A Guide to Curriculum and Accreditation Mapping Using Examsoft Categories and Blueprint Features

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A Guide to Curriculum and Accreditation Mapping using ExamSoft© Categories and

Blueprint Features

Mary-Margaret Finney MSN, RN CNEAlisha H. Johnson RN MSN PCCN

Texas State University


Objectives

1. Design categories specific to individual program needs

2. Construct a plan to implement the use of categories in their programs

3. Demonstrate how to create category folders in ExamSoft© for unique accreditation standards and course outcomes

4. Construct an exam blue print using the categories feature in ExamSoft©


Key Steps to make Mapping successful

• Mapping takes time!– Lewis and Clark took 2 years

• TEAM effort– All faculty need to buy in to the process

• Limit Super-users– Mapping works best with controlled planning– Limit which faculty can create folders and

categories


Who are you trying to Please?

• Identify the key stake holders– College or School

• Program and Course outcomes

– University• SACS

– State• Licensing Board• Special requirements for the profession

– National• Requirements from a national body• Example: Nursing is CCNE or ACEN


Work Smarter/Not Harder

• What are your goals for the use of mapping and categories?– You need to know were you are going in order

to plan

• What is already mapped?– Why redo what is already done– Over-mapping is a risk and creates confusion

• Where does mapping live?– Testing committee– Curriculum committee


Organization

• Use Folders to your advantage to stay organized

• Sub-Folders are vital• Decide on a consistent method for naming

Folders and Sub-Folders– Folder: Semester

Sub-Folder 1: Master Course Name

Sub-Folder 2: Semester– Individual exams


Sample of Questions Folders

• We have labeled each question folder by semester at this point as we are actively building our data base and this provides a point of reference.

• Remember that this is the “Questions” section and not the assessments


Questions or Assessments

• Create a Question• Categories assigned to each question

– Once finalized, Questions are grouped into Assessments

• Blueprints are created once the Questions have been placed in an Assessment


Developing Categories

• Identify how and where your curriculum is already mapped

• Do not try to recreate what has already been mapped

• Use Categories to tie everything together at the Question level

• Make sure that your policy for Exam Soft explains how you have used Categories



• At the School of Nursing, Texas State University: Questions in exam soft are placed in Categories using– Bloom’s Taxonomy– NCLEX Blueprint– Nursing process– Course outcomes



• At the School of Nursing, Texas State University: Questions in exam soft are placed in Categories using– Bloom’s Taxonomy– NCLEX Blueprint– Nursing process– Course outcomes

• Make your categories usable and relevant!


Sample Policy Statement

• The philosophy of the SON is that course outcomes are mapped by the curriculum committee to all required Accreditation Standards (QESN, DECS, BSN Essentials, and Program Outcomes).

• Therefore Course Outcome mapping in Exam Soft serves as a link between course assessment and accreditation standards.


The Steps of MappingAssessment Question • Starts the Process

Blooms Taxonomy• Levels the Question• Meets BON Requirement

NCLEX Blueprint • Specialty requirement

Course Outcome •Links Program Evaluation Criteria

Program Outcomes •Links to National Standards

BSN Essentials/QUESN/DECS •Exam Question now linked from lowest level to National Standards


Making Categories Work

• Remember that Categories belong to your program

• Clean up will be required

• Get organized• Stay consistent• Focus


What a Great ? Looks Like


The BlueprintCategory Path Category Name

Number of Questions

Percentage of Category

Bloom Taxonomy\03 - Application 03 - Application 26 43.00

Bloom Taxonomy\04 - Analysis 04 - Analysis 21 35.00

Bloom Taxonomy\05 - Synthesis 05 - Synthesis 12 20.00

NCLEX\Health Promotion and Maintenance\Developmental Stages and Transitions

Developmental Stages and Transitions 18 30.00

NCLEX\Health Promotion and Maintenance\Health Promotion-Disease Prevention Health Promotion-Disease Prevention 6 10.00

NCLEX\Health Promotion and Maintenance\Health Screening Health Screening 1 1.00

NCLEX\Physiological Integrity\Basic Care and Comfort\Elimination Elimination 3 5.00

NCLEX\Physiological Integrity\Basic Care and Comfort\Non-Pharmacological Comfort Interventions

Non-Pharmacological Comfort Interventions 5 8.00

NCLEX\Physiological Integrity\Basic Care and Comfort\Nutrition and Oral Hydration Nutrition and Oral Hydration 2 3.00

NCLEX\Physiological Integrity\Pharmacological Therapies\Adverse Effects-Contraindications-Side Effects-Interactions

Adverse Effects-Contraindications-Side Effects-Interactions 7 11.00

NURS 4350 Course Outcomes\4350 Course Outcome 11 4350 Course Outcome 11 9 15.00








Nursing Processes Nursing Processes 1 1.00

Nursing Processes\01 - Assessment 01 - Assessment 16 26.00

Nursing Processes\02 - Diagnosis 02 - Diagnosis 1 1.00

Nursing Processes\03 - Planning 03 - Planning 14 23.00

Nursing Processes\04 - Implementation 04 - Implementation 23 38.00

Nursing Processes\05 - Evaluation 05 - Evaluation 8 13.00


The Blueprint Analysis


Let’s Practice!!!!

A Guide to Curriculum and Accreditation Mapping Using Examsoft Categories and Blueprint Features

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