Cara McFadden discusses curriculum mapping at NCICU conference

The assistant professor of sport and event management was one of five Elon University faculty and staff members to lead presentations at the 11th annual NCICU Assessment Conference.

Assistant Professor Cara McFadden

​Cara McFadden, an assistant professor in Elon University’s Department of Sport and Event Management, led a presentation on curriculum mapping at the 11th annual North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Assessment Conference. McFadden was one of five Elon faculty and staff members who presented at the annual event held June 2-3 on campus.

During her presentation, titled “Creating a Map to Chart the Course,” McFadden discussed the importance of a visual tool to represent the intended approach of a course.

The abstract for the presentation reads: “A course map is essential for creating meaning about the important role of curriculum in academia. The map provides a guide to chart the course of action. This session provides an explanation for how to develop a visual tool to represent the intended approach of a course. Another benefit of the map is to form a strategy for assessing student learning outcomes identified in a course. During the session participants will have the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced and the benefits received in the process of course mapping. A recent example will be used as the foundation for the interactive discussion. Strategies for beginning and continuing the mapping process will be addressed.”

Other Elon presenters included Lynne Bisko, outreach librarian; Jon Dooley, assistant vice president for student life/dean of campus life; Kimberly Fath, assessment specialist; and Paula Rosinski, professor of English.

​Tom Angelo, author of “Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers,” served as the conference’s featured speaker. He presented a keynote plenary session, a concurrent session, and a pre-conference workshop on aligning learning outcomes with course and program goals.

The assessment conference supports the advancement of high quality assessment practice at member institutions. This year’s theme was “High Impact Practice: Assessing Curricular and Co-curricular Learning.”