A Methodology to Align Student Learning Outcomes with Degree Program Curriculum using Priority Mapping and Coursework Hours

9 pages•Published: June 9, 2021

Abstract

Among the goals of the accreditation process are to ensure a high level of degree program quality to students and the public. One mandate of accreditation requires a process of continuous improvement based upon the collection, analysis, and resultant action plans of Student Learning Outcome (SLO) assessment data. Because degree programs have a limited number of curriculum hours available for degree-specific learning, an educational unit must determine how to efficiently utilize this resource for student success to demonstrate mastery of specific SLO skill sets. This paper outlines a methodology that includes ranking the SLO’s by priority, determining the number of classroom hours taught per SLO, and creating a comparative baseline of the alignment. Analyzing this data creates an opportunity for an educational unit to make data-driven decisions justifying future actions of curriculum changes and fulfills the continuous improvement requirement. The results of using this methodology identified multiple misalignments in SLO priority ranking versus the classroom hours taught, and corrective actions were taken. This successful outcome indicates that this methodology is a viable process to create a framework for analyzing current curriculum time commitments compared to the input of faculty and industry support members ranking the importance of various mandated skill sets.

Keyphrases: accreditation, continuous improvement, curriculum, curriculum alignment, student learning outcomes

In: Tom Leathem, Anthony Perrenoud and Wesley Collins (editors). ASC 2021. 57th Annual Associated Schools of Construction International Conference, vol 2, pages 330-338.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/3nHQ
	https://doi.org/10.29007/wn2z