If you love creating matrices, you’ll love this step. The objective a curriculum map is to help you see which courses address your program objectives. Once you know this, you will be able to determine the course(s) that will provide the best evidence of whether or not students have met your program objectives. It is a simple process, but may take a while because it will involve all faculty in the program. Essentially, you’ll list your learning objectives along the left side of the matrix and your courses along the top. Within each cell, your faculty will need to indicate the extent to which the course emphasizes the particular learning objective.
Take a look at the example below.
Elementary and Kindergarten Education, Penn State Berks
Note that this map has been created to serve an external accrediting body, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Finally, a matrix is not the only way to represent the connection between program objectives and courses. In some disciplines, such as humanities, there may be a more appropriate method.
Test your ability to use a curriculum map.
Questions? Contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at assess@psu.edu.