# Software Development and Tool Support for Curriculum Design: A Systematic Mapping Study
## 5 Discussion
### Conceptual Map  
Figure 10 presents a conceptual map that summarizes the findings about the curriculum design support tools. This conceptual map relates the tools with the models, methods, and techniques used based on the systematic mapping developed. It also considers the curriculum design concepts and actors it supports.  
As we mentioned in previous sections, two types of models that support curriculum design tools are found. In the first place are the quality models, which help the curriculum design process. Among these models are CMM [90] and [PERSON]'s model [89]. In second place are the models for software design. The models used come from various areas, which help to represent the concepts and relationships sought to be modeled in the tool. Of these models for software design, we can find models coming from education, such as IMS-LD [93; 94; 96], IMS-QTI and IMS-RDCO [95]; models coming from philosophy, such as ontologies [76; 77; 78; 79; 80; 81; 82; 83; 84; 85]; and models coming from software engineering, informatic systems, and computer science, such as UML models [86; 87; 96] and entity-relationship diagrams [92].  
Figure 10: Concept map of tools to support curriculum design.  
Software development methods used in the development of curriculum design support tools consider agile methodologies, development methodologies coming from education such as ADDIE [88], and traditional methodologies such as prototyping [91] and RUP [98]. Machine learning techniques [97], natural language processing [70], or web scraping [99] also support the development of tools to support curriculum design.  
On the other hand, the tools found support certain concepts and actors found within curriculum design. In the first place is the institution. In this case, the technological tools provide ways to accredit their careers [14] and align the curriculum with the needs of the industry [99]. Secondly, there are the teachers, where technological tools help them to reduce the time they take to plan the courses they are involved in [70; 90; 91; 96]. Likewise, technological tools help teachers who do not have mastery in curriculum design and/or instructional design [76; 77; 78; 82; 87; 110; 111; 113].  
Finally, the curriculum design support tools consider the domain of the micro and meso-curriculum levels. The micro-curricular design considers course design under instructional design and course design under constructive alignment. In the latter, learning outcomes management and competencies evaluation are highlighted [80]. Regarding the meso-curriculum design, it considers the concept of competencies in the context of the competency-based model [103; 116; 117].  
Despite the advances in the development of tools to support curriculum design, studies have yet to be found that use meta-models to achieve communication and alignment between the technical software development team and the educational team. This issue is essential because meta-models provide the following benefits:  
* A set of rules of association between the components of a system (e.g., curricular components);
* The definition of a common language among the professionals of the educational project;
* The generation of a working guide.