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Research Guides

Curriculum Mapping

This guide will introduce librarians to the basic principles and processes of curriculum mapping.

Advanced Curriculum Mapping

Advanced curriculum mapping involves great detail and depth. Its planning and execution are more time-consuming than basic or intermediate, but the results can offer valuable information and insights about entire programs, and specific details about the courses within them. The advanced approach works best when programs have stated student learning outcomes and the courses within them have stated learning objectives. The librarians works collaboratively with faculty throughout the process.

  • Decide on information literacy standards or objectives* (ACRL, institutional, or other) to be included in the map
  • Arrange courses on the map in the order that a "typical" student takes them. This step may be difficult, depending on the discipline/program. Transcript analysis could be helpful, but it is more time consuming; you could also develop multiple maps to include alternate program concentrations.
  • Fill in the map by examining syllabi to see if IL standards are stated explicitly, implicity, or not at all (they may be included in a course's learning outcomes).
  • Next, determine if IL standards are introduced, reinforced, advanced, or not addressed throughout the teaching of the course. These levels of content delivery refer to the scope and complexity of exploration, the definitions of which should be mutually agreed upon by the participants.
  • Finally, determine whether and how IL standards are assessed, and if students receive feedback
  • The entries on this map can be text-based or coded, and there could be numerical values assigned to allow for computing as part of the map's analysis

The entries on this map can be text-based or coded, which should be decided by participants in the planning stages. Another layer of complexity would be to assign numerical values to allow for computing as part of the map's analysis.

*This map could also be executed using program outcomes rather than IL standards, if done outside of an IL context.

Adapted from Veltri, N.F., Webb, H.W., Matveev, A.G., Zapatero, E.G. (2011), 33-36; Kopera-Frye, K., Mahaffy, J., & Svare, G.M. (2008), 10.

Advanced Curriculum Map Sample

Check out the Excel file below for a small sample of an advanced version of curriculum mapping.

How To

For other levels of complexity see the "How To" subpages: