The learning map, cornerstone of the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment System (DLM-AAS), was revealed for the first time to the public at a national conference in April 2012.
Normally housed inside of a computer software program, the learning map was printed on a 30-feet-long by 6-feet-high display and unveiled during the National Council on Measurement in Education’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“The map is not yet in its final form, and we wanted to provide people the opportunity to edit the map and give feedback so that the map gets stronger,” said Neal Kingston, director of The Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation, which leads the DLM Consortium that is developing the DLM-AAS.
The printed map, made out of lightweight fabric, reflects the map as of March 2012, and includes 3,015 nodes, which represent the skills and concepts in math and English language arts that students need to acquire by the end of high school.“Providing a visual representation of the map outside of a computer where it normally resides was the best way to show people the learning map,” Kingston said, adding that the map’s skills and pathways are based on extensive research evidence of how people learn.
It also includes 5,288 pathways between skills, which represent the multiple paths students may take in order to acquire those skills and concepts.
In June 2012, the map will expand when special education experts add additional pathways that students with significant cognitive disabilities may take in their process of learning.