GETTING STARTED ON COURSE REDESIGN

TODAY’S DISCUSSION

Overview of the Methodology and Findings of the Successful Redesign Projects

Examples from Successful Institutions Readiness for Course Redesign Opportunities to Get Started

• Established in 1999 as a university Center at RPI funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts

• Became an independent non-profit organization in 2003

• Mission: help colleges and universities learn how to use technology to improve student learning outcomes and reduce their instructional costs

TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION

SeminarsLectures

“BOLT-ON” INSTRUCTION

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE LECTURE?

• Treats all students as if they are the same

• Ineffective in engaging students

• Inadequate individual assistance

• Poor attendance and success rates

• Students fail to retain learning

WHAT’S WRONG WITH MULTIPLE SECTIONS?

• In theory: greater interaction• In practice: large class size• In practice: dominated by the

same presentation techniques• Lack of coordination• Inconsistent outcomes

WHAT DOES NCAT MEAN BY COURSE REDESIGN?

Course redesign is the process of redesigning whole courses (rather than individual classes or sections) to achieve better learning outcomes at a lower cost by taking advantage of the capabilities of information technology.

PROGRAM IN COURSE REDESIGN

To encourage colleges and universities to redesign their approaches to instruction using technology to achieve cost savings as well as quality enhancements.

50,000 students

30 projects

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

• 25 of the original 30 showed improvement; 5 showed equal learning

• 24 measured retention; 18 showed improvement

• All 30 showed cost reduction

• Results in subsequent national and state and system programs have continued to show comparable results

TAKING COURSE REDESIGN TO SCALE

• The Roadmap to Redesign (R2R)2003 – 2006 (20 institutions)

• Colleagues Committed to Redesign (C2R)2006 - 2009 (60 institutions)

• Programs with Systems and States2006 – present (~80 institutions)

• The Redesign Alliance2006 – present (70+ institutions)

• Changing the Equation2009 – 2012 (34 institutions)

QUANTITATIVE

• Mathematics– Developmental Math– Pre-calculus Math – College Algebra – Discrete Math – Introductory Algebra – Elementary Algebra – Beginning Algebra – Intermediate Algebra – Linear Algebra

• Statistics– Business Statistics– Introductory Statistics – Elementary Statistics – Economic Statistics

• Computing– Computer Programming– Information Technology

Concepts – Computer Literacy – Information Literacy – Tools for the Information

Age

• SCIENCE– Anatomy and

Physiology– Astronomy – Biology – Ethnobotany – Chemistry – Geology

• SOCIAL SCIENCE– American

Government – Macro and

Microeconomics – Psychology – Sociology – Urban Affairs

• HUMANITIES– Developmental Reading– Developmental Writing– English Composition– Communication Studies – Understanding the Visual

and Performing Arts – History of Western

Civilization – Great Ideas in Western

Music – Spanish– World Literature – British Literature– Women and Gender

Studies

• PROFESSIONAL– Elementary Education– Education: The Curriculum – Engineering– Organizational Behavior– Public Speaking– Accounting– Nursing– Nutrition

NCAT METHODOLOGY:Relevance and Utility

• Discipline: math & literature

• Age: traditional & working adults

• Institution: small & large• Location: on-campus &

at a distance • Redesign: current & new

courses• Level: introductory &

advanced

WHY REDESIGN?Have a high impact!

Consider• High drop-failure-withdrawal rates• Student performance in subsequent courses • Students on waiting lists• Student complaints• Other departmental complaints• Lack of consistency in multiple sections• Difficulty finding qualified adjuncts

WHAT DO THE FACULTY SAY?

• “It’s the best experience I’ve ever had in a classroom.”

• “The quality of my worklife has changed immeasurably for the better.”

• “It’s a lot of work during the transition--but it’s worth it.”

REDESIGN MODELS• Supplemental – Add to the current structure and/or

change the content • Replacement – Blend face-to-face with online

activities• Emporium – Move all classes to a lab setting

Fully online – Conduct all (most)

learning activities online• Buffet – Mix and match according

to student preferences• Linked Workshop – JIT workshops

linked to a college level course

REDESIGN CHARACTERISTICS • Redesign the whole course—not just a

single class• Emphasize active learning—greater

student engagement with the material and with one another

• Rely heavily on readily available interactive software—used independently and in teams

• Mastery learning—not self-paced• Increase on-demand, individualized

assistance • Automate only those course

components that can benefit from automation—e.g., homework, quizzes, exams

• Replace single mode instruction with differentiated personnel strategies

Technology enables good pedagogy with large #s of students.

