Curriculum Mapping Research Articles

Vision of Digital Competences of Primary School Students and Teachers in Bulgaria in Educational Documentation of All School Subjects

The paper presents the second part of a more extensive study on the vision of digital competences of primary school students and teachers in Bulgaria according to the educational documentation. It explores the place and the approaches for developing digital competence in the curricula of all primary school subjects where this competence is integrated as transversal. The necessary competencies for primary school teachers to develop the digital competencies of students are also indicated. The research methods employed in the study are curriculum mapping and comparative analysis of educational documentation. Additionally, more than 70 students’ textbooks and their corresponding methodological guides for primary school teachers are reviewed for further clarification. The results of the study demonstrated a deficient consistency and balance among the curricula regarding the development of digital competence. There seems to be a lack of a shared vision for the digital competencies that students should acquire in primary school, and their development as a separate subject is not aligned with their development in other subjects. Moreover, the results implied a need for conceptualization of the integration of digital competences as transversal in the curricula, referencing appropriately the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens. There is also an emerging necessity to develop specific instructions for teachers on how to integrate the various key competences into the teaching of respective subjects.

Bridging Gaps: A Quality Improvement Project for the Continuing Medical Education on Stick (CMES) Program.

Aimed at bridging the gap in continuing medical education (CME) resource availability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the "Continuing Medical Education on Stick" (CMES) program introduces two technological solutions: a universal serial bus (USB) drive and the CMES-Pi computer facilitating access to monthly updated CME content without data cost. Feedback from users suggests a lack of content on tropical infectious diseases (IDs) and content from a Western perspective, which may be less relevant in LMIC settings. This quality improvement project was intended to identify areas for improvement of the CMES database to better meet the educational needs of users. We compared the CMES content with the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Exam content outline to identify gaps. The curriculum map of the CMES library, encompassing content from 2019 to 2024, was reviewed. An anonymous survey was conducted among 47 global users to gather feedback on unmet educational needs and suggestions for content improvements. All healthcare workers who were members of the CMES WhatsApp group were eligible to participate in the survey. The curriculum map included 2,572 items categorized into 23 areas. The comparison with the ABEM outline identified gaps in several clinical areas, including procedures, traumatic disorders, and geriatrics, which were represented -5%, -5%, and -4% in the CMES library compared with the ABEM outline, respectively. Free responses from users highlighted a lack of content on practical skills, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation and management of tropical diseases. Respondents identified emergency medical services (EMS)/prehospital care (81%), diagnostic imaging (62%), and toxicology/pharmacology (40%) as the most beneficial areas for clinical practice. In response to feedback from users, new content was added to the CMES platform on the management of sickle cell disease and dermatologic conditions in darkly pigmented skin. Furthermore, a targeted podcast series called "ID for Users of the CMES Program (ID4U)" has been launched, focusing on tropical and locally relevant ID, with episodes now being integrated into the CMES platform. The project pinpointed critical gaps in emergency medicine (EM) content pertinent to LMICs and led to targeted enhancements in the CMES library. Ongoing updates will focus on including more prehospital medicine, diagnostic imaging, and toxicology content. Further engagement with users and education on utilizing the CMES platform will be implemented to maximize its educational impact. Future adaptations will consider local relevance over the ABEM curriculum to better serve the diverse needs of global users.

A Human Factors and Systems-Thinking approach to Veterinary Patient Safety Education: Why, What, and How?

