The CORE Curriculum Overview, Research, Evaluation A Program Quality Assurance Process

1. The CORECurriculum Overview, Research, EvaluationA Program Quality Assurance Process The CORE Using the Application Program Mapping, Review & Evaluation

2. The CORE • Rolled out in phases: • 2007/08 – 1st Year Course Outlines • 2008/09 – 2nd Year Course Outlines • 2009/10 – 3rd Year Course Outlines • Two components: • Course Outline Repository • Curriculum Mapping Matrix Almost There!

3. The CORE • Benefits of Online Course Outlines: • Instant access for students when registering • On-line archives for students in 2007/08 intake onward • Course outlines accessible across departments • Articulation Agreements • Prior Learning Assessment • Learning Strategists • Counselors • Librarians • International • Consistency across programs • One time input and approvals • Easy editing • Program quality assurance

4. The CORE • Benefits of Curriculum Mapping Matrix • Informs: • program accreditation • program review process • curriculum development for new programs • "what if" scenarios to inform curriculum changes • course comparisons and alignment across programs • Provides insight into: • current curriculum’s breadth, depth, complexity, scaffolding • the need for and direction of program enhancement • the impact of course outline changes • implementation of strategic goals

5. Course learning outcomes, links to standards, and characterizations are downloaded into a Curriculum Mapping Matrix.

6. Courses are analyzed based on the number of course learning outcome links and their characterization. For instance, one would question why a 1st semester course would have five links characterized as very significant? OR Why does SS281 have links at only a minor level?

7. Vocational Standards are analyzed based on the number of course learning outcome links and their characterization. For instance, one would question why, in this post graduate certificate program there are no Very Significant links to VS01, VS04, and VS07.

8. The CORE Using the Application

9. Checklist of Approvals • Master Course Outline (Associate Dean) • Resources (Faculty) • CLinking (Faculty) • Vocational Standards • Essential Employability Skills • External Standards

10. Creating/Editing a Course Outline • Three Key Tabs • Course Outline – one master document per course, automatically applies to all programs that offer the course, no matter in which semester • Resources - text/courseware/on-line/supplies by program, • Link & CLink – program specific

11. Course Information Fill fields, in order, across the screen: Term: 200830 (Year, Calendar Semester, 0) Subject Code: 4 letter code preceding course code (ie COMM) Course Code: 2 letter, 3 number or 5 number code (ie LL041, or 10092)

12. Existing Course Outlines

13. Approved Courses

14. No Course Description If no course description exists in Banner, this page will NOT populate. You can continue to enter course outline information in subsequent sections but the outline cannot be approved until the course description is entered. Complete a Course Update form and send the hard copy to Academic Records. The information will automatically populate once the course description is input.

15. Once you fill in the top fields and press enter, The CORE automatically populates the remaining fields on this page using information from Banner. If any of the information (i.e. course description) needs to be amended, you need to complete a Course Update form and send a hard copy to Academic Records. Populating Information Foundational: learners acquire a broad introduction to and/or context for further learning. Specialized: learners achieve in-depth and/or focused learning on a limited number of topics Integrational: learners synthesize numerous concepts and processes at a program-exit level. 

16. Topics Topics are “titles” for your course learning outcomes. If you have 3 outcomes, you likely have 3 “titles.” They should be input one at a time (so they show up as bullets). If you want to change the order of the topics, click edit and change the # in the sequence (i.e. from 1 to 3, and 3 to 1) and click update. The topics will rearrange into the new sequence.

17. Standards – EEs & GE Themes • Drop down menu for: • Essential Employability Skills (EEs) – links to EEs remain the same no matter to which program the course is offered • General Education (GE) – if a course links to GE themes, it cannot be linked to Vocational Standards (VS).

