Mapping concepts, outcomes and courses for the accreditation visit
In an accreditation visit, a university must show how students will complete required outcomes by the time of graduation. A very useful way to show this is by means of a concept map — visualizing which outcomes are covered by which courses.
The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) used Rhumbl as a concept mapping tool to create these mind maps online. This concept map template was used.
Classes are drawn as large nodes and accreditation outcomes are represented as small red nodes. A directed edge exists from a course to an outcome if the course addresses the outcome.
Another type of edge also exists between outcomes — an undirected edge exists between two outcomes if they are related.
In 2016, SUTD successfully completed the accreditation site visit of their four highly interdisciplinary undergraduate degree programs and received very positive feedback from the panels.
The maps played a key role in the accreditation site visits: SUTD used Rhumbl as a concept mapping tool for the assessors to showcase which classes are responsible for addressing which outcomes. Rhumbl helped SUTD visualize their curriculum and their coverage of accreditation outcomes. It's often difficult to see missing evidence, but on a Rhumbl visualization, it was easy to check coverage.
The evaluation team was provided with computers. On every computer, the Rhumbl visualization of SUTD's program was displayed. The evaluators used the map to navigate through standards, checking to see how an outcome is being addressed by evidence. Instead of needing to flip through binders, assessors could click on a link to see evidence. SUTD customized the information displayed when the user clicks on a node in the Rhumbl map. For example, for each class SUTD included a url that linked to a repository of student work samples.
This example shows how educators can make concept maps online. See more educational examples of mapping skills and outcomes or curriculum mapping online.
Here's the template for concept mapping again for you.
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