Preparing graduates to practice safely in today's increasingly complex veterinary workplaces is a key aim for veterinary educators. This requires embedding veterinary patient safety concepts into already full curricula. This teaching tip explores the benefits of incorporating human factors and systems-thinking principles into the design and delivery of veterinary patient safety education, showing how these can inform both what is taught and how.We explore what taking a human factors approach to veterinary patient safety education means, inviting educators to rethink not just curricular content but the whole approach to delivery. Advocating for the adoption of a systems-thinking-informed approach to curriculum design, we present a two-stage curriculum mapping process to support educators to embed core human factors principles as a way of thinking and doing for learners and faculty alike. Learning theories and educational design that align with human factors principles promote participatory methods and encourage collaborative experiential learning, critical thinking, and authentic application of knowledge and skills. Educators should explore opportunities presented by interprofessional education and workplace-based learning for practical application of these principles.Barriers to an integrated human factors-based patient safety curriculum include inconsistent terminology and understanding, significant faculty development requirements, and assessment challenges associated with existing regulatory and licensing requirements. Practical approaches to addressing these barriers are discussed.The recommendations outlined for the design and delivery of veterinary patient safety curricula will help ensure that institutions develop graduates that are effectively prepared for the complexity they will meet in the veterinary workplace, leading to improved patient safety and overall workplace well-being.

Curriculum mapping for AACN Essentials 2021 Adoption: Experiences of a faculty domain team in evolving understanding of person-centered care

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) periodically updates its Essentials guidelines to evolve nursing curriculum to meet global healthcare demands. The AACN 2021 Essentials outline core competencies that address diverse patient needs and promote safe and effective nursing care. Curriculum mapping is used to align nursing programs with the AACN Essentials. The purpose of this qualitative focus group was to engage faculty in identifying and describing the competencies and sub-competencies of AACN 2021 Essentials Domain Two, Person-Centered Care (PCC), through the application of an interactive activity within a domain team. The interactive activity involved faculty members reflecting on their perspectives by writing down their interpretation of PCC on flower petals. These petals were arranged onto a unified flower display representing the department's view on Person-Centered Care. This exploration occurred during a one-day curriculum mapping at Kennesaw State University Wellstar School of Nursing in North-Central Georgia. Data was obtained using the flower petal activity with a sample size of 24. A thematic analysis revealed that (n = 13) of faculty responded with an action term, 33% (n = 8) of faculty responded with an attitude term, and 13% (n = 3) of faculty responded with both action and attitude terms when describing their perception of the PCC domain. The results indicated that most faculty view the PCC domain in terms of attitudes more than demonstrable action. These findings may be used to encourage faculty to incorporate more attitude-based learning strategies into their courses while adopting the AACN 2021 Essentials.

Framing the digitally capable university

The proliferation of “literacies” in educational discourse reflect a diverse array of interests, encompassing computer, information, technical, media literacies, and also forms like academic, financial, and health literacies. As digital literacies have become a concern for the higher education curriculum, there has been a tendency to define it as a practical type of operational know-how. This paper sets out a university-wide, holistic and critical approach that breaks from the legacy of institutional framings that narrow digital literacies to a set of skills or competencies. In developing a Digital Literacies Framework, La Trobe University articulated a shared understanding of digital literacies as the capabilities and attitudes that are needed by staff and students ‘in a digitally connected world’. This marks a shift from strategies that primarily deploy institutional curriculum mapping and measurement approaches; rather it argues for an institutional approach that requires collaboration and strategic engagement of students and academic and professional staff in order to meet goals related to building digital capability. The La Trobe Digital Literacies Framework takes a whole of university perspective that integrates policy and practice, providing a rationale for the critical importance of digital literacies in domains of life, work and learning, addressing an implicit ‘Why?’ question from staff and students. The University Library coordinated the Framework development. It was a scholarly undertaking that gathered evidence and reviewed international best practice. In this endeavour, the La Trobe University Library is a leader in the implementation of a university-wide strategy for digital literacies in Australia.

