®
Worldwide Instructional Design System
Curriculum Alignment
Techniques and Tools
for
Making it Work
Innovations 2005
Judy Neill
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
neillj@wids.org
Wisconsin Technical College System Foundation, Inc.
Curriculum Alignment
Model
Process
Tools
Products
Reflections
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
What does learning alignment
mean to you?
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
Learning-Centered Alignment
• Focuses on learning
• Lays the groundwork for documenting
learning results
• Sets the stage for teaching and
learning excellence
• Encourages continuous improvement
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Aligned Learning Model
All Learning Experiences
Courses
Programs
Majors
Degrees
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Aligned Learning Model
Who?
Learners
What?
Learning
Outcome
s
When?
Assessment
How?
Learning
Activitie
s
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Identify
learning needs.
Teach the right
thing.
Assess what
we intended to
teach.
Teach what we
intend to
measure.
Learning Colleges Align Learning.
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
HOW
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Why Align?
 Enhance the quality of student
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learning
Ensure national or professional
occupational standards are met.
Infuse program outcomes.
Examine the duplication of course
content.
Incorporate new content and/or
update existing content.
Facilitate collaboration among faculty.
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Aligned Learning Experience
Courses
Workshops
What
Competencies
Exit Learning
Outcomes
Performance
Standards
Linked External
Standards
Learning
Objectives
Aligned
When
Assessment
Activities
Learning
Activities
Rubrics
Assessment
Items
Seminars
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How
Learning
Materials/Objects
Delivery
Modes
Other
Learning
Experiences
Aligned Learning Model
Horizontal Alignment
College to College
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(Transfer)
Aligned Learning Model
Vertical Alignment
Horizontal Alignment
Level-to-Level
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(Articulation)
Aligned Course – Multiple Iterations
Within a
College
Within a
Program
Title
Description
Course Number
Grading
Rationale
Aligned
Credit
Configuration
Competencies
Exit Learning
Performance
Outcomes
Standards
Linked External
Standards
Across a
System
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Across a
Department
Aligned Program– Multiple Iterations
Across
Across
Title
Colleges
Levels
Program Number
Description
Entrance
Requirements
Prerequisites
Program
Outcomes
Aligned
Competencies
Performance
Standards
Vertical
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External
Standards
Courses
•titles
• descriptions
• credits
Horizontal
What Isn’t Aligned in Program
Alignment – Multiple Iterations?
Decisions
made by
college,
department, or
individual
faculty
members.
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College Core Abilities
Learning objectives
Learning activities
Assessment activities
Delivery mode
Course sequence
Textbooks
Specific General Studies Courses
Electives
Wisconsin Technical College System
Health Occupations
Statewide Alignment
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
Wisconsin Health Occupations
Alignment
Wisconsin Situation

All 16 colleges offered Health Occupations
programs.

Shortage of healthcare workers led to pressure
from industry align programs.
 Programs had different entrance requirements.
 Programs had different science requirements.
 Students couldn’t transfer between programs.
 Expanded online offerings increased issues of
transfer/articulation among colleges.
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Wisconsin Health Occupations
Alignment
Wisconsin Goals
 Boost enrollment in health occupations programs.
 Ease course transferability among colleges.
 Facilitate collaboration among faculty state-wide (make
use of best practices.)

Maximize the use of statewide curriculum
development dollars.
 Facilitate development of online courses.
 Align programs but allow individual teaching differences
in learning objectives, learning activities, textbooks, etc.
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Wisconsin Health Occupations
Alignment
Solution: Aligned Curriculum
 Same entrance requirements
 Same program configuration (courses/credits)
 Same course titles and descriptions
 Same program outcomes
 Same course competencies
 Same performance standards for assessment
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Wisconsin Health Occupations
Alignment
Solution: Aligned Curriculum
Anesthesia Technology
Health Unit Coordinator
Clinical Laboratory
Technician
Medical Assistant
Cardiovascular
Technologist
(AD, PN, and Nursing Assistant)
Dental Assistant
Radiography Technologist
Dental Hygienist
Surgical Technologist
Diagnostic Medical
Sonography
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Medical Coding
Nursing
Wisconsin Health Occupations
Alignment
Partnership with WIDS
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Facilitate alignment process.
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Define “above the line” and “below the line.”
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Link to Professional Standards, DACUM, and
Program Outcomes.
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Disseminate and store the curriculum
electronically.
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Provide a consistent curriculum model, format
and terminology.
Allow teacher differences in learning plans and
assessment tasks.
Aligned Core Curriculum– Multiple Programs
Across
Across
Core Skills
Colleges
Levels
Performance Indicators
Assessment
Approach
External
Standards
Aligned
Professional
Development
“Plug and Play”
Learning Activities
Implementation
Strategies
Related
Occupations
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Horizontal
Wisconsin Technical College System
Critical Core Manufacturing Skills
Statewide Alignment
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
Wisconsin Critical Core Manufacturing
Skills Alignment
Wisconsin’s Manufacturing Situation

WI manufacturers face cost and competition challenges
that call for the implementation of new production
efficiency measures along with automation and
technology strategies.

