CURRICULUM FORMS
Frequently Asked Questions
Reasons for the new forms
Q. Why did we switch to new curriculum forms?
A. This is a two-part answer. First, with the old form the curriculum committees were getting proposals that vary in information and quality. We received some proposals with not enough information, which delayed the process by being return for corrections, and we received proposals with too much information that did not aid in the committee forming a decision. The new forms willreliably provide just the required information the committees need.
The second part is that we are moving towards automating the back end process that takes places in the registrar’s office; the forms are designed with that web-based system in mind.
Q. Should authors delete or move sections to fit their purposes?
A. To help automate the work done by the registrar’s office, the Word files are arranged to fill the registrar’s course databases that control the online catalog, student registration, degree audit, etc. The program used does not work with pdf files. It is important that the formatting and order of sections does not change. Locking the format would limit or prevent use of routine editing functionality like copy/paste and spellcheck.
Q. Why not go to a web-based curriculum form?
A. Work is being done to make the curriculum forms web-based. A consultant from Banner is assisting with this process, but it will take a while. We will move to online entry when the work is completed.
Q. Will we need to learn all new form layouts when the web-based forms become available?
A. The web-based forms will be essentially the same as the current Word forms.
Which forms to use
Q. Where are the most up to date forms?
A. The forms found on insideUNH are the most up to date. You should be using the forms with the 2/15/16 date. If you are completing core curriculum proposals use the forms found on the blackboard site for the new core curriculum.
Q. What do I do for a cross-listed course?
A. For each course you will have a separate Form A1 (A2 if change in course) and Form A6. You will also have an A4 form listing that both courses will be cross-listed.
Help filling out Form A1--New course
Q. What goes in the Proposed course No?
A. Enter the Banner course prefix and course number.
Q. What information is required in Course Description?
A. You need to provide: the prerequisites, co-requisites, description of course, and number of credits. Look at the course catalog for examples. Brief is good.
Help filling out Form A6-- Syllabus
Q. What are learning outcomes?
A.
1. The course learning outcomes should be listed here. These describe what a student can accomplish at the end of the course. They are not a simple listing of specific course content or course objectives (goals) that you plan to accomplish.
2. You should choose verbs in your outcomes that can be measured through a particular assessment tool. Verbs like “learn”, “understand”, and “know” can be hard to measure. If a student has accumulated some knowledge, how can it be put to use by describing, analyzing, or any of a number of other measurable actions? Bloom’s taxonomy is a good source of such verbs.
3. If you have any questions about writing learning outcomes for courses, please consult the Director of Academic Assessment, Kristy Huntley, for additional help. You might also consult the CCAP Operational Manual on the website.
Q. Which assessment box to check?
A. Any of the following that apply:
1. If your course is part of the university undergraduate core curriculum select core curriculum.
2. If the course is part of your program’s CCAP plan select major.
3. If you report to an outside agency select agency accreditation.
4. If you do not check a box you do not need to fill out this section of Form A6.
Q. How to fill out the assessment plan?
A.
You should specify all of the assessment methods that will be used to evaluate the course as part of an overall assessment of the course on a regular basis. All instructors of the course should use these assessment methods. You should include primarily summative assessments – those that can evaluate the final ability of a student with respect to a course outcome. It is not necessary to include strictly formative assessments – those that measure a student’s intermediate progress on obtaining an outcome. While formative assessments may certainly be part of a course’s workload, it is not necessary to collect or use them as part of the core assessment process.
Q. What is needed in the Content topic list?
A. The content of a course should be listed in a pro forma 15-week schedule as would be used in a normal semester. The exact ordering of these topics is not being set in stone with this listing. It is the intention to indicate the relative amounts of time spent on the various topics in the course.
Q. Where in the form do I tell which textbook I am using for the course?
A. We are no longer asking for the textbook in the new forms.
Help filling out Program forms
Q. What is form B2 used for?
A. You will use form B2 when you want to make changes to your program’s worksheet. You may be adding/removing required courses or electives.
Q. I have an existing program and will be making changes to prerequisites in a number of courses. Can I list all the changes in Form B2 and not fill out course change forms A2?
A. Any change to courses will require a Form A2 and Form A6. If no changes are occurring to the worksheet, you do not need to fill out Form B2.