Evaluating an Undergraduate Human Physiology Curriculum Using the Physiology Professional Skills Curriculum Mapping Tool (PS-MAP): A Case Report

Introduction: The Physiology Majors Interest Group (P-MIG) recently proposed recommendations for professional skills development at the undergraduate level across four domains: (1) critical thinking, (2) communicating effectively, (3) behaving in a socially and scientifically responsible manner, and (4) demonstrating laboratory proficiency. Subsequently, the Physiology Professional Skills Curriculum Mapping Tool (PS-MAP) was developed as a freely available, customizable Qualtrics-based survey instrument for programs to assess the extent to which professional skills from each of the four domains are incorporated across the curriculum. Faculty who teach core and elective courses in a large undergraduate Human Physiology degree program completed the PS-MAP during the Fall 2023 semester. Methods: PS-MAP survey responses were exported into Excel then sorted according to core or elective course designation. Experiential and applied learning courses such as internships, laboratory research for course credit, and independent study projects were excluded from analysis due to variations in individualized experiences. Next, a table was generated to summarize professional skill inclusion by course (taught and/or assessed) and target level of proficiency: skills were (1) introduced (presented and practiced for the first time), (2) reviewed (reinforced after prior introduction), or (3) advanced (demonstrated a high level of proficiency). The overall percentage of courses that teach or assess each professional skill was calculated. The intended level of proficiency per course was also evaluated. Results: Data were reported for 21 out of 24 core and elective courses. The two professional skills reported as most frequently taught or assessed in major coursework were: (1) critical thinking: develop arguments, hypotheses and/or conclusions using critical analysis of the scientific evidence (81% of courses) and (2) critical thinking: apply, analyze, and/or integrate information to generate evidence-based solutions to physiological problems (81% of courses). Laboratory proficiency and communicating physiology orally and in writing were domains reported as taught or assessed in fewer than half of major courses. Discussion: The PS-MAP was a relatively easy-to-implement tool to map professional skills development across an undergraduate Human Physiology curriculum. The main outcome was a visual representation (i.e., table) depicting patterns of professional skills incorporation across core and elective courses. This table will be shared with faculty to guide subsequent curriculum discussions. Proposed areas for future curricular exploration include (1) formally embedding specific professional skills development within program learning goals, (2) strategically and intentionally aligning coursework (course activities and assessments) with program learning goals to scaffold professional skills development across the curriculum, and (3) reviewing course-level learning goals for internships, undergraduate research, and independent study projects to emphasize laboratory proficiencies and oral and written communication skills. No funding sources to report. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Defining best practices and validation for curriculum mapping

Defining best practices and validation for curriculum mapping

Vision of Digital Competences of Primary School Students and Teachers in Bulgaria in Educational Documentation of the Subject “Computer Modelling”

This paper is the first part of a larger study on the vision of digital competences of primary school students and teachers in Bulgaria in the educational documentation. It attempts to explore the place and the approaches for developing digital competencies in the educational documentation concerning the Bulgarian primary school subject “Computer Modelling” (CM) and to define the necessary competencies for primary school teachers to develop the digital competencies of students within this subject. The primary research methods employed in the study are curriculum mapping, document analysis and comparative analysis of educational documentation as well as textbooks and methodological guides for primary school teachers. The results of the study demonstrate that the curricula predominantly focus on the development of programming skills, occasionally at the expense of other areas of digital competence. It raises the need to reconsider the CM curriculum to ensure a more balanced emphasis on different competence areas, which could also be achieved through their integration into other school subjects. The importance of the professional competence of the teachers for successful development of students’ digital competencies is also highlighted in the paper. Some concerns regarding the efficacy of teaching the CM subject are raised accordingly. The emerging need for an in-depth empirical study of the factual state of the digital competences of teachers and students is indicated.

What guides student learning in the clinical years: A mixed methods study exploring study behaviours prior to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA)

Purpose Student study behaviours that prioritise the UKMLA content map over the local curriculum are a significant risk for UK medical education. To mitigate this, we describe a student-centred faculty process to improve local curriculum guidance based on an evaluation of student study behaviours, concerns and needs. Responses informed the build of an online curriculum map. Methods A mixed methods approach was adopted, including an online anonymous survey exploring student study behaviours and preferences for curricular guidance. This was followed by student-led focus groups to explore emergent themes further. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Results 121 students responded to the survey, of which 12 consented to participate in two student-led focus groups. Five key themes emerged, including motivation for learning, student use of the intended curriculum, student experience of the enacted curriculum, the hidden curriculum, and expectations of an online curriculum map. Conclusions A participatory framework enabled shared aims and responsive outcomes for curricular development in the run up to the UKMLA. Student responses led to clarification of guidance, reorganisation of learning resources and optimal design of an online curriculum map which linked all content in a visible, UKMLA aligned framework, accessible to all students and teachers.

