CPI Curriculum Mapping & Alignment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of an 'essential question' used in curriculum mapping?
- What page is the homework on?
- How does power shape society over time? (Correct answer)
- When is the final exam?
- Which textbook edition should I buy?
Correct answer: How does power shape society over time?
Essential questions are open-ended, thought-provoking inquiries that drive curriculum units and promote deeper understanding.
Question 2: A program review team finds that critical safety procedures are only addressed in one elective course. This gap would be identified through:
- A student satisfaction survey
- A curriculum audit using a vertical alignment map (Correct answer)
- A faculty performance review
- A marketing needs assessment
Correct answer: A curriculum audit using a vertical alignment map
A vertical alignment map reveals gaps in coverage across a program, showing where critical content is missing or underrepresented.
Question 3: In Jacobs' curriculum mapping model, what is the primary purpose of the 'consensus map'?
- To document what each teacher personally prefers to teach
- To represent agreed-upon curriculum that all instructors will implement (Correct answer)
- To record student performance data by unit
- To outline the pacing guide for substitute teachers
Correct answer: To represent agreed-upon curriculum that all instructors will implement
The consensus map in Jacobs' model reflects collective agreement among faculty on what should be taught, creating a shared curriculum blueprint.
Question 4: Formative assessment data is integrated into curriculum maps primarily to:
- Calculate final grades
- Inform ongoing instructional adjustments within the unit (Correct answer)
- Satisfy accreditation requirements
- Determine teacher evaluation scores
Correct answer: Inform ongoing instructional adjustments within the unit
Embedding formative assessment data in curriculum maps allows instructors to refine pacing and content delivery in response to student progress.
Question 5: Which scenario best illustrates 'taught curriculum' versus 'intended curriculum'?
- A teacher reads the standards document but never opens it again
- Standards require persuasive writing but a teacher only assigns personal narratives (Correct answer)
- A student submits work that does not match the rubric
- A department chair approves a new course elective
Correct answer: Standards require persuasive writing but a teacher only assigns personal narratives
A gap between intended curriculum (the standards) and taught curriculum (actual instruction) occurs when teachers diverge from the prescribed content.
Question 6: When aligning a technical training program to industry competency standards, which approach ensures the most rigorous alignment?
- Matching keyword frequency between the syllabus and the standard
- Cross-referencing each learning objective to a specific competency statement (Correct answer)
- Having the department head sign off on the course outline
- Asking students if the content feels relevant
Correct answer: Cross-referencing each learning objective to a specific competency statement
Rigorous alignment requires explicitly linking each learning objective to a specific, identifiable competency statement in the industry standard.
Question 7: A curriculum map reveals that higher-order thinking skills (analysis, evaluation) are only assessed in graduate-level courses. This finding suggests:
- Undergraduate faculty need more professional development in content knowledge
- Bloom's taxonomy levels are not scaffolded progressively across the program (Correct answer)
- Graduate assessment is too rigorous for most students
- The program exceeds accreditation requirements at the graduate level
Correct answer: Bloom's taxonomy levels are not scaffolded progressively across the program
Higher-order thinking should be introduced and scaffolded throughout a program, not concentrated only at the highest level.
CPI Curriculum Mapping & Alignment 3
Which of the following is an example of an 'essential question' used in curriculum mapping?