Course Map: A Key Tool for Designing and Updating Your Course

What Is It?

A course map is a visualization of the alignment between learning objectives or outcomes, content, activities, and assessments throughout your course. It is the central tool that guides the design or revision of your course. Having these details at hand clarifies the learning opportunities you’re creating for students, as well as any areas of the course that need more attention and alignment. You can share the course map with students to support their orientation to all the carefully curated aspects of your course. A course map lays the foundation of your course and helps define its scope and structure.

Ok, Show Me

UNM’s Center for Teaching and Learning provides you with convenient templates you can use to build your course map.

Take a moment to examine these blank Course Map templates:

The table version of the template is more commonly used by instructors, but you can use either one. In both cases, there are explanations of each element of the course map and instructions on how to complete it. 

You may also find it helpful to look at a completed course map

How Do I Do It?

Before beginning the actual course map:/p>

  • Consider the overarching course outcomes you want your students to achieve as a result of completing this course.
  • If you (or others) have taught portions of the materials before, reflect on the experiences of your students and any feedback they may have provided.
  • Be clear about what module level objectives you may need to include, based on your department’s requirements, or those from an accrediting body. 

Start your course map by following these steps:

  1. Download one of the blank templates using the links provided above.
  2. Save the file (consider using a filename that includes your course acronym and the words “Course Map” - e.g. ENGL-123 Course Map).
  3. Follow the steps in this interactive course map guide.
  4. Get help. You are likely to have questions as you complete your first course map. The following resources are available:
    1. Access individualized assistance from one or more of CTL’s regularly scheduled Open Labs. 
    2. A workshop on course mapping is held periodically. Check the CTL Workshops page to determine whether one is currently scheduled and when it will be held. The name of the workshop is Designing the Path: Using Your Course Map and Canvas to Support Student Success.
    3. If you’re teaching a fully-online course, please remember to reach out to your instructional designer. 

Additional Resources