) Differentiate between philosophical and religious thinking.
• 6) Assess how human spiritual pursuits have an impact on cultural,
economic and political developments of societies.
Curriculum Map for the Religious
Studies Program (initial view)
PLO
REL
101
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REL
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HIS
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PHL
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REL
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REL
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REL
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REL
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1 m M M M m M m M M m M
2 m M m m M m M m M m M
3 M m m M M M M m m
4 m M m M M M m M M
5 m m M M M m M M m
6 M m m M M M M M m
TIME-OUT: Group Assessment
•WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Initial Reactions
• Of the faculty members reviewing the map, most
expressed concern and confusion
• One senior faculty member pronounced the map as an
example of “complete success…we can go home
now!” (and that was his sincere reaction…)
• A colleague lamented: “We seem to be all teaching the
same basic course over and over and over.”
• Most agreed that this map wasn’t especially helpful,
unless it really did portray extended redundancy in the
curriculum, in which case…
• “We need to seriously rethink something…”
First Response
• Analytically speaking, the tool is the tool – it can only be
flawed if it is either being used improperly, or
information is incorrect
• Problem could be with Program Learning Outcomes
(too few; too many combined learning targets)
• Faculty may be overestimating coverage of learning
outcomes
• Map can only be useful if it portrays accurate picture of
well-stated learning outcomes
• Faculty opted for “new look” at the information
Curriculum Map for the Religious
Studies Program (second view)
PLO
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HIS
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PHL
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1 M M M M M M M
2 M M M M M
3 M M M M M
4 M M M M M M
5 M M M M M
6 M M M M M M
Second View Results
• Faculty considered just the points in the curriculum where
there was “major” coverage of each outcome present in a
course
• Patterns that emerged were useful, interesting, and
revealing
• At first, faculty members considered making revisions to
courses, except that discussion revealed common threads
of concern
• PLOs hard to assess
• How much learning is enough (and is it “right”
learning?)
• Faculty opted for yet another look at the map…
Curriculum Map for the Religious
Studies Program (“IRA” view)
PLO
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1 iiii IIII IIII IIII iiii RRRR rrrr IIII RRRR rrrr IIII
2 iiii IIII IIII iiii RRRR rrrr RRRR rrrr AAAA rrrr IIII
3 IIII iiii rrrr IIII RRRR RRRR IIII rrrr rrrr
4 iiii IIII RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR iiii RRRR IIII
5 iiii iiii IIII RRRR RRRR rrrr IIII RRRR IIII
6 IIII iiii iiii IIII IIII AAAA IIII RRRR rrrr
New Response
• This map did provide the faculty with evidence needed
for change, both in the design of courses, and in the
design of PLOs
• Evidence that PLOs were too complex
• Evidence that student learning was “stuck” at the
introductory level for too long, and not enough
instruction was at the “advanced” level
• Faculty opted to re-visit PLOs
New PLOs for Religious Studies A.S. Program
• 1. Interpret religion-based literature in terms of the cultural standards of the society from which that literature originates.
• 2. Interpret public discourse on religious or spiritual topics as portrayed in various media forms.
• 3. Analyze or evaluate secular literature written with spiritual or religious themes.
• 4. Discuss the main historical developments of: a) Judaism; b) Christianity; c) Hinduism; d) Islam; e) Buddhism
• 5. Describe the major tenets of: a) Judaism; b) Christianity; c) Hinduism; d) Islam; e) Buddhism
• 6. Identify cultural differences based on unshared historical religious experiences.
• 7. Differentiate between philosophical and religious thinking.
• 8. Explain how human spiritual pursuits have an impact on cultural, economic, or political developments within societies.
• 9. Self-reflect on personal spiritual or religious beliefs and one’s connection to others.
Here’s the new series of curriculum maps
from the Religious Studies A.S. program…
PLO
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1 m M M M m M m M M m M
2 m M m m M m M m M m M
3 M M m m m m M M
4a m M m M m
4b m M m M m m
4c m M M
4d m m m M M M
4e m M M
5a M M m m m
5b M M m m M M m
5c M m M m
5d M m m M M m
5e M m M m
6 m M M M M M M M M
7 m m M M M m M M m
8 M m M M M M M m
9 M M M m
PLO
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1 M M M M M M M
2 M M M M M
3 M M M M
4a M M
4b M M
4c M M
4d M M M
4e M M
5a M M
5b M M M M
5c M M
5d M M M
5e M M
6 M M M M M M M M
7 M M M M M
8 M M M M M M
9 M M M
PLO
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1 i I I I i R r I R r I
2 i I i i R r R r A r I
3 I I i i i r R I
4a i I i R r
4b i I i R r r
4c i I R
4d i i i I R A
4e i I R
5a I I i i i
5b I I i i R A I
5c I i R i
5d I i i R A i
5e I i R I
6 i I R R R R I R I
7 i i I R R r I R i
8 I i i I I A I R i
9 I I R i
PLO
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1 I I I R I R I
2 I R R A I
3 I I R I
4a I R
4b I R
4c I R
4d I R A
4e I R
5a I I
5b I I R A I
5c I R
5d I R A
5e I R I
6 I R R R R I R I
7 I R R I R
8 I I I A I R
9 I I R
Still Not Done….
• Concerned about the coverage of some key concepts, the
faculty considered their options
• They decided to create an additional course, a capstone,
that would provide the added level of learning that they
thought their students deserved and needed
• The number of elective courses was reduced by one to
accommodate the change without increasing the number
of credits
REL 250 -- Capstone Course in Religious
Studies
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• 1. Discuss in detail the primary tenets of the world’s major religions,
including: a) Judaism, b) Christianity, c) Hinduism, d) Islam, and
e) Buddhism
• 2. Review critically literature of a religious or spiritual nature, including works such as the Bible, the Talmud, the Quran, or others.
• 3. Assess non-fiction works with religious foci for analytical rigor and factual accuracy
• 4. Discuss the impact of religious movements on the political cultures of selected nations
• 5. Engage in oral debate on religious topics
• 6. Express personal spiritual beliefs or disbeliefs in a reflective manner
• 7. Practice reflective listening in discussions related to religious or spiritual beliefs of others
PLO
REL
101
REL
102
REL
112
HIS
140
PHL
132
REL
201
REL
210
REL
250
REL
175
REL
220
PHL
211
ANT
138
1 I I I R R I R I
2 I R R R A I
3 I I R R I
4a I R
4b I R
4c I R
4d I R A
4e I R
5a I R A
5b I R R A A I
5c I R A
5d I R A A
5e I R A I
6 I R R R R I R I
7 I R R I R
8 I I I A R I R
9 I I R R
Issues with the Religious Studies
Dept. Approach
• Mission and Goals are part of identity, and so, cannot
easily be criticized
• Department seemed to ignore non-majors in their set of
goals and outcomes, however
• Program Learning Outcomes not well-developed initially
– led to confusion and (perhaps) over-confidence
BUT, the process still helped…
• Faculty recognized that their PLOs needed attention
• More importantly, the faculty recognized that, even with
more well-developed PLOs, their courses were
overlapping significantly
• The program faculty successfully engaged in an
intellectually honest and complete inquiry about their
degree program.
• Curriculum mapping triggered a wholesale
reconsideration of the program’s curriculum and focus
Concluding Remarks
•Questions/Comments/Criticisms?
