overview of course redesign tom carey, university of waterloo & california state university...

Overview of Course RedesignTom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University

Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North CarolinaHilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina

Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNYJennie Dautermann, State University of New York

Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design InitiativeTom Carey

Contributions from and discussion with all participants…

Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign

Examples of comprehensive Course Redesign programs

• Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England• Resource-based Learning

• Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’s• Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE• Pew Program in Course Redesign, 1999-2003• Roadmap to Redesign, 2003-2006 [FIPSE]• Colleagues Committed to Redesign, 2006-2009 [FIPSE]• State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY]

Comprehensive Course Redesign is a systematic process to simultaneouslyimprove learning outcomes and reduce/contain instructional costs

(also known as Academic Transformation, etc.)

http://www.thencat.org/States/AZ/AZ%20Call%20to%20Participate.pdf

http://www.thencat.org/Monographs/ImpLearn.html

http://www.highereducation.org/reports/pa_core/core.pdf

NCAT Case Study [http://www.thencat.org/R2R/Abstracts/UNCG_Alg_Home.htm]

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) redesigned three precalculus math courses, and the results were extremely rewarding. For Precalculus I, the final exam average for the redesigned course increased significantly from 58.2 for the traditional course to 75.5, and the DFW rate dropped from 77% in the traditional course to 38% in the redesigned course. For Precalculus II, the final exam average increased from 65 for the traditional course to 69.6, and the DFW rate dropped from 60% in the traditional course to 41% in the redesigned course. For College Algebra, the DFW rate dropped from 62% in the traditional course to 49% in the redesigned course.

Costs also declined about 35%.

Examples of Transforming Course Design related programs and projects

• Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England• Resource-based Learning

• Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’s• Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE• Pew Program in Course Redesign, 1999-2003• Roadmap to Redesign, 2003-2006 [FIPSE]• Colleagues Committed to Redesign, 2006-2009 [FIPSE]• State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY]

• Teaching Well, Saving Time, Barbara Walvoord/Notre Dame, late 90’s

• E-Learning Transformation Program, in progress, Scotland• Re-engineering Assessment Practices • Self-regulated Learning

About UNC

• 16 campuses w. 200K students

• Rapid growth

• Course redesign will help with– higher enrollment– DFW rates– readiness for further coursework– consistency among sections

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UNC Redesign Efforts

2004 – 2006• Large courses• Outside assistance

(Carolyn Jarmon)• Four campuses /

nine courses

2007 – 2009• Any course• Experienced mentors

from 2004-06 efforts• Nine campuses /

thirteen courses /two explorations of technology, methodology



MERLOT Example #1

Issue• Business research &

quantitative methods• Knowledge of

statistics varies• Customized review

needed

Using MERLOT• Identify existing

learning materials

More time available for redesign



MERLOT Example #2

Issue• Teacher education

in physics, astronomy, technology

• Moving online to accommodate more students

Using MERLOT• RSS feeds on

course web site

Students exposed to many new resources



MERLOT Example #3

Issue• Theatre studies• Multiple sections /

instructors• Content widely

variable

Using MERLOT• Department resource

collection like St. Petersburg College

• Based on personal collections feature

Standardization



MERLOT Example #4

Issue• Health• Multiple sections• Guests available to

only one section• Recorded for online

access by other students

Using MERLOT• Virtual speakers

bureau

More flexibility (person, timing)

Provide materialsplus recording



MERLOT Example #5

Issue• College algebra• Redesign vision

– Before class:online modules &practice problems

– During class:student-driven &interactive

Using MERLOT• ELIXR case stories

show exemplary teaching practices

Successful transition to unfamiliar teaching methods





AdministratorsBudget issuesServe large enrollments Prerequisite coverageEfficient deliveryStudent outcomesInstitutions own LOsEfficiently reuse LOsConsistent coursesComplete content

PractitionersCourse prep time Meet discipline’s needsContent coverageEfficient grading Student learningLO fits teaching style Adaptability of LOsAdaptable courses Teachable content

Course redesign stakeholders’ points of view



Department/s have--Practical Consensus on content and approach

--Commitment to ugrad teaching

--Agreement on autonomy, academic freedom, specialties

--Openness to ideas from ANY faculty member

--A credible internal champion

--P&T provisions for rewarding undergraduate teaching

--Access to a body of reusable teaching materials

And Campuses have--A long view--Ways to foster enlightened departmental leadership--Adequate funding--Infrastructure to support unusual teaching loads and facility uses--Faculty who are ready to move--Some Faculty members who are already moving--Courses with favorable capital to labor ratios--Adequate campus TLT support Then Course Redesign may be a Good Approach

Adapted from ”The Concept of Readiness in the Academic Department: A Case Study of Undergraduate Education Reform” by Virginia S. Lee, Michael R. Hyman, and Geraldine Luginbuhl. Innovations in Higher Education 2007, 32:3-18

IF….

“In March 2007, the CSU Office of the Chancellor launched a system wide project, Transforming Course Design, to support campus planning and implementation of comprehensive course design processes with the following goals:

Primary Goals: • Enhance learning experiences and student success, through learner-centered and technology-enabled instruction;• Contain/reduce the costs of instruction, including a focus on optimizing the time invested in learning and teaching by students and faculty;

Secondary Goals: • Demonstrate these outcomes in rigorous assessments of student success and instructional efficiencies;• Leverage collaborations, in CSU & beyond, to develop resources/capabilities;• Sustain ongoing activities and support a culture of Transforming Course Design.

(part of) The CSU response: Transforming Course Design

The focus of the Transforming Course Design initiative is to support CSU campus efforts in this area, to optimize the impact of those efforts,

and to insure that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’…”.

Sources of TOTAL workshop materials…

Curriculum Learning

Outcomes

Course Learning

Outcomes

Demonstration & Assessment

Learning tasks and activities

Knowledge content and resources

Prior capability, knowledge, etc.

Team-based NCATOutcomes-driven ETL (U.K.)Task-oriented WalvoordTime-optimized Walvoord

Tool-intensive NCAT +Cost-sensitive NCAT +++Assessment- rich REAPKnowledge-based… MERLOT, SOTL

TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice

Outcome: Project teams will be able to Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design

In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2,

i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a significant impact on your plans.

Outline: Sharing Resources Sharing Expertise Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress) also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example

Sharing Resources

• Discipline Repositories of Learning Resources• Compadre (Physics)• CAUSE (Statistics)

• Institutional Repositories• Open Courseware (e.g., MIT)• Open Learning Initiative• OpenLearn

• Regional Repositories

• MERLOT CSU Institutional Teaching Commons

• other CSU initiatives

• other multi-discipline sites

TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice

Outcome: Project teams will be able to Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design

In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2,

i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a significant impact on your plans.

Outline: Sharing Resources Sharing Expertise Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress) also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example

overview of course redesign tom carey, university of waterloo & california state university...

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