SUPPLEMENTAL MODEL

• Maintain the basic current structure• Change the content so that more is available

on line• Change interaction so that students are

interacting more with the material• Change the use of the time to reduce or

eliminate lecturing and increase student interaction

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGYNorthern Arizona University

• 2000/year foundational, survey-style class• 8-11 uncoordinated sections annually• Issues:

– Engagement. 63% study < 2 hours per week– Student learning and achievement– Enrollment pressures and cost. $62/student– Consistency. Non-permanent staff, divergent

grade distributions– Faculty perception, participation

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGYNorthern Arizona University

• Redesigned Course• Team taught F2F section with

substantial online components– 400 students/section, back to back

scheduling, coordination– GTA team approach with “early intervention

specialist”

• Student response system• Required, repeatable online quizzes

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGYNorthern Arizona University

• Web assignments - 4 per semester– Guided exploration and written reflection

on web-based surveys and other activities– Pilot research suggested these effectively

complement material• Email contact with struggling students• Students in redesigned sections scored

better on exams • Costs reduced $63 -> $42 per student• 90% taught by FT faculty

REPLACEMENT MODEL• Blend face-to-face with online activities• Determine exactly what activities

required face-to-face and reduce the amount of time to focus only on those activities in class

• Provide 24/7 online interactive learning materials and resources

• Include online self-assessment activities with immediate feedback

ENGLISH COMPOSITION Tallahassee Community College

• Primary goals– Increase writing skills– Improve student success (<60%)– Increase consistency (100

sections)• Replace classroom time with lab time

and online activities • Integrate reading and writing, provide

immediate feedback and support collaborative learning

• Success rates Increased to 68.4%• Final essay scores increased (8.35 in

redesign vs. 7.32 in traditional)• Cost-per-student declined by 43%

EMPORIUM MODEL• Move all classes to a lab setting• Permit the use of multiple kinds of

personnel• Allow students to work as long as they

need to master the content• Can be adapted for the kinds of students at

a particular institution• Allow multiple courses the same time• Include multiple examples in math

THE EMPORIUM MODEL77% Cost Reduction (V1)30% Cost Reduction (V2)

EMPORIUM MODELUniversity of Alabama

PRE-CALCULUS MATHUniversity of Alabama

PROBLEMS

• No support for multiple learning styles• No flexibility in instructional pace• Lack of student success

• D/F/W rates as high as 60%• Very high course repeat percentage• Negative impact on student retention• Significant drain on resources

PRE-CALCULUS MATHUniversity of Alabama

• 30-50 minute group meetings weekly• 3-4 hours in lab or elsewhere working

independently using software that presents a series of topics covering specific learning objectives

• Practice problems and assessments that cover defined learning objectives

• Quizzes taken multiple times with immediate feedback

• Tests available on demand with a specified completion date

• Instructors and tutors available in lab to provide individualized assistance

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMASUCCESS RATES

• Fall 1998• Fall 1999

• Fall 2000• Fall 2001• Fall 2002• Fall 2003• Fall 2004

• 47.1%• 40.6%

• 50.2%• 60.5%• 63.0%• 78.9%• 76.2%

DEVELOPMENTAL READINGNortheast State Community College • Reading Emporium• Annual enrollment 500-550• Problems: High failure rate, course drift, one size

fits all• Goals: improve outcomes, individualized student

programs, reduce cost course costs• Weekly group meetings, required lab hours,

course notebook, early exit possible• Results: Nelson Denny test – redesign increase

20 points, 12 points more than traditional

FULLY ONLINE MODEL

• Moves all or most of the learning environment online

• Provides access to anyone, anywhere, anytime – on demand

• Allows international groups of students to interact easily and learn from each other

U. OF S. MISSISSIPPIWorld Literature

Traditional• 16 – 20 sections (~65)• Taught by 8 faculty

and 8 adjuncts• Faculty do all grading• $70 cost-per-student

Redesign• Single online section• Team-taught by 4

faculty and 4 TAs• 50% automated grading

via WebCT; 50% TAs• $31 cost-per-student

Redesign triples course capacity.