Growing sense of concern about availability of skilled
workers.

Concerned that manufacturing industry image is making it
difficult to recruit and maintain the right workers.
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Industry called on WI Technical Colleges to help position
manufacturing as a continuously vital part of Wisconsin’s
economy.
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Wisconsin Critical Core Manufacturing
Skills Alignment
WTCS Critical Core Skills Project Goals

Identify high level, critical core skills that are needed by
all manufacturing graduates and incumbent workers.
 Infuse the critical core skills into all Wisconsin Technical
College manufacturing programs.
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Develop strategies for assessing the critical core skills.
Provide resources for teaching the critical core skills
across the curriculum of all manufacturing programs.
© WIDS
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Wisconsin Critical Core Manufacturing
Skills Alignment
Solution: WTCS Critical Core Skills
 Industry focus groups to identify the critical
core skills.
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Twelve critical core skills and performance
indicators designed to infuse across all
manufacturing programs.
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Portfolio template with plans to go to electronic
portfolios.
 “Plug ‘n Play” LAP’s (Learning Activity
Packets).
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Wisconsin Critical Core Manufacturing
Skills Alignment
Partnership with WIDS
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Provide a consistent curriculum model, format and
terminology.
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Facilitate development of performance indicators.
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Assist faculty writers in the development of LAP’s.
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Provide tools and model for designing professional
development.
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Assist in linking Critical Core Manufacturing Skills to
national standards.
Develop the portfolio template and research the use
of electronic portfolio’s.
The Process
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DACUM
WIDS Learning
Design Process
Exit learning
Outcomes
Define high performance.
Core Abilities
Gen Education
Program
Establish WHAT learners will
learn.
Design learning
and assessment.
Program Level
Course Level
Competency
Learning
Objective
Learning
Activity
Learning
Assessment
Learning Plans
Performance Assessments
Learning
Objective
Learning
Objective
Learning
Activity
Learning
Activity
Criteria
Assessment Activities
Assessment Objects/Items
Scoring Guide/Rubrics
Learning Objects/Materials
Deliver learning and evaluate effectiveness
for continual improvement.
All Levels
The Alignment Process
How Long Does It Take?
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1 planning day with deans and
other decision-makers
3-4 days pre-work by WIDS
consultant
3 two-day collaborative faculty
sessions (6 days)
3-4 one-hour conference calls
with deans/program managers
WIDS consultant work before,
after, and between sessions
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The Alignment Process
1. Establish criteria for
the finished product.
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The Alignment Process
2.
Identify External Standards and Exit Learning
Outcomes [Program, General Education, and
Core Abilities].
Note:
Use accreditation requirements and
standards to guide the process
Link external standards to
competencies and course to lay the
groundwork for standards matrices
reports.
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The Alignment Process
3.
4.
5.
Brainstorm general areas of
content or skill.
Write competencies for
each area.
Perform final review of
competencies.
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The Alignment Process
6. Divide competencies into logical
segments of learning, determining
sequence and scope of
competencies.
7. Create courses – competencies, title,
descriptions.
8. Assign credits (3-6 competencies per
credit).
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The Alignment Process
9.
10.
11.
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Determine course
prerequisites and
sequence.
Configure into semesters
if applicable.
Develop performance
standards for each
competency (criteria and
conditions for
assessment).
The Tools
© WIDS
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WIDS Software: Supports the design of
learning and assessment.
© WIDS
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© WIDS
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Use only the
modules that relate
to your project
Follow color and
icon coded
flowcharts as you
work
WIDS Program Design Module
 Describe program
 Designate external standards
• NLN Standards
• MN Nursing Abilities
• NCLEX Content
 Establish exit learning outcomes
• Program Outcomes (discipline specific)
• Core Abilities (Critical Life Skills)
• General Education Outcomes
(degree/program level)
 Configure courses
 Link outcomes to courses
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WIDS Learning Design Module
Identify General Course Information
Develop Course Level Outcomes
• Competencies and Performance Standards
• Learning Objectives
Link Competencies to Exit Learning
Outcomes
• Program External Standards
• Certification Exam Content (As needed)
• Program Outcomes
• Core Abilities
Build Syllabi
Plan Learning
Plan Assessment
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Use libraries for helpful references
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A verb library for writing competencies and other outcomes
(Select by Bloom’s domain and level)
