Course mapping - Ideas bank
Ideas to prompt your reflections on how your course supports the development of each program graduate attribute through the planned learning activities and assessment tasks ...
In-depth knowledge of the field of study
Effective communication
Independence and creativity
Critical judgement
Ethical and social understanding
In-depth knowledge of the field of study
A comprehensive and well-founded
knowledge of the field of study.
An understanding of how other disciplines relate to the field of study.
An international perspective on the field of study
- What opportunities for the development of in-depth knowledge do you offer within your course?
- How do you encourage, support, promote and represent thought and practice in your field or discipline?
- How do you contextualise ideas and help students to understand the relevance of ideas and their contribution to the field or discipline as a whole?
- How do you help students to select, use and manipulate ideas appropriately and effectively in your field or discipline?
- How do you help students to analyse, critique and respond to ideas appropriately and effectively?
- How do you help students become aware of their own knowledge and learning in this field or discipline?
- Specific examples will relate directly to the conceptual and procedural knowledge of your field or discipline...
- How does your course help students to develop an understanding of the broader field and discipline?
- What do you do in your course to help students to understand the
links, similarities and differences between your
discipline and other
disciplines?
- examine a topic from different disciplinary perspectives
- read books, newspaper, watch television - critically reflect, guided by lecturer
- history of discipline - write/reflect on/research discipline
- visiting scholars - bringing in real world experts
- guest lecturers from outside the discipline
- clients' perspectives
- articulate ethics of the disciplines
- using problem based learning/or using interdisciplinary approach/project based work/student designed projects/tasks/questions etc
- hypothetical situations
- role plays, simulations
- reflective practice
- others...
Effective communication
The ability to collect, analyse, and organise
information and ideas, and to convey those ideas clearly and fluently,
in both written and spoken
forms.
The ability to interact effectively with others in order to work towards
a common outcome.
The ability to select and use the appropriate level, style and means
of communication.
The ability to engage effectively and appropriately with information
and communication technologies.
What do you incorporate into your course to support and encourage students' acquisition and demonstration of their abilities to communicate? For example, you may hold structured discussion sessions, ask students to analyse written texts, or develop listening skills through interactive problem solving activities.
How do you make use of these strategies?
| Written | Spoken | Visual | Using information technology |
| oral presentations | oral presentations | presentation software | |
| brainstorming | brainstorming | web graphics - as readers, as designers | discussion boards |
| group work | group work | diagrams | others... |
| discussion | discussion | making videos | |
| debate | listening | making statistics | |
| plays/drama | drawings | ||
| chat rooms | role play | graphs | |
| essays | simulation | nonverbal language | |
| short answers | adventure-based learning | others... | |
| paragraphs | buzz groups | ||
| guided and unguided activities | paired discussion | ||
| radio plays | associated group discussion | ||
| reports | performance | ||
| creative writing | others... | ||
| others... |
What do you incorporate into your course to support students'
understanding of how information is used, generated, stored, retrieved,
transformed, selected and manipulated?
What do you do to help students to reflect upon the value of information in your field?
- writing a research essay
- writing a submission/report
- identify sources of information
- do an oral presentation
- select
- decide relevance
- rank by relevance/analysis/evidencing
- evaluating websites/articles
- write a plan for a research paper/field trip/data collection
- get students to devise advanced organisers for lectures/readings etc
- same topic, different kinds of information - Web, articles, interviews - evaluation of
- use the library
- knowing copyright law as it applies to different situations
- comparing and contrasting activities
- filtering information
- modelling information management of students
- relating different bits of information to set criteria
- others...
How do you support and encourage students' acquisition and demonstration of their abilities to use computers in active and purposeful ways - that is, to access, record, present, store, manipulate, transmit, select, transform, create and process information using computers?
- use of word processing
- use of presentation packages
- use of databases
- use of statistics packages
- use of systems software
- troubleshooting
- file management
- virus protection
- printing
- Web development packages
- form submission
- accessing online services
- selection and purchase of computers
- competency in using communication packages, for example, email, chat, discussion boards, videoconferencing
- search software
- database retrieval
- computer mathematical packages - discipline specific software
- others...
In what ways does your course support students' understanding
of the process of scholarship in your discipline?
- developing communities of scholarly practice in a discipline
- doing research - library, empirical
- industry placements in knowledge generation loci specific to discipline
- valuing need to challenge and create new knowledge in the discipline
- seeing the role of research and publication in knowledge creation, enhancement and dissemination
- identify sources of new and/or emerging knowledge
- appreciate that knowledge is a fluid/social construction
- teach what is just new knowledge in discipline
- others...
How does your course promote learning about teams and working cooperatively and collaboratively, for a variety of purposes in a variety of configurations, within your field or discipline?
- team building skills
- group assessment tasks
- group work
- group processes
- comparing individual and group work in disciplines but with the knowledge of group and individual skills, knowledge etc
- leadership skills development
- fellowship' skills development
- understanding group processes and dynamics
- interpersonal skills
- analyse different models of effective group processes
- communication skills for interpersonal work with: colleagues; work clients; supervisors; subordinates
- team building
- sharing goals/generating shared group goals and values/team building
- practise working in diversely constituted teams
- others...