The Impact of Arts Integration in Primary Education

The Impact of Arts Integration in Primary Education explores the profound influence of infusing visual arts, music, dance, and theatre into traditional academic subjects. This holistic approach fosters creativity, critical thinking, and overall academic success. Despite concerns about potential drawbacks, arts integration is deemed crucial, particularly in schools without arts specialists. The article delves into strategies for success, emphasising curriculum mapping, professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, flexibility in lesson planning, alternative assessments, community engagement, and ongoing support. By addressing challenges and implementing effective strategies, educators unlock the transformative power of art in primary education, preparing students for a future enriched with creativity and critical thinking. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/tjjpt.v45.i02.6724

Curricular Mapping: Assessing Exemplars in an Integrated Concept-Based Curriculum.

A Midwest school of nursing initiated an integrated concept-based curriculum where essential content is taught using exemplars. The specialty courses were integrated to address content overload and the duplication of content with different populations. The faculty wanted to determine if the previous curriculum had been sufficiently integrated into the exemplars and if there were curricular gaps. A curriculum mapping project was conducted to assess the integration of the previous curriculum into the exemplars. Specifically, faculty evaluated exemplars for characteristics of: (1) individuals, (2) health care systems, (3) specialties, (3) nurse characteristics, and (4) interprofessional practice. Exemplars in an integrated concept-based curriculum can provide a broad representation of individuals across the life span and settings. Curricular mapping is an assessment tool that can identify curricular gaps and the need for refinement within the curricula to meet current and future directions within the health care environment.

“Translating” legal translation training theory into practice: the McGill University experience

ABSTRACT In the fall of 2020, McGill University (Montreal, Canada) launched a graduate diploma that focused on legal translation. The Graduate Diploma in Legal Translation (GDLT) aims to train the next generation of legal translators and jurilinguists in Canada. One of the main pillars of the GDLT is the formal and comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to legal translation competence development (Prieto Ramos 2011, 2015). Based on five core competences (strategic and methodological, communicative and textual, thematic and cultural, instrumental, and interpersonal and professional management), this approach is integrative and process-oriented with the aim of ensuring quality and adequacy in legal translation. McGill University used this approach as a roadmap to create the GDLT structure and plan of study. In this paper, we will offer an overview of McGill University’s initiative, providing critical analysis of the approach proposed by Prieto Ramos and of its interpretation and application for training purposes at McGill University. Our curriculum mapping methodology involves aligning the course-level learning outcomes to the broader programme-level learning outcomes which coincide with the proposed five core competences. Findings on the degree of alignment and an argument for an enriched competence training approach will be discussed in this paper.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Developing the general curriculum map of Library and Information Science to get integrated learning

Developing the curriculum is the heart of all educational institutions. The aim of study is to reveal and visualize the elements and sub-elements of the curriculum with emphasizing on Library and Information Science one to assist the curriculum developer for integrated curriculum development. This will improve the teaching of beginning lectures as well as to help the students to gain a comprehensive view of the major. However, developing the curriculum will be done successfully when all its aspects are considered. In this respect, this is a theory adoption conceptual article that the related search terms put down in the five key databases to find relevant literature for developing a general curriculum map for the major. Literature review indicated that the four levels of system, school, class and individual can be considered for the curriculum. Curriculum includes objectives, content, activities, teachers, resources, group, location, time and assessment, all of which are determined by the philosophy of the curriculum designer. Integrated learning will be achieved when the curriculum philosophy of a discipline is determined and all the mentioned aspects are taken into account in developing the curriculum.