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A health care library with sample competencies
(Includes sample performance standards for assessment)
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A performance assessment task library
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Pre-designed performance assessment tasks-use “as is” or adapt to your needs
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Link program and other outcomes to competencies to
infuse them through the learning
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What Is Posted?
 Project reports/issues
 Discussions
 Alignment Documents
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•
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•
WIDS Program Files
Program File Reports
Sample Program Configuration
WIDS Course Files
Course Outcome Summary Reports
WIDS Analyzer Reports
Zip Files
 Model Learning Materials (when
available)
© WIDS
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The Products
© WIDS
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Alignment Documents
All aligned
programs
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Program Outcome Matrices
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Learning Plans
Program Profile
Course Outcome Summary
(Syllabus)
Above-the-Line
Below-the-Line
Developed
through
eTech for
selected
programs.
Developed by
individual
colleges for
others.
© WIDS
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Assessment Tasks
Learning Materials/Objects
WHAT IF
SOMETHING
CHANGES?
© 2003-2005 WIDS-WTCSF
Help!
1. Our standards have
changed!
2. We forgot something!
3. We need more time!
4. We have too much
time in this class!
5. I can’t figure out how
to teach this!
© WIDS
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Review Process
Facilitate:
1.
2.
3.
Conference call with deans
annually
Conference calls with
teachers of individual
courses (professional
development) at the
conclusion of each semester
Face-to-face meetings as
needed
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Reflections
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Challenges
 Achieve consensus among multiple stakeholders
with diverse needs and interests
 Move forward in the face of overt and hidden
complexities and risks
 Produce high quality products (curriculum) that
can be deployed on the frontlines of learning
 Coordinate a process that is effective, affordable,
manageable, timely and flexible
© WIDS
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Keys to Success
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Partnership
Informed Commitment
Instructional Design System
Defined Deliverables
Process: Effective, Efficient, Flexible
Easy Dissemination
Partnership
Leadership WTC System
Funding
16
Wisconsin
Technical
Colleges
WIDS
© WIDS
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Facilitation
ID Expertise and Tools
Leadership
Resources
Deployment
Informed Commitment
 Enhancement of learning and increased access for learners will
drive the design process.
 The aligned program will be different from existing programs.
 The program at each college will change, causing each college
to do things differently
 Faculty members will be likely to teach different courses –
perhaps in different ways.
 The process will be collaborative, focusing on best practices
leading to measurable results that can be benchmarked to
standards for excellence in learning and teaching.
© WIDS
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WIDS
Instructional Design System
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Centers on learning.
Based on performance of learning outcomes
Incorporates external standards.
Links exit learning outcomes (program, general
education, and core abilities) to course outcomes
and performance standards.
 Connects learning outcomes to learning and
assessment strategies.
 Provides software tools to support the process.
© WIDS
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Defined Deliverables
Alignment Deliverables
WTCS Alignment Project
Program Summary
Course Outcome Summaries
Project Documents
program profile
program level learning outcomes
program configuration
course profile
competencies/performance standards
linked program level outcomes
project criteria
work session summaries
plan for development of deployment deliverables
Deployment Deliverables
Online: eTech
Face-to-Face: WTCS
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Model Learning Plans
Model Assessments
Model Learning Materials
lesson-level outcomes
learning activities
assessment activities
targeted outcomes
assessment strategies
scoring guides/rubrics
interactive learning objects
handouts, practice guides
presentation materials, text
Process: Effective, Efficient,
Flexible
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Build buy-in
Clarify expectations
Align curriculum
Monitor and review
Easy Dissemination
CurriculumBank
Central source for most current
alignment products
Easy to access
Provides discussion/review forum
Easy to update
Cost effective
© WIDS
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Benefits of Alignment
“This is better than the
curriculum we had before.
Our old curriculum reflected
the biases and preferences
of our own faculty. This one
is based on the best thinking
of teachers from 16
colleges!”
Nursing Instructor, Western
Wisconsin Technical College
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Financial Return?
“Curriculum used statewide is more costeffective than developing individual
programs at each college. An aligned
program is easier to evaluate.
Competencies are linked to standards.
The colleges now submit one curriculum
the accrediting agency, jointly.”
Kay Tupala, Associate Dean of Health and Public Safety, Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College
© WIDS
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