Independence and creativity
The ability to work and learn independently.
The ability to generate ideas and adapt innovatively to changing environments.
The ability to identify problems, create solutions, innovate and improve
current practices.
How does the course develop in students the attitude that personal and professional learning is continuous and important to the ongoing development of the field or discipline, individuals and groups
- modelling by staff or through case studies
- role plays
- problem solving
- adventure-based learning
- practising professional development
- variety of contexts
- metacognitive tasks - reflecting on own learning strategies
- learning contracts
- journals
- independent tasks
- develop own study plan
- plan of new skills students intend to acquire in their discipline
- gap analysis
- diagnosing own learning styles/preferences/behaviours
- plan strategies according to self knowledge
- self assessment of own development/performance etc
- make a study plan incorporating time management
- study skills sessions for self-directed learning
- modelling any of these activities, provide scaffolding for all of these activities
- supporting students through reflection/debriefing on learning
- knowing own barriers/limitations/motivations and reasons for practices/preferences
- own curriculum building
- others...
A useful reference
Candy, P., Crebert, G. & O'Leary, J. (1994). Developing lifelong learning through undergraduate education. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government Printing Service.
How is learning about problem solving supported within the course?
How are students assisted to understand the contextual and situational dynamics of solving problems in your field or discipline?
What do you offer in your course to support students as they identify, investigate, devise solutions and evaluate impact when solving problems?
- activities that promote self analysis
- problem solving within the context of discipline/profession
- role playing/modelling/visits to loci of practice in discipline specific problem solving
- using videos as a resource for analysis of performance/practice - evaluating against criteria, general criteria
- practise preventive professional practice for anticipated problems
- use different methods for solving the same problems - decision making processes; given criteria for a solution vs. no criteria; group vs. individual
- development of group skills for problem solving
- students to devise approach to a solution as well as solution reached by that approach
- group - knowledge of group processes, sharing values
- compare and contrast different solutions and different problem solving techniques and group and individual approaches
- leadership - to value different outcomes from different approaches
- apply appropriate disciplinary knowledge, skills, tools/methods for problem solving
- collect relevant information to develop problem analysis or solution
- get students to find/determine/identify problems - problem finding
- others...
Critical judgement
The ability to define and analyse problems.
The ability to apply critical reasoning to issues through independent
thought and informed judgement.
The ability to evaluate opinions, make decisions and to reflect critically
on the justifications for decisions.
How do you support and encourage students to make critical judgements?
How do you make processes involved in critical thinking explicit to the students?
- assignments
- presentations
- lateral thinking, open thinking
- epistemology/philosophy in disciplines
- metacognition
- collaboration
- community of learners
- critical reflection strategies
- peer and self-assessment
- designing research
- evaluation activities for example, find a website that speaks about xyz; develop criteria for its evaluation
- decision making
- defend, justify views
- critiquing something
- cross-cultural studies
- comparative studies
- critical reflection on reading newspaper, watching television
- integration and synthesis of ideas
- filtering information/prioritising/finding relevance
- developing evaluation criteria
- prioritising, classifying, ranking, abstracting
- others...
Some useful references
Biggs, J. B. & Collis, K. F. (1982). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome). London: Academy Press.
Bloom, B. S. & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. London: Longmans.
Perry, W. G. (1974). Intellectual and ethical development in
the college years: A scheme. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Ethical and social understanding
An understanding of social and civic responsibility.
An appreciation of the philosophical and social contexts of a discipline.
A knowledge and respect of ethics and ethical standards in relation
to a major area of study.
A knowledge of other cultures and times and an appreciation of cultural
diversity.
What opportunities for the development of ethical practices and a personal system of ethics exist within your course?
- role playing in moral and ethical dilemma situations
- analysing the ethical dilemmas in popular television programs or radio talk back
- determining ethical standpoint from which a piece is written/an argument is made
- describing ethical standpoint in problems
- acting ethically
- linking ethical standpoint to different cultures
- know/find/read/debate/use the ethical standpoint of your profession
- value the ethical standpoint of your profession
- develop personal ethics and morals
- identify and reflect critically on own ethics (personal/professional)
- critically analyse the ethical assumptions of a disciple perspective
- identify and analyse impact of profession on society/people/environment/economy etc from an ethical perspective
- others...
What opportunities for the development of an awareness of, sensitivity to and respect for culture and cultural diversity do you offer?
How do you help students to develop an historical consciousness and a global perspective on issues relating to your field or discipline?
- comparative studies
- integrate multiple perspectives
- getting students to share from their different cultural backgrounds
- analysing multiple/competing perspectives/values
- role plays that foreground/enact/display
- experiential activities, for example, field trips, travel, cultural expertise (e.g. dancers)
- work experience/cultural exchange
- examining a topic using resources from outside the dominant culture
- integrating historical perspectives from another discipline
- interdisciplinary perspective/professional culture
- industry placements, for example, professional exchange
- international group work, email, pen friend, online chat groups
- interview someone from another culture, time, discipline
- developing a topic from different standpoints
- others...
