No, really, it’s not a trick question! Assessment and curriculum are like the chicken and the egg… yes, I managed to sneak in another PAIR reference… except this time, we actually know which comes first. (Standby, we’ll have more of that in a minute.)
Let’s be honest, when we started teaching, most of us were handed a course outline, a textbook, and a cheerful “you’ve got this!” Assessment felt like something you did at the end, a formality or a checkbox. But here’s the thing nobody told us in grad school: assessment and curriculum aren’t two separate issues; they’re just coming at one issue from two directions.
After all, curriculum isn’t just a well-organized syllabus with ambitious learning objectives and perfectly formatted APA citations in your reading list (though, respect). It means every lesson, every activity, every discussion prompt is building in the same direction, toward something students can actually demonstrate they learned, which aligns with official course and maybe program competencies. That “something” is where you want to focus for assessment. If you’re assessing it, is the curriculum actually building toward it? When those two questions get the same answer, student outcomes genuinely improve, and that’s our goal!
You might wonder why I’m talking about this now. Well, summer break is many things to many people: a chance to rest, recharge, maybe finally get to that stack of books you swore you’d read. If you’re anything like me, this is the quiet stretch where I actually have space to work on things I’ve been pushing to the back burner all year. So, in case you might have a curriculum revision or two on your back burner, before you close the laptop and head out the door, let’s talk about the relationship between assessment data and curriculum. Because this is where the chicken-and-egg analogy really earns its keep. You can’t improve one without looking at the other.
If half a class misses the same concept on an exam, that’s not a “student problem,” that’s beautiful, actionable, slightly humbling data telling you something in the course design needs attention. The assessment cracked open, and what came out wasn’t quite the shiny outcome you thought the curriculum would produce. It’s unlikely any of us built a perfect course on the first try; most of us have courses that are constantly evolving, and that’s not a flaw. That’s the whole point.
Assessment data points are only useful, though, if they feed back into what and how you are teaching. The loop has to close. Data in, revision out, stronger course next semester. It’s all about continuous improvement, which is not a buzzword, just good teaching practices.
So the next time you are designing a module or revising one, start at the end. What do you want students to walk away knowing, doing, or being able to demonstrate? How will you measure that learning? Does it align with your official course competencies? Does it connect to your program map? From there, build backward from what you plan to assess. That is the heart of backward design: starting with the egg you want to hatch, then intentionally building the curriculum around it. What learning experiences will move students toward that outcome? What scaffolding will help them get there? And when you close the loop by reviewing the evidence, making adjustments, and reassessing, you create the next generation of the chicken… oops, I mean curriculum… stronger, smarter, and better aligned for the students who come next.
Remember, strong curriculum that counts and meaningful assessment aren’t separate goals; they’re the same goal, approached from two directions. So if you’re planning any revisions this summer, start by considering whether you have assessment data to inform revisions and contemplating how it will fit into your assessment plan. Remember, fall 2026 kicks off our new 3-year assessment cycle.
Here is to a restorative break, we’ve earned it. And if that back-burner revision energy kicks in, let your assessment data lead the way. See you in fall 2026!
#CurriculumThatCounts
