The document discusses a method for visualizing university degree curricula based on subject competencies. It presents a process that collects data on subjects and competencies, calculates distances between subjects based on shared competencies, and draws a graph of the curriculum as a network with subjects as nodes and shared competencies as edges. The method was demonstrated on computing engineering and multimedia degree curricula. The visualization approach could help with curriculum design, analysis of competency implementation, and providing relational maps of curricula to students, teachers and administrators. Future work could involve analyzing more degrees, mapping student paths, and developing a curriculum visualization tool.

1. Curriculum visualization
based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville,17th-19th November 2014

2. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Academic degrees curricula
are usually presented with
text or tables
Semester-by-semester structure
An observation

3. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Academic degrees curricula
are usually presented with
text or tables
Typology structure
An observation

4. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Since the new European Higher Education Area
from more content based courses
to activity and competences focus
Bologna process

5. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Some questions
Can we present the curricula
in a more visual way?
Can we show the connections
among the subjects and their
competences?

6. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
E-learning context
UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
- Since 1994
- Completely online university
- 15 official degrees
- 18 official masters
- 3 doctoral degrees
- several graduate and post-graduate studies
50.000 students
4.000 workers (instructional designers, teachers, tutors, academic and technical staff)

7. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
E-learning context
Virtuality needs more interfaces and tools between users
(students, teachers and managers)
The curricula as a tool
students academic
degree
curricula
managers
teachers

8. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Analyzed degrees
European Higher Education Area degrees
240 ECTS
A) Multimedia degree curriculum
- 23 competences
- 54 subjects
B) Computing Engineering degree curriculum
- 20 competences
- 57 subjects

9. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.

10. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.

11. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
1. Data collection
rows - subjects
columns - competences
Multimedia
degree

12. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.
Multimedia
degree

13. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
2. Calculating distances
The more competences two different subjects share,
the “closer” they are
NCS: Number of Shared Competences
The more competences differ between two different
subjects, the more “distant” they are
NDC1: Number of Developed Competences on subject 1 and not
developed on subject 2
NDC2: Number of Developed Competences on subject 2 and not
developed on subject 1
Multimedia
degree

14. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
2. Calculating distances
Jaccard: NSC / (NSC + NDC1 + NDC2)
Dice: NSC / (2*NSC + NDC1 + NDC2)
Kulzinsky: NSC / (NDC1 + NDC2)
Sokal-Sneath-e: 0.5 * NSC * (1 / (NSC + NDC1) + 1 / (NSC + NDC2))
Ochiai: NSC / (NSC + NDC1) * (NSC + NDC2)
NOTE:
NCS: Number of Shared Competences
NDC1: Number of Developed Competences on subject 1 and not developed on subject 2
NDC2: Number of Developed Competences on subject 2 and not developed on subject 1
Multimedia
degree

15. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.
Jaccard
distance
Multimedia
degree

16. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
3. Drawing the graph
Graph (using Gephi)
Curriculum as a network
- Subjects are nodes
- Common competences
are edges
Multimedia
degree

17. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
3. Drawing the graph
Graph (using Gephi)
Curriculum as a network
- Subjects are nodes
- Common competences
are edges
Modularity is used
to find clusters
Multimedia
degree

18. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.
Multimedia
degree
Jaccard
distance

19. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
The visualization process
Data
collection
Calculating
distances
Drawing
the graph
1. 2. 3.
Computing Engineering
degree
Jaccard
distance

20. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Results Computing Engineering
degree
A. Information systems
B. Programming
languages and compilers
C. Hardware and
systems architecture
D. Foundations of
computer science
E. English

21. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Results
A. Management
B. Design
C. Technology
D. English
Multimedia
degree

22. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Discussion
The proposed visualization can:
Help to take snapshots of the degree during the design process
Work as a technique for analyzing the competence based implementation
of an already developed degree
Provide students, teachers and management staff with a relational map of
the curriculum

23. Curriculum visualization based on subject competences
Laia Blasco Soplon, Julià Minguillón, Javier Melenchón Maldonado
ICERI 2014 7th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Seville-17th-19th November 2014
Future work
Use the proposed visualization to analyze other degrees data.
Draw the real paths and patterns of students’ enrollment along the semesters.
Collect user requirements (students, teachers and management staff) related
to the visualization of the curriculum.
Build an open curriculum degree visual design tool/interface.

24. Thank you!
lblascos@uoc.edu
jminguillona@uoc.edu
jmelenchonm@uoc.edu