Review of Objective Structured Clinical Examination Practices Within Pharmacy Programs Throughout the United States

ObjectiveTo update the description of current objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) practices within pharmacy schools in the United States and identify barriers to OSCE implementation and expansion. MethodsA survey was deployed to all accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs within the United States. The survey was designed to collect information regarding the curricular mapping of OSCEs, OSCE design, OSCE delivery, assessment of OSCE performance, and barriers to OSCE implementation and expansion. ResultsOf the 135 US-accredited programs identified, 109 (81%) programs completed the survey. In total, 93 (85%) programs reported using OSCEs to assess students; however, implementation throughout the curriculum and current practices varied by institution. Most programs place OSCEs within specific courses (96%), with the applied skills coursework being the most used (80%). The most common number of OSCEs that occur throughout a curriculum is 6 (18%), however, 20 (22%) programs execute 10 or more OSCEs throughout their curriculum. Forty (43%) programs use OSCEs as high-stakes assessments where poor performance could prevent a student from progressing to advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Of the responding programs, over half (56%) use teaching objective structured examinations to enhance learning. Common barriers to OSCE expansion exist and are related to resource utilization. ConclusionSignificant expansion of OSCE development and implementation has occurred over the last decade. There is substantial variability in implementation and utilization among programs. Although standards of best practice for OSCEs exist for other health professions, best practices in pharmacy education have not been widely accepted or adopted.

Curriculum mapping evaluation of a Tyler model designed physiotherapy curriculum of the Baptist institute of health science in Cameroon

Curriculum mapping evaluation of a Tyler model designed physiotherapy curriculum of the Baptist institute of health science in Cameroon

Instructional strategies and challenges for implementing teledentistry in dental hygiene curricula: A qualitative study.

Research has documented the implementation of telecommunications and virtual technology use in health care disciplines to expand accessibility. Despite the current trend of digital innovations in healthcare systems, telehealth technology is not readily adopted in the dental hygiene profession yet. Currently, no standardized educational framework exists in dental hygiene curricula to prepare professionals with the technical skill set and professional knowledge necessary for telehealth applications. The aims and objectives of this research were (1) to investigate existing dental hygiene educators' pedagogical frameworks for incorporating telehealth technology into dental hygiene curricula, (2) explore these educators' instructional strategies for teaching telehealth technology, and (3) examine the theoretical implications and practical outcomes of teaching telehealth technology for professional development and transferrable work-force ready skills. A nine-item, open-ended, semi-structured interview guide was prepared and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in January 2023 to qualitatively investigate accredited entry-level dental hygiene programs in the United States. Thematic interpretational analysis was conducted using NVivo software. A total of 54 of the 328 dental hygiene programs volunteered for participation. Thirteen full-time and part-time dental hygiene educators met inclusion criteria. The core salient themes identified included (a) curriculum mapping, (b) technology integration, (c) professional collaboration, and (d) supplemental skill set. These findings provide guidance to dental hygiene programs for bridging the teledentistry knowledge gap in curriculum development. Incorporating telehealth applications into dental hygiene curricula prepares future dental hygienists with the specialized training needed to function as a member of contemporary health care teams addressing access to care.

Mapping an undergraduate medical education curriculum against national and international palliative care reference learning objectives

