Essential Questions for Institutional Alignment and Program Review – Coursetune Support

Talking through and documenting these questions will help you in the journey. It will help you communicate the framework and improvements needed to other stakeholders and groups through Coursetune visualizations and talking points.

Questions to Consider

1. General Success and Goals

What do we need to know? What do we need to accomplish?
How do we actually use Coursetune to answer questions?
How do we demonstrate success? (current state, progress, future planning)

2. Instructor experience

How does using Coursetune impact educators’ effectiveness at mapping and analyzing curriculum?
When looking at the program in Coursetune, what do you notice? What stands out to you?

3. Competencies and objectives

Are they clear, sufficient, measurable, standards-based? How do you know?
Are competencies written from the learner’s perspective?
How do you know they are the right ones?
What other competencies could be considered?
How well are they represented across the program? Where do they occur? Where are the gaps?
How are competencies scaffolded across the program?

4. Student experience

Are the competencies and objectives clear for students?
Are they focused on the needs of the students?
What is the student pathway through the program?
Where do they go next after the program? How have they been prepared for this next step?
Where were they before the program? What prior learning or skills need to be assessed?

5. Assessment

What specific elements are being evaluated: outcomes, objectives, competencies, etc. How and when are they evaluated?
What are the type and frequency of assessments across the program? Are the assessments across courses offering a consistent student experience?

6. Know your offering

How does the program compare to other university programs?
What are the unique benefits of the program?
How are the students uniquely or superiorly prepared for their industry as a result of the program? Where and how is this supported throughout the program?
Can the students articulate these differences and the benefits?

Evaluation by Level

1. Institution-Level Outcomes Evaluation

Are the institution-level goals the right goals?
- - - Do they reflect the institution’s unique vision and mission?
    - Do they capture the president’s top initiatives?
    - Are they clear, measurable, and effectively structured?
    - Is the number effective and manageable?
    - Are there any gaps or missing elements at this level?

2. Division-Level Outcomes Evaluation

Are the division-level goals the right goals?
- - - Are they specific to the division?
    - Do they apply to all programs within the division? Which programs are the exception and why?
    - Are they clear, measurable, and effectively structured?
    - Is the number effective and manageable?
    - Are there any gaps or missing elements at this level?

3. Program-Level Outcomes Evaluation

Are the program-level goals the right goals?
- - - Are they specific to the program?
    - Do they apply to all courses within the program? Which courses are the exception and why?
    - Are they clear, measurable, and effectively structured?
    - Is the number effective and manageable?

What other learning outcome statements appear in courses that are not included?
Where do these outcomes appear throughout the courses?
- - - Are there any gaps or missing elements at this level?
    - Describe their distribution across the program. Where do they occur? Where do there appear to be gaps?
    - How do they align to course level statements, weeks, assignments (assessments), evaluation criteria?
    - Is there any redundancy? Is the redundancy intentional or confusing?

How are outcomes scaffolded throughout the program?
- - - Where is each outcome introduced, reinforced, mastered?
    - Are the appropriate assessments in place at each level?

4. Course-Level Outcomes Evaluation

How are course level statements (goals) mapped to other curricular elements including competencies, projects, assessments?
Describe the scaffolding and evaluation criteria for assignments in courses.
What other rigor or depth of knowledge (DOK) levels are observable in course assessments or projects?