PRE-CALCULUS MATHRio Salado College

Traditional• 4 courses taught by

4 instructors • Student interaction

= each instructor

• $49 cost-per-student• Retention = 59%

Redesign• 4 courses taught by 1

instructor• Student interaction =

interactive software, 1 course assistant, and 1 instructor

• $31 cost-per-student• Retention = 65%

BUFFET MODEL• Assess each student’s knowledge/skill level

and preferred learning style• Provide an array of high-quality, interactive

learning materials and activities• Develop individualized study plans• Built in continuous assessment to provide

instantaneous feedback • Offer appropriate, varied

human interaction

when needed

STATISTICSOhio State University

• Redesign students outscored traditional students on common exams (mean = 78.3 vs. 70)

• Percentage of students needing to retake the course reduced from 33% to 12%.

• Cost-per-student reduced from $191 to $132

LINKED WORKSHOP MODEL• Retain basic structure of the college-level course, particularly

the number of class meetings• Replace remedial/developmental course with just-in-time

(JIT) workshops• Design workshops to remove deficiencies in core course

competencies• Workshops consist of computer-based instruction, small-

group activities and test reviews to provide additional instruction on key concepts

• Students individually assigned software modules based on results of diagnostic assessments

• Workshops facilitated by students who have previously excelled in core course; students trained and supervised by core course faculty

• JIT workshop activities designed so students use concepts during next core course class session, which in turn helps them see the value of the workshops and motivates them to do workshop activities

DEVELOPMENTAL MATHAustin Peay State University

Fundamentals of Math• Traditional: 33% of

students who took the developmental and the college-level course sequentially were successful.

• Redesign: 70% of students who would have been assigned to a developmental course were successful in the course linked to a workshop.

Elements of Statistics• Traditional: 23% of

students who took the developmental and the college-level course sequentially were successful.

• Redesign: 52% of students who would have been assigned to a developmental course were successful in the course linked to a workshop.

FACULTY BENEFITS• Increased opportunity to work directly with

students who need help• Reduced grading • Technology does the tracking and monitoring• More practice and interaction for students

without faculty effort• Ability to try different approaches to meet

different student needs• Opportunity for continuous improvement of

materials and approaches

A STREAMLINED REDESIGN METHODOLOGY

“A Menu of Redesign Options”

• Five Models for Course Redesign

• Five Principles of Successful Course Redesign

• Cost Reduction Strategies• Course Planning Tool• Course Structure Form• Five Models for Assessing

Student Learning• Five Critical Implementation

Issues• Planning Checklist

How do these examples relate to

GETTING STARTED?

READINESS CRITERIA• What does it mean to be “ready” to do a

major course redesign?• Is your institution ready?• Which courses are “ready”—i.e., are good

candidates for a comprehensive redesign?

WHY INSTITUTIONAL TEAMS?

• Faculty experts• Administrators• Technology

professionals• Assessment

experts

READINESS CRITERIA

1. Institutional Commitment to Change

2. Institutional Commitment to Strategic Use of Technology

3. Technology Readiness

4. Commitment to Learner-Centered Education

5. Commitment to Learner Readiness

6. Willingness to Use Active Learning Materials

7. Collective Faculty Commitment

GETTING STARTED ON COURSE REDESIGN

Carolyn Jarmon, Ph.D.cjarmon@theNCAT.org

www.theNCAT.org

Transportation to the Airport

If you do not have a car, and have not already done so, you will need to schedule transportation back to the hotel or airport.

Possible travel options:•Checker Cab – 410-685-1212•Jimmy’s Cab - 410-296-7200•Royal Cab – 410-327-0330•Sun Cab – 410-235-0300• The Airport Shuttle 800-776-0323•Super Shuttle 800-258-3826

READINESS CRITERIA

1. Institutional Commitment to Change

2. Institutional Commitment to Strategic Use of Technology

3. Technology Readiness

4. Commitment to Learner-Centered Education

5. Commitment to Learner Readiness

6. Willingness to Use Active Learning Materials

7. Collective Faculty Commitment

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

• A, H – Criterion #1• B, I – Criterion #2• C, J – Criterion #3• D – Criterion #4• E – Criterion #5• F – Criterion #6• G – Criterion #7

ASSIGNMENT

• For the Readiness Criterion assigned to your group: – What are the obstacles to meeting this

criteria?– What issues do you need to consider?– What evidence would help you overcome

the obstacles?– What information do you need to gather?– What process, if any, might help

overcome the obstacles?• Choose one person to report back.

QUESTIONS?