A specification or mapping of where the learning takes place in the curriculum provides an effective way of illustrating, aligning and integrating learning outcomes across a sequence of courses or other learning experiences. It is one way of ensuring that students engage in sufficient learning experiences during their time in the academic program to achieve the outcomes.
Curriculum mapping often takes the form of a grid. The program’s courses and requirements comprise the rows. The learning outcomes comprise the columns. The box for a curricular element that contributes to given learning outcomes will be marked with a check-mark or other notation.
This type of mapping analysis illustrates how courses within the curriculum build to construct the program. Curriculum mapping can also highlight courses that are important to multiple learning outcomes and help in identifying courses that may not be contributing to the program.
