James K. Fowlkes
REMEMBER, the goal is
integrating research and inquiry
into your curriculum
in your discipline.
Undergraduate Research Definition
An inquiry or investigation conducted by an
undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual
or creative contribution to the discipline or practice.
- QEP Steering Committee
This definition supports expanding undergraduate
research across all colleges and disciplines at FAU.
How does a Curriculum Inventory help planning?
1. The course pathway that students follow to complete a plan of study
2. The Distinction Through Discovery (DTD) Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
that are addressed in each course in a plan of study
3. The cognitive level to which the identified outcomes are covered in each course
4. The identification of gaps and overlaps in the curriculum
5. The identification of course(s) that address any gaps and overlaps in the
curriculum
Visit the FAU LibGuide on Curriculum Mapping
Distinction Through Discovery Student Learning Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Knowledge – Students will demonstrate content knowledge, core principles and skills.
Formulate Questions – Students will formulate research questions, scholarly of creative
problems with integration of fundamental principles and knowledge in a manner appropriate
to their discipline.
Plan of Action – Students will develop and implement a plan of inquiry to address research and
inquiry questions or scholarly problems.
Critical Thinking – Students will apply critical thinking skills to evaluate information, their own
work and the work of others.
Ethical Conduct – Students will identify significant ethical issues in research and inquiry and/or
address them in practice.
Communication – Students will convey all aspects of their research and inquiry (processes and
products) in appropriate format, venues and delivery modes based on the conventions of their
disciplines.
Cognitive Levels
Outcomes can be covered in progressive cognitive levels. To indicate this progression,
three cognitive levels have been defined:
1. Exposure – the cognitive skill needed to meet the outcome at the lower two
levels of Bloom’s taxonomy—knowledge and comprehension
2. Skill building – the cognitive skill needed to meet the outcome at the middle
two levels of Bloom’s taxonomy—application and analysis
3. Intensive – the cognitive skill needed to meet the outcome at the highest two
levels of Bloom’s taxonomy—synthesis and evaluation
TaskOriented
Question
Construction
Wheel
Based on
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Permission is
granted for
use of this
material
provided the
following
credit line
appears on all
copies:
Tasks Oriented
Question
Construction
Wheel Based
on Bloom’s
Taxonomy,
©2004
St. Edward’s
University
Center for
Teaching
Excellence.
E
As you develop your proposal, you will identify the
cognitive level for each outcome for each course.
S
X
This chart illustrates the distribution of the cognitive
levels. Starting at the center and working out, you have
Bloom’s cognitive domain that defines our cognitive
levels—Exposure (E) being knowledge and
comprehension, Skill Building (S) being application and
analysis, and Intensive (I) being synthesis and evaluation.
Moving outward, the chart list the correlating action
verbs, activities and assessments.
The chart will assist you when identifying the cognitive
level in your courses for each outcome.
I
Visit Bloom’s Polygon to download
PUTTING TOGETHER
Whenever you see a
“?” button, click for
further information.
?
NEXT
Distinction Through Discovery
Student Learning Outcomes & Cognitive Levels
DTD Student
Learning Outcome
Exposure
Skill Building
Intensive
(Knowledge & Comprehension)
(Application & Analysis)
(Synthesis & Evaluation)
Knowledge
• Summarize previous literature / • Demonstrate information
prior work
(meta-) literacy
• Appraise appropriateness of
theoretical framework(s)
• Assess social value
• Create new knowledge
Formulate Questions
• Identify questions
• Give example(s) of research
questions
• Discover new questions
• Breakdown question(s) into
manageable units
• Compose logical argument
• Predict outcomes
Plan of Action
• Define steps of inquiry
•• Employ
Employappropriate
appropriate
methodologies
methodologies
• Synthesize and evaluate plan(s)
of inquiry
Critical Thinking
• Recognize gaps
• Describe differences, etc.
• Interpret information, results
• Examine limits
• Analyze feedback
• Justify conclusions
• Prepare critical review
• Evaluate feedback
• Explain academic integrity
• Point out ethical issues
• Outline potential ethical
concerns
• Design ethical research
• Maintain ethical integrity
• Communicate clearly
• Reproduce proper format
• Apply appropriate mode(s) /
venue(s) for communication
• Prepare / direct communication
appropriately based on given
audience(s)
Within a course,
students
apply
research
Ethical
Conduct
methodologies to a
project. What is the
Communication
student
learning
outcome and cognitive
level of this activity?
?
ANSWER
Visit Student Learning Outcomes & Cognitive Levels for download
NEXT
View Achievement Rubric for download
STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOME
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
URI INDICATOR
Vocabulary / basic skills
Knowledge
Theoretical frameworks or genres
Information literacy / sources
Relevant issues / content
Formulate Questions
Rationale
Methods of exploration
Design
Plan of Action
Implementation
Observation / data collection
Technical skills
Developing
Competent
Exemplary
This slide and the next one combines to
form a rubric that breaks down the
outcomes into more descriptive indicators.
