Abstract:

The New York City College of Technology (a City University of New York college) implemented a healthcare policy and management Bachelor of Science degree program in spring 2022. One year later, the rollout is complete with all disciplinary core courses developed and implemented. The trajectory involved syllabi and course development for six new courses and extensive revisions to three existing courses. This considerable undertaking applied assessment planning strategies and backward design to develop student learning activities. Course learning outcomes were matched to program learning outcomes. Together, they guided the creation of signature assignments across the core curriculum along with assessment tools (e.g., rubrics) to uniformly evaluate student learning. This discussion addresses the intersection between assessment planning and backward design when developing purposeful learning activities and while placing learning outcomes at the forefront of the design process. The shared information will present a framework for approaching the creation of assessment instruments (i.e., assignments) as well as reflect on the journey from rollout to full implementation offering lessons learned. The goal is to provide a model for programs developing assessment plans and undergoing course or curriculum development.

Keywords:

Assessment plan, curriculum development, learning activities, learning outcomes, backward design.