Mapping the Curriculum for Quality Enhancement: Refining a Tool and Processes for the Purpose of Curriculum Renewal

Curriculum mapping has become a topic of interest in recent years in Australian higher education, and is associated with Graduate Attributes and curriculum renewal. Views of its usefulness differ. This paper reports on the curriculum mapping tool and process developed and refined at Curtin University in recent years. This tool started as a useful, yet time-consuming Word template, and has evolved into a more refined Excel-based tool which can provide visual representations of various aspects of the curriculum. While it is hoped that version three of the curriculum map will be a dynamic tool that updates automatically from the course database and other curriculum maps, the current version (version two) is being used by multiple universities across Australia to interrogate learning outcomes and curriculum themes. This paper is a case study which provides an overview of the level and depth of the analysis through the curriculum mapping tool, and how curriculum mapping has been carried out at Curtin University. Samples of the visuals produced by the curriculum map are provided, showing the spread of graduate attributes, thinking levels, assessment tasks, learning experiences and engagement with curriculum themes across a course. The curriculum mapping process undertaken at Curtin University is described and the benefits to staff and institutions discussed.