Learning Leader as the Head of Curriculum Mapping

In this article, Ingenuiti’s Client Success Manager, Miriam Taylor, engages in a conversation with Senior Director of Learning, Jerry Zandstra, to explore the role of learning leaders as the heads of curriculum mapping. Drawing from his extensive experience in learning and development, Jerry shares insights on how curriculum mapping serves as a strategic tool to align training programs with organizational goals, identify gaps, and drive meaningful outcomes. Together, they discuss how this approach equips learning leaders to create impactful, future-ready learning strategies.

(MT) Concerning the topic of a learning leader as the head of curriculum mapping, I understand that this may seem like a rather obscure topic or role to consider. For the purpose of this article, we want to step back a bit. By viewing a learning leader as the head of curriculum mapping, we’re acknowledging that it is critical for the learning leader to see the larger picture. This thought is echoed throughout many of the articles in this series. A learning leader is not an order taker! Curriculum mapping principles and skills are great tools that a learning leader can use to develop a long-term strategy. 

(MT) Certainly the landscape of learning has changed over the past 10 years, from simple narrated PowerPoints to AI generated learning and AR/VR immersive learning as well as everything in between. Jerry, can you elaborate a little on the landscape, as it lays the groundwork for our understanding of a curriculum map? 

(JZ) Certainly! Over the years, organizations have built up many versions of learning assets, and the technology is greatly improved. So, they need a way to create a roadmap of sorts to align all their content to business and learning objectives and determine where gaps and redundancies are. They also need a way to develop blended learning making use of the advances in technology from microlearning, animations, or job aids, to full blown augmented (AR) or virtual reality (VR) content. Then finally, they want to make sure they’ve identified ROI measures and created plans to scale as needed in the future. And all of these elements can go into a curriculum map. 

(MT) Do you have a good definition of a curriculum map? 

(JZ) A curriculum map creates a scope and sequence for content that is tightly aligned to business and learning outcomes. And perhaps a longer definition is this:

It’s a flexible tool that provides visual alignment, order, and structure for long-range planning. It allows instructional designers to have a big picture perspective, helping them flesh out objectives and outcomes. 

(MT) I think it makes sense to look at the map as a tool now, and then we can talk about how a learning leader can leverage this tool to help them develop strategy for their learning programs. 

(JZ) I believe we have a graphic that will be added to this article, but I’ll just share a simple explanation here.

The main topics you want to explore and make sure you have the answers for are:

•  Organizational Goals
•  Business Outcomes
•  Stakeholders
•  Organization Values
•  Learning Cultures
•  Learners
• Topics/Objectives 

Then essentially as you work your way through these topics, you need to decide what is priority and where the risks are. What is interesting is that this tool helps the learning team take a step back and consider how the current topics and objectives are aligned to the organization and business goals. Then as you dig into the actual topics, it becomes very clear where there are gaps or redundancies. 

(MT) So let’s dig into a map first and make sure we understand it, and then we’ll talk more about how a learning leader can use it as a strategic tool. We start by discussing Organizational Goals. Why start there? It seems like it’s beyond the scope of what we might want to consider. 

(JZ) It may, but aligning the curriculum map with organizational goals is crucial. As you develop the map, it’s really important to ask about the organizational goals for not only this year but also the past years. When you do that, you often uncover new or hidden priorities and gain a better understanding of the changing focus of the organization. Honestly, having a program that is tightly aligned with the organization’s goals is vital because it ensures that the curriculum not only remains current but also directly contributes to the overall success and growth of the organization. 

And I should mention one other thing, along the Y-axis of the chart that is included in this article, you’ll see Priority, Benefits, and Risks. Those serve as reminders. You want to consider them each time, and they often provide clarity, but you don’t need to fill those in every time. 

(MT) How are business outcomes different from the organizational goals? They seem pretty similar to me. 

(JZ) Business outcomes are similar to the organizational goals, but they are at a deeper level of detail and contain measurements that the learning team may be held to. Business outcomes are usually the primary metrics, and it is crucial to determine which ones should be tracked to better support the team’s efforts. Typically, if you look closer at these metrics, you’ll see areas where the learning team can and should be providing support. Aligning the learning with things like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential, and it is important that the organization as a whole understands how learning initiatives support business outcomes. Sometimes, the team discovers they need to enhance or create learning programs that more clearly communicate this connection. I think especially in difficult financial times, the learning team must not only support these outcomes, but also communicate the value of this support which includes hard quantitative data and not just anecdotal stories, but I digress. 

(MT) I have been waiting to get to this topic. Stakeholders are so important, and they have a huge impact on a project. As we’ve discussed already, so much of curriculum mapping is really consensus building, which makes it important to navigate well. 

(JZ) Quite often when you conduct a curriculum mapping, that’s when you find hidden stakeholders. They come to light because curriculum mapping covers multiple courses aimed at achieving alignment and identifying any gaps. As a result, there are overarching stakeholders to be considered, as well as specific key stakeholders for each course, module, or section being mapped. This includes Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who possess expertise in the specific areas under consideration. It is important to note that individuals outside the Learning and Development department may have a different perspective on who the stakeholders are and how they should be engaged. Identifying who handles this process effectively, selecting appropriate SMEs, and determining suitable reviewers is essential to ensure a comprehensive and effective curriculum mapping process. 

