Case 2: Identified Instructional Gaps
Findings:
Focus group interview results indicate that students report being under-prepared for ENG300. Curriculum mapping survey results suggest that ENG200, the pre-requisite course, should adequately prepare students for success in ENG300.
Interpretations:
There is incongruence between the intended curriculum and student’s preparedness. Specifically, readiness for ENG300 and preparation in ENG200 are not aligned.
Recommendations & Further Action:
What might be a reasonable next step for a department’s curriculum committee to undertake in this situation?
Curriculum committee chairs may choose to invite both profs to share curriculum maps and clarify their intentions for student learning to ensure congruence.
What procedures might a department implement in the future to minimize the occurrence of these gaps?
Making curriculum mapping a collaborative endeavour.
What criteria might you choose to judge the relative success of the changes made?