18. Learning Outcomes All learning outcomes are input first; elements follow on the next screen. Input the learning outcomes one at a time, push add, then do the same for the next. The stem “Upon successful completion of this course, the students will reliably demonstrate the ability to ...” already exists in the database. You do not need to type it in here. • Learning outcomes, usually 3-5 for a 42 hour course: • Describe one of the required skill proficiencies for course • Capture performance a competent person would use outside context of the course • Begin with an action verb (at the appropriate level of Bloom’s Taxonomy) • Specify an integrated performance instead of multiple performances • Describe a performance that is observable and can be assessed • Require application of skill, knowledge or attitude/value • Present a clear, concise and precise statement describing the required action • Describe learner performances, not instructor’s activities, learning plans, or instructional standards

19. Learning Elements Learning elements are associated with specific learning outcomes and define/clarify the process by which the learning outcome can be accomplished. Input learning elements one by one so they appear as a list (as below). If the list is long, the elements will wrap to a second page. Development of learning elements follows the same 8 characteristics as learning outcomes.

20. Indicate whether or not the course is “requirements met” or if it receives a grade. Select broad assessment types and indicate what % of the course grade will be earned using the selected method. Assessments must add up to 100%. Link at least one learning outcome to each assessment. Once an assessment has been used, it does not appear on the drop down menu anymore. “Requirements met” courses may have assessment types defined but no weight % will be assigned. Assessments In most cases, there is a selection from the drop down menu that will meet broad assessment requirements. Since there is only one outline per course, the assessments section must remain broad enough to allow for faculty and student flexibility while maintaining the overall integrity of the course.

21. Approvals Once the input is complete and proofed, it is sent for Associate Dean approval, course outlines cannot be edited. Students will not be able to access course outlines until they are approved. Approvals remain for course outlines from one semester to the next, until the Associate Dean takes it off.

22. Resources All resources (textbooks, courseware, online resources, and supplies) must be input into the database using the Maintenance function. A resource is input only once, regardless of the number of programs for which it is used. Resources are then linked to specific programs using the Linking function. All resources must be submitted for approval before the course outline can be served to students.

23. Resources - Maintenance In Maintenance, select the type of resource(s) you want to add.

24. Searching for a Resource Before you input a resource, search the database using the ISBN, title, key word, author, or publisher. If the resource exists in the database, you can go directly to Linking.

25. It is essential that all resource information be correct and match that used by the bookstore to order textbooks, courseware and other resource material. Adding a Resource To add a textbook, enter the correct ISBN, title, author, publisher, and version. You can find the ISBN on the cover of your text. A different ISBN will be assigned, however, if you have ordered a special printing of the text (i.e. selected chapters) or are having it bundled with other materials (i.e. another text, workbook). You will need to contact your publisher’s representative to obtain the correct ISBN.

26. Adding Custom Courseware Custom Courseware are Mohawk prepared and printed materials

27. Adding Online Resources Add the URL of any online resource that students need to access during the course, including links to WebCT or FRED.

28. Adding Supplies Add a list of supplies students require to successfully complete the course. Before adding a supply, make sure it hasn’t been added previously.

29. Linking Resources In this section, resources are linked to individual, specific programs. Complete the resources for one program before moving on the next following the instructions on the following pages. Select the Subject, Course, and Program (CE=0000) Select the Resource type and then indicate if it’s: REQ – required REC – recommended REF – reference material Click these ONLY When you are finished inputting ALL resources: Finish – if you want to come back to this section later (i.e. to proof and edit) Submit – if you are absolutely, positively, sure that you have no more resources to input AND all the information input is correct.

30. Once you select the type of resource (i.e. textbook) the database list of all textbooks will appear. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen … it could be a long way …and search for the text you want by entering a keyword. To add to current resources, double click on the selected text. When you’re finished selecting texts, go on to the next resource type. Find/Link a Text When a resource has been mistakenly added, you can easily delete it at this point.

31. Find/Link Online Resources Link online resources in the same way as you did texts. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. If you see the online resource you want, you can double click on the selected supply to add to current resources. Or you can enter a keyword to search. Again, double click on the selected resource to add to current resources.

