Mapping curricula: ensuring work-ready graduates by mapping course learning outcomes and higher order thinking skills

1 Abstract—Curtin University of Technology is in the process of completing comprehensive course reviews of all its courses by 2010. A key factor in reviewing courses is extensive internal and external stakeholder feedback to ensure that graduates have achieved Curtin’s graduate attributes and thereby appropriate employability skills. In this project, comprehensive course review consists of two distinct processes: the first is the curriculum mapping of the course to ensure alignment within units and across the entire course; the second is assistance for course teams to implement reviewed curricula (with particular focus on improving classroom practice). This paper focuses on the details of the curriculum mapping process devised for this project and which has recently been cited as best practice in a national report. Curtin adopted an outcomes focussed framework in 2003. All units and courses have learning outcomes which are derived from Curtin’s graduate attributes. In the mapping process described here, all unit learning outcomes are coded and mapped to show the spread of unit learning outcomes and how they ensure student achievement of the course learning outcomes which focus on work readiness of graduates. In addition, all unit learning outcomes within a course are assigned a star rating based on Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives: this star rating allows course teams to see the spread of higher order thinking skills, and where they are developed within a course. Using this process, teaching staff code their own learning outcomes, and ensure that assessment aligns directly with unit learning outcomes. This paper also includes discussion of issues and challenges such as teaching staff involvement and “buy in”, problems associated with version control of course information, and the role of teaching and learning staff in assisting teams to review courses.