Curriculum Mapping Overview

Overview of Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping can be performed at both the course level and the program level, and many individually-accredited programs have one as part of their program plan.

There are many ways to create a curriculum map, but an easy and common method is simply to create a grid with the unit/module numbers on the left and the course outcomes arrayed across the top. Then, the professor indicates whether each outcome is “Introduced,” “Reinforced,” “Mastered,” or “Assessed” in each of the units.  For example:

A curriculum map such as this allows the professor to ensure that concepts are addressed in a systematic way and that no important objectives get forgotten on the road to assessment.

Course-level curriculum maps can be very helpful, but it’s at the program level where this  type of organization becomes particularly valuable.  Because most courses are taught straight-through by a single professor, it can be easier to ensure that everything gets addressed, even without a systematic map to keep things ordered.  But almost all programs are taught by multiple professors, have some elective content, and can include the same course taught by different professors.  This level of complexity opens the door to curricular problems such as having students who are improperly prepared for a course, a professor needing to “re-teach” concepts that have not been reinforced recently, or missing critical learning opportunities completely.

A program-level curriculum map looks very similar to a course-level one. Here is an example that has been shared with us from the Rochester Institute of Technology:

You will notice that a program-level curriculum map assumes there are standardized program-level outcomes as well.  Programs that have yet to adopt outcomes at this level can still benefit from curriculum mapping, although their final map will necessarily be more conceptual than the one provided here.

I am aware that all of this, from the outcomes through to the mapping, represents a different way of thinking about teaching and learning.  And these processes can be tedious and even controversial to implement.  But once you shift toward a learner-centered paradigm, you will find that tools such as these make your life, and your students’ lives, easier and more systematic.  And with a map like this in your hand, you will always have a ready answer for the perennial student question, “why do I have to do this?”