Summary

Well done if you have made it this far.  This brings us to the end of the Curriculum Mapping Resource.  This was intended as a comprehensive resource to cover relevant details that will enable Curriculum Teams to develop functional, complete and effective Curriculum Maps.

Several concepts around curriculum were explored to narrow the scope of the idea of curriculum to something more manageable.  The different Sites of Curriculum were identified along with their relevant influence:

  1. Supra
  2. Macro
  3. Meso
  4. Micro
  5. Nano

From this it is clear that Curriculum is an extremely broad construct and receives influence from social, cultural, political and economic entities from the global scale, through national, regional, provincial, municipal, institutional, departmental, discipline, and classroom.  With all of these factors acting on Curriculum, it is important to break it into more manageable concepts.

Curriculum types and purposes were explored. While many theories and arguments proposing a multitude of type were identified, this resource argued for three main categories of types including:

  1. Subject Matter Expert Intended Curriculum  
  2. Subject Matter Expert Unintended Curriculum, and
  3. Learner Experience Curriculum.

With the resource focused up to this point on establishing the breadth and purpose of Curriculum, frameworks for developing a Curricular Inquiry were explored. Several examples were identified to construct the questions requiring answers to begin sharpening the information that will guide the curriculum mapping.  With answers developed, the Curriculum Mapping Process may begin.

The components required for the process were outlined, and the key documents described. these are:

  1. Exploration of Factors,
  2. Curriculum Map Matrix, and
  3. Context documents

The Exploration of Factors looks primarily at the sphere of influences leading up to the development of the Curriculum map, the Curriculum Map is the Visual representation of the Curriculum in a matrix and the Context Document describes the conversations held and the decisions made during the development of the Curriculum Map.  This resource explored in considerable detail the components that make up each document and what should be excluded from documents for an effective Map. The resource then described the process of creating the documents resulting in a complete and Comprehensive Curriculum Map. 

Finally, this resource explored some discrete uses of Curriculum Maps and how they can positively impact a learner’s education, an institution’s resources, program quality, and an instructor’s work. This resource then explored some examples specific to Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).

While this was intended to be a comprehensive document, the topic is simply too broad to effectively represent in such a format. Examples of Maps have been provided where possible to illustrate concepts and links to other resources have been provided to fill in any missing content. What is clear is Curriculum Maps are an extremely useful tool for presenting and communicating the complexity of a curriculum in a manner that makes clear the meaning intention and outcomes of an educational activity at all levels. It is likely that Curriculum Maps will be a much more common feature in the future. While Curriculum Maps are useful for administration and planning, they are equally valid when used as promotional or recruitment materials and for preparing in-class activities. I hope this resource has been effective in communicating this.

CURRICULUM MAPPING CROSSWORD PUZZLE

CLICK HERE to complete the curriculum mapping crossword puzzle.

References

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Seki, T., Stegeman, M., Suskind, R., Velji, A., Yakub, M., & Tenore, A. (2018). Curriculum mapping as a tool to facilitate curriculum development: A new School of Medicine experience. BMC Medical Education, 18(285),1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1289-9

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Cuban, L. (1993). The lure of curricular reform and its pitiful history. The Phi Delta Kappan, 75(2), 181-185. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20405055

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Matveev, Alexei G.; Veltri, Natasha F.; Zapatero, Enrique G.; and Cuevas, Nuria M. (2010). “Curriculum Mapping: A Conceptual Framework and Practical Illustration.” AMCIS 2010 Proceedings. 515. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2010/515

O’Connor, K. (2023). Why curriculum inquiry? Thoughts on the purposes of the field. Curriculum Perspectives, 43, 89–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-023-00193-z

Priestly, M., Philippou, S., Alvunger, D., & Soini, T. (Eds). (2021). Curriculum making in Europe: Policy and practice within and across diverse contexts. Emerald Publishing Limited.

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Spady, W. G. (1994) Outcome-based Education: Critical Issues and Answers. Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators, in Killen, R. (2000) ‘Outcomes-based education: principles and possibilities. Unpublished manuscript, University of Newcastle, Faculty of Education.

Tunnell, K. (2022). Curriculum mapping: 4 steps to implement. Education Advanced. Retrieved from https://educationadvanced.com/resources/blog/curriculum-mapping-4-steps-to-implement/

University of Delaware. (n.d.). Definitions of curriculum. Definitions of Curriculum, University of Delaware. Retrieved from https://www1.udel.edu/educ/whitson/897s05/files/definitions_of_curriculum.htm

Westbury, I. (2000). Teaching as reflective practice: What might Didaktik teach curriculum?. In Westbury, I., Hopmann, S., & Riquarts, K. (Eds.), teaching as a reflective practice: The German didaktik tradition (15-39). L. Erlbaum Associates.

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Yates, L. (2018). Regenerating curriculum inquiry in Australia: Some thoughts on this agenda. Curriculum Perspectives, 38(1), 85–87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-017-0039-1.

Henderson, D. (2017). Knowledge at the crossroads? Physics and history in the changing world of schools and universities by L. Yates, P. Woelert, V. Millar and K. O’Connor [Review of Knowledge at the crossroads? Physics and history in the changing world of schools and universities by Yates, L., Woelert, P., Millar, V., & O’Connor, K.]. 257. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s41297-017-0024-8

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