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Charting the Path to Student Success

Creating a course map is like planning a road trip—you start with your destination (learning outcomes) and chart the best route to get there (instruction, activities, and assessments). A well-structured course map helps you align your teaching methods with learning objectives, ensuring students have a clear path to success.

What is a Course Map?

A course map visually aligns course goals, assessments, and activities. It helps instructors:

• Ensure all learning objectives are addressed.
• Identify gaps or troublesome areas in the course.
• Plan meaningful learning experiences.

Using Backwards Design, you start with the end goal (learning outcomes) and design assessments and activities that lead students to mastery.

Backwards Design Basics

Backwards Design asks instructors to start with what they want students to know and be able to do (learning outcomes) and then design course assessments and learning experiences to help students achieve those outcomes.

Step 1: Identify what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course (Learning Outcomes).

Step 2: Determine the evidence you will use to measure how well students have learned. What do students need to do to demonstrate their learning? Design the assessments that will allow students both to practice and also to demonstrate to you their knowledge and skills. These could include papers, problem sets, examinations, and many other kinds of activities.

Step 3: Structure the course instruction to help students achieve the Learning Outcomes. What learning experiences will students engage in to help them practice and master the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the learning outcomes?

Mapping a Course

Using the course map template, list the primary course learning outcomes in the far left column. Then, work from left to right for each learning outcome. If you want to think about these concepts in a less linear way, feel free to use a Jamboard or even a pencil and paper and be creative! 

  Download the Course Map Template 

Steps to Create a Course Map

Column 1: Course Learning Outcomes

Ideally, a course will have 3-5 learning outcomes that communicate to students what they can expect to know or be able to do by the end of the course. Learning outcomes create a shared understanding about the purpose and expectations of the course, and guide the instructor’s decisions about course assignments and instruction. 

Column 2: Level of Course Outcome

At what level in the progression of learning is the course designed? Identifying the levels will help the instructor appropriately .

• Introduce: Introduce basic knowledge, facts, or concepts.
• Reinforce/Practice: Students have the opportunity to develop and strengthen their knowledge and skills. Students have a fuller understanding of the material but may need support in applying their knowledge or skills. 
• Master/Become Proficient: Students are able to demonstrate integration of all knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to accomplish the outcomes. Students can apply their knowledge independently.

Column 3: Assessment 

• What is the primary evidence that will be used to measure how well students have learned these outcomes? 
  Formative Assessment is a low-stakes, “checking in” point to provide feedback that students can use for improving their learning strategies, correct misconceptions, and determine needs for additional instruction. Classroom Assessment Techniques are popular ways to engage students and check understanding. 
   
• Summative assessment evaluates student learning and performance at the end of a unit or course. Summative assessments include exams, papers, projects, and performances. 

Column 4: Learning Experiences

For each outcome, identify 1-2 activities or learning experiences you might use to help students practice that outcome and let them receive some feedback. Examples include:

• Doing homework problems
• Responding to readings/videos
• Completing a project in parts: proposal, outline, draft
• Viewing or exploring models
• Following guides or instructions
• Working on problems/questions in class, checking answers
• Discussing in class / case study
• Partner or small group activities
• Preparing for labs or review groups
• Creating mind maps or visual models

Column 5: Ways of Learning

How will the course be built to provide for multiple ways of learning? Will it involve hands-on experiences, question-driven inquiry, problems or case studies, or group activities and team projects? For more information, refer to.

Using the Map: Reflective Questions

1. Alignment of Learning Outcomes:
   Are your learning outcomes closely tied to the methods students use to demonstrate their learning? How effectively are these outcomes being assessed?
2. Developing Sophistication:
   Does the course structure help students grow as critical thinkers and skilled practitioners? Are assignments intentionally scaffolded to build knowledge and abilities progressively?
3. Identifying and Addressing Support Needs:
   How will you recognize when students require additional support? What strategies or resources can you provide to address these needs effectively?
4. Balancing Ways of Learning:
   Do your teaching methods encompass a variety of approaches that cater to different learning styles? Is there an overemphasis on certain methods (e.g., “acquiring knowledge” over “exploring perspectives”)? Could incorporating additional approaches enrich the learning experience?
5. Diverse Demonstrations of Learning:
   Does the course offer students multiple ways to showcase their understanding, such as projects, presentations, discussions, or written assessments?
6. Student Feedback and Voice:
   When will you gather feedback from students, and what insights will you seek? Have you considered the importance of incorporating student input into the course design process?

Resources:

Creating and Using Learning Outcomes

Learning Goals for All CU Boulder Baccalaureate Graduates

Writing Effective Learning Outcomes (Office of Data Analytics Assessment Group)

Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Meyers, N. M., & Nulty, D. D. (2009).Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(5), 565-577.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

_*Solution: 

• _{Learning Outcomes → a) What students should be able to do by the end of the course.}
• _{Assessments → d) Evaluations to measure how well students have achieved objectives.}
• _{Learning Experiences → c) Hands-on tasks, discussions, and inquiries to engage students.}
• _{Ways of Learning → b) Activities or projects that allow students to practice skills.}