Programmatic alignment design tenet

At Risepoint, our commitment to programmatic alignment is rooted in the belief that students are investing in a holistic program experience, not just a single course. This resource outlines why this tenet is important, how you may implement it, and what QM standards are aligned. 

We encourage course developers to consider the broader student journey:  

• Who are your students?  
• Why did they choose this program?  
• What are their goals after graduation?  

By keeping these questions at the forefront, we ensure that every course, assessment, and learning activity is intentionally connected to the overarching program goals, creating a coherent and meaningful pathway for learners. 

Programmatic alignment goes beyond mapping objectives and assessments within a course; it’s about designing each course as a building block in the larger program structure.  

This approach not only clarifies expectations and supports deeper learning, but also increases student motivation by helping them see how each course fits into their long-term academic and professional aspirations (Alammary, 2019).

Strategies

We can implement alignment in several ways

• Use of a program-wide course framework that includes academic, technology, and institutional support. 
• Consistent course structure using an LMS template and easy to anticipate due dates across the program 
• Clearly articulating module and course objectives, mapping them to program outcomes. 
• Clearly articulating alignment between module objectives and all course content. 
• Regularly reviewing and updating course materials to maintain alignment as programs evolve. 

Articulating the alignment between objectives and content not only creates a roadmap for your students, but also meets essential QM standards. Alignment across objectives, assessments, and materials is linked to improved student achievement and satisfaction and helps students understand expectations and track their progress (QM Rubric 7th Ed.). 

Standards directly impacted by this tenet: 

• General Standard 2 outlines many essential standards pertaining to the learning objectives, ensuring that they are described to learners, for learners, and are prominently located in the course. 

• Specific Review Standards 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1 can be met by the clear articulation of the alignment.