32. Link supplies in the same way as you did texts. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen, enter a keyword to search for the supply.Double click on the selected supply to add to current resources. Find/Link Supplies

33. Link Custom Courseware in the same way as you did texts. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen, enter a keyword to search for the supply.Double click on the selected courseware to add to current resources. Find/Link Courseware

34. Even if the course has no resources, you must indicate this for each program to which it is offered. This information is stored in the database under “courseware” No Resources

35. This is how “No Resources” is stored in the database. This does not, however, show on the student view of the course outline. No Resources

36. Finished Linking for Now? If you want to proof resources or come back to keep inputting resources later, click on Finish.

37. Finished Message

38. Submit for Approval If you’ve finished inputting your resources and are certain everything is input correctly, click Submit

39. Viewing Approved Resources

40. When linking courses to Program Vocational and/or External Standards, you have two choices: Quick Link – link the course outline to standards CLink – link to course learning outcomes to standards & characterize links (1, 2, 3, 4) Link and CLink

41. Quick link courses to Program Vocational and/or External Standards. To add links, select the type of standard (VS or ES), then select the specific standard(s) to which the course outline links. Quick Link Select ONLY those standards that the course specifically addresses and assesses, either in part or in its entirety.

42. Finished but want to come back later? If you want to leave Quick Link and come back later, select “Finish”

43. Approving Quick Links “Quick Links” must be approved before for each program to which the course is offered before outlines will be served to students. Before you approve “Quick Links” make sure you’ve selected the appropriate VS and/or ES.

44. Quick Link for Gen Ed Courses When a course has been linked to Gen Ed themes, in “Quick Link” the version shows as GE. Even though there are no VS and/or ES links for a Gen Ed course, you still need to submit the “Quick Link” for approval before the outline can be served to students.

45. Checklist of Approvals • Unless all three of the following are approved, the course outline cannot be served to students: • Master Course Outline • Resources • Quick Link to VS and/or ES

46. The COREA Program Quality Assurance Process CLinking Demystified

47. Quick Linking Identifies which vocational standards (VS), essential employability skills (EE), and/or external standards (ES) the course (as a whole) helps the student accomplish Linking is used during for the: Program approval process Credentials Validation Service (CVS) process Detailed on student view of course outlines on a program by program basis CLinking Linking course outcomes to standards Characterizing relationship of outcomes to achieving standard A link is established when the performancedescribed in the Course Learning Outcome contributesto a learner’s ability to achieve the graduate levelperformance. CLinking used to develop Curriculum Mapping Matrix (CMM) CMM basis of program map and informs on-going program quality enhancement and program review Quick Link versus CLink

48. Linking Considerations • Does the Learning Outcome and associated Learning Elements link to any VS, EE, and/or ES and associated Elements of Performance? • A link is established when the performance described in the Course Learning Outcome contributes to a learner’s ability to achieve the graduate level performance. • Establish a link only if the VS/EE/ES isexplicitly addressedin the course (or previously taught courses). (Do you teach it?) • Establish a link only if the learner’s performance of the LO isassessedin the course andassigned a grade. (Do you mark it?)

49. Characterization of Links (CLinking) • The characterization represents the degree to which the learner performance at the end of the course contributes to the graduate performancedescribed in the VS/EE/ES. 4 very significant degree 3 significant degree 2 moderate degree 1 minor degree • Learning outcomes lead gradually to graduate performance. • Outcomes characterized as “contributing to a minor degree” are as essential to the learning process as those characterized as “contributing to a very significant degree”.

50. In what semester is this course delivered? How is this course classified? Foundational? Specialized? Integrated? At what level of Bloom’s is the outcome being accomplished? To what depth do I assess this learning outcome? Do I assess it? To what degree does this outcome contribute to the graduate’s ability to do their job? To what degree does this outcome contribute to the graduate’s ability to accomplish this standard? Do not force linking!