Program Map Alignment — Instructions

Campus Curriculum Optimization & Mapping Platform

Program Map & Alignment — Instructions

Program Map Alignment Export Coverage Faculty-facing
Open Program Map (Static App) Download State Files (ZIP)

1) Overview: What This Tool Does

The Program Map displays courses as nodes and lets you open each course’s concept set. The Alignment workflow lets you compare an upstream course (Course A) to a downstream course (Course B) to check whether preparation and coverage match your definition of alignment.

Key idea. The usefulness of the map and alignment results depends on the quality of the concept dependency matrices supplied by faculty contributors.

2) Quick Start (5 Minutes)

  1. Open the Program Map.
  2. Click a course node to load that course’s faculty-supplied concepts.
  3. Inspect the concept table (right) and the dependency graph (left).
  4. Switch to the Alignment tool, choose Course A and Course B, then click Build.
  5. Review coverage levels (Not Covered / Intro / Develop / Master).
  6. Export coverage for documentation and reporting.

3) Program Map: Viewing Course Concepts

  1. Click a course node (a course bubble/node on the map).
  2. The tool opens the course’s concept set—i.e., the concepts supplied by faculty contributors for that course.
  3. Example: Click MATH 202 to view the Linear Algebra concept set provided by instructors engaged with that curriculum.
What you will see.
  • Left panel: a hierarchical concept dependency graph showing how concepts support one another.
  • Right panel: a table listing concept metadata and coverage stage.

Right-panel table fields typically include:

  • ID (concept identifier)
  • Concept (label/name)
  • Level (depth/placement within the course)
  • Depends on (prerequisite concepts)
  • Weight (relative importance, if defined)
  • Stage chip: Intro / Develop / Master
  • Counts (representation frequency, depending on dataset settings)

4) Alignment: Comparing Course A (Upstream) to Course B (Downstream)

  1. Open the Alignment tab/tool.
  2. Select Course A (the upstream course).
  3. Select Course B (the downstream course).
  4. Click Build.
Example. Choose MATH 161 as Course A and MATH 162 as Course B, then build the alignment. Use the result to check whether prerequisites (e.g., integration techniques) are introduced/developed/mastered at the level required for success in the downstream course.

Interpreting coverage (four categories):

  • Not Covered: the concept does not appear in the selected course’s concept set.
  • Intro: the concept is introduced (initial exposure).
  • Develop: the concept is practiced and strengthened beyond introduction.
  • Master: the concept is treated as a competency students are expected to command fluently.

5) Export Coverage: Producing Documentation

  1. After building alignment (or after reviewing a course’s concept coverage view), locate the Export Coverage option.
  2. Export the results to generate a file/report summarizing the current coverage status.
  3. Use exports as supporting documentation for curriculum review, alignment projects, assessment discussions, and planning meetings.
Recommendation. Export coverage after each substantive data update (e.g., revised concept sets), so comparisons remain auditable over time.

6) Data Quality: What Improves the Map

The Program Map and Alignment outputs are only as strong as the concept dependency matrices and concept-level data supplied by contributors. As concept sets are refined, the analysis becomes more reliable and more actionable.

Contributor guidance (practical).
  • Use consistent naming for repeated concepts across sections and courses (avoid accidental duplicates).
  • Define dependencies deliberately (prerequisites should reflect genuine conceptual reliance).
  • Assign Intro/Develop/Master based on evidence of expected student performance, not just exposure.
  • Use weights sparingly and consistently (if used, define what the weight represents).

7) Common Issues & Practical Fixes

  • Course node opens but table is empty: no concept set has been supplied (or it did not load). Refresh and try again; confirm the correct dataset is in use.
  • Dependencies look “too sparse” or “too dense”: revisit the dependency definitions and ensure they represent prerequisites rather than topic adjacency.
  • Alignment results look surprising: verify Course A / Course B selection order, then check whether concept names match across courses (naming mismatches often appear as “Not Covered”).
  • Export not reflecting recent changes: refresh the page after updates and rebuild alignment before exporting.

Summary: Click course nodes to open faculty-supplied concepts, use Alignment to compare upstream and downstream courses, and export coverage to document results.
Last updated: December 24, 2025.