Alignment Mapping

Student learning outcomes start with alignment mapping, a critical process ensuring that courses, programs, and institutional goals are interconnected meaningfully. Alignment mapping involves identifying how specific Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs) contribute to Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) and Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs). This process ensures that students’ educational experiences are intentionally designed to build toward the desired skills, knowledge, and competencies outlined by the institution.
 

Reference for Alignment Map:
Camara, S. K. (2023, April 20-23). Innovative approaches to building assessment capacity, engagement, and leadership at three CSU campuses. Presented at the WSCUC-ARC2023 conference in Orange County, CA.

Through alignment mapping faculty, programs, and CSUN can:

Clarify Expectations: It provides a clear roadmap for faculty and students, ensuring that course activities, assignments, and assessments are purposefully aligned with the program's and institution's overarching goals.

Ensure Coherence Across Courses: Mapping ensures that learning outcomes are reinforced and developed progressively throughout a student’s academic journey. For example, introductory courses may introduce key concepts, while advanced courses reinforce and deepen students’ understanding, leading to mastery by the time they graduate.

Support Effective Assessment: By mapping learning outcomes, programs can identify where and how outcomes will be assessed, ensuring that assessments are aligned and meaningful indicators of student learning. This helps in gathering accurate data that reflects students’ progress and achievements.

Furthermore, alignment mapping fosters collaboration among faculty, who work together to ensure consistency and cohesion across courses and programs. This holistic approach helps prevent redundancy, fills gaps in the curriculum, and ensures that students have multiple opportunities to meet key learning outcomes.

Ultimately, alignment mapping is the foundation of effective curriculum design and assessment, guiding intentional learning experiences that drive student success and inform continuous improvement at both the program and institutional levels.