(MT) Organization Values—why would a learning leader include organization values here? Do they really impact our mapping? 

(JZ) We’ve all worked in organizations where core values were just a poster on a wall. No one knew what they were or really cared anything about them. This just highlights how important it is to incorporate an organizational value discussion into the curriculum mapping session. First, the content of the curriculum has to reflect the company’s values so that the learning materials are in line with the organization’s core principles. Second, by integrating the values into the design, you can effectively reinforce and promote these values throughout the learning materials and experiences. Third, embedding these values in the curriculum is a way to bring visibility to any values that may not be fully operationalized within the company culture. The overall goal is to ensure that the current learning opportunities align with the organization’s values, emphasizing that learning is not separate from these core principles but is a tool for reinforcing them. Additionally, it is important to identify any specific values that are key, requiring a particular focus and emphasis within the learning materials and experiences. 

(MT) Learning Culture is a big passion of mine so obviously I think this is an important topic for any organization, but I wonder why we include it here in a curriculum mapping? 

(JZ) Asking questions about the learning culture is so critical because it allows us to unearth underlying attitudes that significantly influence the potential success or failure of a program. Questions should focus on determining the current learning experiences available, as well as the prevailing culture. Understanding whether learning is viewed as a development opportunity or as a form of punishment, gauging people’s reactions—whether they are enthusiastic or disinterested—identifying barriers to accessing learning, and identifying what aspects of learning are effective, all contribute to understanding the cultural landscape. 

I would add one more thing too, assessing whether individuals are receptive to competition or prefer a more collaborative approach provides insights into the prevailing learning attitudes and preferences. These inquiries serve to uncover important factors that can impact the overall success and effectiveness of learning initiatives. 

(MT) Topics/Objectives: So finally, we’re at the section of the curriculum map that I think we all usually jump to first. It’s been good to really consider these other areas before we dive into our specific program topics and objectives. Can you provide a little more detail though? 

(JZ) The topics and objectives can be organized into two separate columns, but sometimes the objectives may not be immediately apparent. We may begin by outlining broad objectives and then, as we delve into each topic, develop more specific ones for each area. Essentially, this is where we compile every content topic currently available or deemed necessary to include in the program. This comprehensive view enables us to identify any redundancies or gaps within the existing material. Additionally, the map prompts us to consider the importance of each topic, assess the potential risks associated with omitting certain content, and prompts us to categorize the topics based on their intended impact. Consider whether they address factual content for better understanding, skills or behaviors requiring change, or altering attitudes and beliefs. 

(MT) So as I understand it, this tool is also pretty flexible. We could include learner profiles, return on learning measures, or even future scalable plans or ideas, right? 

(JZ) Yes, and this kind of returns us to our original topic, the learning leader as head of curriculum mapping. The main point is that a learning leader needs to have a strategic long-term and short-term plan, being proactive and aware of the big picture. A curriculum map is just one tool that they can use to lead their team. 

(MT) This brings me to my last question or thoughts on this topic. Obviously, a learning leader can’t be everywhere at once. How would a learning leader train their team to use this tool? 

(JZ) Great question! So, I would suggest first to start with a smaller program. Perhaps you have a learning program focused on selling a specific product, one track of a leadership program, or maybe compliance training for one portion of the organization. Model this with your group. Just by leading a session like this, you and your team will learn so much. It is a LOT of thinking on your feet. But also, then let various members of your team lead portions of it with feedback from you. Trained instructional designers will obviously understand the content you’re trying to track, but facilitating a group strategic planning session like this takes a different kind of skill.

Because we do so much of this at Ingenuiti, we have a lot of resources to share. We can also host these workshops for you, which is another great way to learn. We’ll also highlight some additional resources at the end of this article. 

(MT) Jerry, thanks again for sharing your thoughts about the importance of a learning leader being strategic by using a curriculum map to create a clear plan for future work aligned to business objectives.

 (JZ) You’re very welcome. Again, I just can’t stress the importance of using a tool like the curriculum map. It allows for alignment, ensuring that the learning objectives are consistent and cohesive across the programs. It establishes a baseline for measurement, providing a clear starting point from which to gauge progress and success. It also aids in identifying any redundancies or gaps in the curriculum. Finally, curriculum mapping assists in setting priorities by highlighting the critical components that require focus and attention within that particular learning program. 

Continue your learning on Curiculum Mapping with the resources below:

• Webinar: A Recipe for Success: The Importance of Curriculum Mapping in Developing Learning Programs
• Podcast: Mastering the Art of Curriculum Mapping: Part 1
• Podcast: Mastering the Art of Curriculum Mapping: Part 2
• More information here

(Portions of this article are excerpts from a prior interview with Dr. Jerry Zandstra.)[1]

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