BackgroundThe teaching of palliative care competencies is an essential component of undergraduate medical education. There is significant variance in the palliative care content delivered in undergraduate medical curricula, revealing the utility of reference standards to guide curricular development and assessment. To evaluate our university’s undergraduate palliative care teaching, we undertook a curriculum mapping exercise, comparing official learning objectives to the national Educating Future Physicians in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EFPPEC) and the international Palliative Education Assessment Tool (PEAT) reference objectives.MethodsMultiple assessors independently compared our university’s UGME learning objectives with EFPPEC and PEAT reference objectives to determine the degree-of-coverage. Visual curriculum maps were created to depict in which part of the curriculum each objective is delivered and by which medical specialty.ResultsOf 122 EFPPEC objectives, 55 (45.1%) were covered fully, 42 (34.4%) were covered partially, and 25 (20.5%) were not covered by university objectives. Of 89 PEAT objectives, 40 (44.9%) were covered fully, 35 (39.3%) were covered partially, and 14 (15.7%) were not covered by university objectives.ConclusionsThe majority of EFPPEC and PEAT reference objectives are fully or partially covered in our university’s undergraduate medical curriculum. Our approach could serve as a guide for others who endeavour to review their universities’ specialty-specific medical education against reference objectives. Future curriculum development should target the elimination of identified gaps and evaluate the attainment of palliative care competencies by medical learners.

Comparative Competence of Science Educators on the New Licensure Examination as Basis for a Review Program

The demand to prepare future science educators for national board examinations necessitates teacher training institutions to assess the licensure competence of pre-service teachers. In the case of the Philippines, the Licensure Examination for Teachers or LEPT has new competencies, which have not been fully assessed on the perspective of pre-service teachers. In this, the researcher assessed and compared the self-reported competence of alumni (a, n=38) and ongoing pre-service teachers (o, n=43) of a large state university in the Philippines. To do this, the researcher developed a survey-questionnaire with contents based on the Enhanced Table of Specifications or TOS for LEPT which was first implemented in March 2023 in the Philippines, the survey was conducted during the 1st semester of S.Y. 2023-2023. Results revealed that the pre-service teachers (n=81) have high level of competence for the LEPT. Further, the level of competence of alumni is comparable to those of on-going students. However, a significant difference was found in competencies related to Challenging Activities in Science, Assessment Tools, Basic Biotechniques, and Waves and Optics, where alumni demonstrated a significantly higher competence. To provide continuity for the findings, the researcher proposes a review program for Filipino pre-service teachers based on the findings. Furthermore, the researcher recommends that a content-competency alignment will be conducted between the Enhanced TOS of LEPT and the latest relevant issuances on Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) for Education degree programs issued by the Commission on Higher Education. Moreover, a curriculum mapping is recommended between the Enhanced TOS and the MATATAG Curriculum for Science. To provide an international perspective, the researcher recommends an analysis of licensure competencies for teachers among ASEAN countries.

Program Review with the Curriculum Mapping Toolkit for Sociology: Assessment of a Publicly Available Resource for Sociology Departments

The American Sociological Association identified 12 major recommendations for the undergraduate major, which include 11 learning goals articulated in the sociological literacy framework. In total, these recommendations identified upward of 70 different curricular elements that optimal sociology programs should consider satisfying. This article shows how curriculum mapping combined with an organized set of resources (the Curriculum Mapping Toolkit for Sociology [CMTS]) facilitates productive discussions that identify program goals, program strengths, program weaknesses, and pathways for program improvement. Data rely on the CMTS itself, which tracked department engagement with different elements of program review, and appraisals of department representatives who committed to presenting the opportunity for curriculum review to their colleagues. Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many departments’ capacities to work fully with the CMTS, data demonstrate that the CMTS was met with strong interest by department leaders and their department colleagues. Its application positively impacted program quality and collegial relationships. Department leaders evaluated the CMTS as being “useful” or “very useful” and considered the collective work involved as being both manageable and productive.

Developing and Designing Competency Maps Informed by Multidimensional Scaling

This design case study investigates the application of multidimensional scaling for enhancing curricular mapping. The study, grounded in collaboration between psychometricians, learning designers, and experts, evaluates the usefulness of multidimensional scaling in organizing law-enforcement-officer competencies.The study explores the cartographic and analytical processes of plotting, meaning- making, negotiating, and bounding to understand the instructional and assessment affordances of competency mapping. The study also considers the design and communication implications of developing new forms of curriculum maps that contribute to the broader field of competency-based education research.