Outcomes Focused Design: Aligning Academic Programs with Standard 11 at UMUC

MSCHE Annual ConferenceNovember, 2011

Marie A. Cini, Ph.D.Cynthia A. Davis, Ph.D.

 

View Carefully…

• The following “sets” of pictures:

What Did You See?

How Do These Pictures Relate to Curriculum Design?

Standard 11: Educational Offerings

• “Educational courses, programs, and experiences are not static constructs. Their creation and lifespan may be characterized as part of a dynamic four-step cycle:”

Chapter 11

• 1. Developing clearly articulated written statements of expected learning outcomes;

• 2. Designing learning experiences that provide explicit opportunities for students to achieve those learning outcomes;

Chapter 11

3. Implementing appropriate measures of student achievement of key learning outcomes, as discussed under Standard 14 (Assessment of Student Learning);

4. Using the results of those assessments to improve teaching and learning, again as discussed under Standard 14.

Undergraduate Curriculum Before

PROGRAM

SEGUE Project: Meaning

According to dictionary.com, “SEGUE” means:

“to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without interruption.”

This was our plan for the curriculum redesign process.

SEGUE Project Goals

• To provide consistent learning experiences• To provide a seamless pathway to complete a

program worldwide• To maximize opportunities for student success

SUS Curriculum Post SEGUE

New Curriculum Is

Program-Based Process

OUTcomes Driven

• Experts --Employers, alumni, faculty--provided OUTSIDE context

• Real world outcomes

• Major metric: What do students need to know out there that we are responsible for their learning in here?

How Did We Do This?

• Start with Program Outcomes

• Bring in Experts to help Develop Outcomes…

Experts Provide Input into Redesign

More Robust Outcomes

POG Model

Map Out New Course Sequence…

Old to New Maps

Before

After

Re/Design Each Course

• With focused outcomes that

• Align with program outcomes

COG Model

Communicate…

Communicate….

And Don’t Forget to

Communicate!

Spreading the Word

Benefits to Students

• Focused Curriculum

• More integrated learning

• More connected to workforce

• Accelerated time to completion

• Focused support where needed—”learning as needed”

Additional Outcomes

• 33 programs and (so far) 800 courses redesigned

• New Learning model

• Teaching guides

• Faculty retraining

• Redesign of basic faculty training

• Revised program assessment plans

Thank You!