It also shows the three performance
criteria levels that you will use when you
develop your assessment plan. As you
consider if an outcome applies to your
curriculum, you will find the indicators
beneficial in your decision-making.
Appendix L from the QEP document is the
completed rubric that you can use as a
guide. The link above will take you directly
to the document.
View Achievement Rubric for download
STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOME
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
URI INDICATOR
Developing
Competent
Exemplary
Analysis
Interpretation
Critical Thinking
Source of error
Conclusions
Academic integrity
Safety
Ethical Conduct
Ethical treatment
Ethical issues
Clarity / organization
Communication
Quotation / attribution / Citation
Format / Level
This slide and the previous one combines
to form a rubric that breaks down the
outcomes into more descriptive indicators.
It also shows the three performance
criteria levels that you will use when you
develop your assessment plan. As you
consider if an outcome applies to your
curriculum, you will find the indicators
beneficial in your decision-making.
Appendix L from the QEP document is the
completed rubric that you can use as a
guide. The link above will take you directly
to the document.
Adapted from University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning, and
Assessment http://uwf.edu/cutla/documents/Sample-Curriculum-Map-(SimpleMatrix).pdf
Here is our first curriculum X
inventory example. Though
this one does list the courses
and the student learning
outcomes, it does not indicate
the cognitive level, so this
curriculum inventory would
not be sufficient for the
Curriculum Grant Application.
?
NEXT
Gaps and Overlaps
• In addition to the program courses, addressed DTD SLOs, and
obtained cognitive levels, a curriculum inventory can assist you
in identifying gaps and overlaps in a curriculum.
• Gaps are when a cognitive level of a DTD SLO is missing in the
curriculum.
• Overlaps are when a cognitive level of a DTD SLO is repeated.
Adapted from University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning,
and Assessment http://uwf.edu/cutla/documents/Curriculum-Map-(InterpretingPatterns-for-Coherence).pdf
DTD SLO
Knowledge
Formulate
Questions
Plan of
Action
Intro
Course
Methods
Course
Exposure
Communication
Required
Course 2
Required
Course 3
Required
Course 4
Capstone
Course
Skill
Building
Exposure
Skill
Building
Intensive
Exposure
Skill
Building
Exposure
OVERLAP
– Knowledge has a “backtracking”
overlap from Skill Building to Exposure.
Exposure
Critical
Thinking
Ethical
Conduct
Required
Course 1
Exposure
Exposure
Intensive
Intensive
Exposure
Exposure
Intensive
Adapted from University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning,
and Assessment http://uwf.edu/cutla/documents/Curriculum-Map-(InterpretingPatterns-for-Coherence).pdf
DTD SLO
Intro
Course
Methods
Course
Knowledge
Exposure
Formulate
Questions
Exposure
Plan of
Action
Exposure
Critical
Thinking
Ethical
Conduct
Communication
Required
Course 1
Required
Course 2
Required
Course 3
Required
Course 4
Capstone
Course
Skill
Building
Exposure
Skill
Building
Intensive
Exposure
Skill
Building
Exposure
Intensive
OVERLAPS - Formulate
Intensive
Questions & Plan of
Action have “duplicating”
overlaps of Exposure.
Exposure
Exposure
Exposure
Intensive
Adapted from University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning,
and Assessment http://uwf.edu/cutla/documents/Curriculum-Map-(InterpretingPatterns-for-Coherence).pdf
DTD SLO
Intro
Course
Methods
Course
Knowledge
Exposure
Formulate
Questions
Exposure
Plan of
Action
Exposure
Critical
Thinking
Ethical
Conduct
Communication
Required
Course 1
Required
Course 2
Required
Course 3
Required
Course 4
Capstone
Course
Skill
Building
Exposure
Skill
Building
Intensive
Exposure
Skill
Building
Exposure
Exposure
Exposure
Intensive
Intensive
GAPS – These three are “missing” gaps since neither
outcome is covered at the Skill building cognitive level.
Exposure
Intensive
Adapted from University of West Florida Center for University Teaching, Learning,
and Assessment http://uwf.edu/cutla/documents/Curriculum-Map-(InterpretingPatterns-for-Coherence).pdf
DTD SLO
Intro
Course
Methods
Course
Knowledge
Exposure
Formulate
Questions
Exposure
Plan of
Action
Exposure
Critical
Thinking
Ethical
Conduct
Communication
Required
Course 1
Required
Course 2
Required
Course 3
Required
Course 4
Capstone
Course
Skill
Building
Exposure
Skill
Building
Intensive
Exposure
Skill
Building
Exposure
Exposure
Exposure
Intensive
Intensive
GAPS – These two are “incomplete” gaps since neither
outcome reaches the Intensive cognitive level, and the
one to the left does not reach Skill Building either.
Exposure
Intensive
Adapted from Lehman College
http://www.lehman.edu/research/assessment/documents/Curriculum_Map
_Example.pdf
DTD Student Learning Outcomes
(E = exposure, S = skill building, &
I = intensive)
E
BACKTRACK - outcomes
at intensive, but thenE
repeated at skill building
E
E
S
E
E
I
E
I
I
S
I
I
S
S
S
MISSING S outcomes
I
never
at intensive
S
Either of these could be intentional. If so, there would be
E
no issue; however, you need to confirm this. For example,
the backtracking could be to cover an indicator within an
E
outcome that had not yet reached intensive, and the lack
of intensive coverage for the other two could be planned,
E
S
since the developers did not consider them essential.
E
S
E
E
E
E
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
I
S
I
S
I
I
S
I
This
inventory, like
the previous
one has all
the essential
elements—
the courses,
the student
learning
outcomes,
and the
cognitive
levels at
which they
are covered;
are there any
issues?
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
S
I
We will now work through an example. We will use this template for the exercise, but remember you are not
bound to any specific format for your inventory, as long as it provides all the pertinent information—the
progression of courses in the program, the outcomes addressed, their cognitive level of coverage, the gaps and
overlaps, and the identification of courses in which you are proposing to change. First , we enter the general
information at the top.
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
S
I
We will now enter the courses across the top of the inventory. We have included a 2000 level course,
since it has some research and inquiry components that lead into the upper level courses. We also have
included a course cluster to show how this would look in an inventory.
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E, S
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
S
I
I
Next, we indicate the cognitive level for each applicable outcome in each course. Only document the cognitive level for outcomes that
are relevant to undergraduate students and research. Any outcome could have implications to your discipline, like critical thinking in
musical interpretation or research that you are completing, but for here, we are only interested if it relates to undergraduate student
research engagement. Also, notice that you may have an SLO covered at two cognitive levels within the same course, like CEI 4351
for Communication in this example. The different cognitive levels could refer to two difference indicators within the same SLO.
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
Now itisisatime
to Knowledge
analyze for since
any gaps
There
gap in
the and
skill overlaps.
building cognitive level is never introduced.
S
I
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
S
4. Critical Thinking
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
Here is an overlap in Formulate Questions due to backtracking.
S
I
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
Next, we see that intensive is never reached for Critical Thinking.
S
I
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
Finally, we see that Ethical Conduct is never addressed at any cognitive level.
S
I
I
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
Now, it is a matter of deciding how we will address these issues.
S
I
I
Curriculum Planning
When planning proposed changes in the curriculum you have
three primary options:
1. Implement the changes in a course that all students are required to
take
2. Select a course cluster with few options.
•
•
Commitment from all faculty, chairs, directors, and deans involved in the
proposed changes
Create a “research” learning module that addressed the desired experiences
and add it to each course in the cluster
3. Create a new course to meet your needs
CURRENT CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
S
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
S
4. Critical Thinking
[ x ] Conventional
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CCI 4501
CRI 4801 CRI 4802
E
E
I
I
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
E
S
5. Ethical Conduct
6: Communication
E
E
S
I
I
Proposed plan: CCI 4601 replaces CCI 4501, add CEI 4401.
Decrease SLO 2 to
exposure, and add
SLO 5 at exposure.
Increase SLO 2 to skill
building, and add SLO
5 at skill building in ALL
COURSES
Add CEI 4401 with
SLO 1, 5, & 6 at skill
building
Replace with CCI
4601 with SLO 1 at
skill building & SLO
5 at intensive
Add SLO 4 & 5 at
intensive
PROPOSED CURRICULUM
Principle Investigator:
Jane Doe, PhD
Proposal Title:
Research and Inquiry Enhanced Instructional Design
Program/Department:
Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
This program currently exists: [ x ] Yes [ ] No
College:
Education
Type of Program:
Course/course clusters
(Course IDs)
CCI 2021
CCI 3022
CEI 3240
1. Knowledge
E
E
2. Formulate Questions
E
E
E
3. Plan of Action
E
E
E
CEI 3450
S
4. Critical Thinking
5. Ethical Conduct
E
6: Communication
Now, the revised curriculum
shows how all the gaps and
overlaps will be addressed with
our proposed course changes.
[ ] Honors
CEI 4351
CEI 4352
CEI
4401
CCI
4601
CRI 4801
CRI 4802
E
E
S
S
I
I
S
S
S
I
I
S
S
I
I
I
E
E
S
S
I
S
E
Decrease SLO 2 to
exposure, and add
SLO 5 at exposure.
CEI 4001
CRI 4021
CCI 4101
[ x ] Conventional
E
S
E
Increase SLO 2 to skill
building, and add SLO
5 at skill building in
ALL COURSES
S
I
S
Add CEI 4401 with
SLO 1, 5, & 6 at skill
building
I
I
Replace with CCI
4601 with SLO 1 at
skill building & SLO
5 at intensive
I
Add SLO 4 & 5 at
intensive
Questions
For questions, email ouri@fau.edu.
We look forward to seeing your
completed Curriculum Inventories
in your Curriculum Grant Proposals.