Managing Increased Online Enrollment with Team Teaching and SAM

1. Managing Increased Online Enrollment with Team Teaching and SAM Melinda White and Sandy KeeterSeminole State College of Florida

2. About your Instructors • Melinda White and Sandy Keeter • Laverne and Shirley slide show

3. History • VP/Dean challenged us to increase enrollment and average class size • Looked for creative ways to re-design without making more work, yet maintain quality

4. Increased EnrollmentCGS2100 – Office Applications

5. Higher Average Class Size CGS2100 – Office Applications

6. Why Re-design? • The current economy makes reducing costs while serving more students imperative • Data tell us that we need to improve course completion, re-enrollment rates and student learning outcomes in gateway courses • Examining what we do, how we do it, and the results we achieve is imperative for accreditation, and for continuous renewal as a vibrant, high-quality college • What do we want to be sure to preserve at Seminole State? • The human, personal touch with students • The community college mission and culture • Faculty responsibility for teaching and student learning

7. Opportunities • Expand use of technology and computer-based learning to supplement classroom teaching • Provide structured practice for students • Reduce faculty routine grading of homework • Facilitate learning assessment • Explore team teaching to take advantage of respective strengths of faculty • Improve student learning across all sections of a course, whether taught by FT or adjunct faculty

8. Goal • To reduce costs significantly while maintaining and even improving quality by piloting course re-design • The primary source of savings would be larger class sizes in appropriate courses, appropriately re-designed

9. Think Outside the Box • You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus: • An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. • An old friend who once saved your life. • The perfect partner you have been dreaming about. • Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

10. Possible Solutions • This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. • You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. • Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. • However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again….

11. WINNING Solution! • The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: 'I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.‘ Think OUTSIDE the BOX when thinking about course re-design – there is not always one answer or one choice!

12. Course Redesign Efforts • Rather than our administration telling us what to do, we came up with solutions we could live with and proposed our ideas to them • Decided to “pilot” a few of our ideas by coming up with a course shell we both could use and eventually share with others

13. Tackling the Problem • Attended Course Redesign Conference • Met with faculty from various disciplines to brainstorm/share ideas • Hired student assistant to help re-design from a student perspective

14. Concerns • 30+ sections of Office Applications with 30 students/class per term • Class size and enrollment nearly doubled in last five years • Did not want to make course easier by requiring less; need to maintain quality • Wanted to keep personal touch with students • Didn’t want to add more work to already overloaded professors

15. Our Plan – how we did it • Last summer we combined all of our online Office Applications sections into one ANGEL site and integrated SAM PROJECTS • Both added as course designers so we could make changes as we go… • Used ONE syllabus – with our contact info • No concern for whose student was whose • Two teachers working from one course site, online ≈16+ hours/day

16. Feedback • Feedback was great (except for a select few..) • College student surveys praised us for attentiveness, helpfulness, quick response • White, Melinda and Keeter, Sandy“They are truly two very caring and supportive Professors.”

17. Cost Justification • Enrollment skyrocketed so we asked Dean for course grading assistant if we increased class size by 30%

18. Things to Think About • Who to team teach with • How choose an assistant • Unique Institutional needs • How to organize class • Who grades, who answers discussions? • Sub possibilities

19. Who to team teach with? • Someone you trust, teaches similarly • Same work ethic/skills • Complementary personalities – not just like you • Partner with someone strong in your weak areas and vice-versa

20. Team Teaching Tips • Open to change • Willing to try out new ideas • Flexibility • Meet weekly to discuss issues • Make updates to course as needed • Respect and support each other’s ideas and decisions

21. Other Things to Consider • All instructors must know content well • Lab Manager/DL Department onboard • Be open to CHANGE • Decide who does what, when? • Knowing partner well prevents surprises later

22. Course Grading Assistant • Choose course assistant from pool of your best students – good work ethic, trustworthy • We hired former student, made an A in this course, Education Student at UCF

23. Course Assistant Prep • Required to take Angel/Sakai training • Worked through all assignments/exams • Provided course re-design ideas from a “student perspective”

24. Course Assistant Responsibilities • Angel “Designer Rights” • Proof entire course for errors and inconsistencies; fix problems • Attend weekly meetings to discuss course issues or concerns • Make changes to online material as needed or requested by instructors • Grade assignments within 24 hrs

25. Course Assistant Benefits • Student assistant worked average of 8 hours/week, made $1500/semester • Equivalent to what an adjunct makes in one class, but she was working equivalent of 2 classes • Flexible schedule, can work from home • Good work experience for resume • Meets with students as needed

26. Improved Grades • More passing grades, less withdrawals

27. Suggestions • Provide Welcome Letter, Campus Orientation and Orientation Quiz to go over FAQs • Build online community with good discussions • With SAM Projects - allow multiple chances to learn from mistakes, consistency in assignments/grading • Require PRACTICE Tests for Exam Success • Make THEM turn in Reports so they take ownership of grade • Quick Feedback; better results

28. Course Setup • Angel Course Content and SAM Setup

29. Problems • Making assignments CLEAR • $/time for course re-design efforts • Too many students in one course? • How many is too many? • How many instructors/sections can work well together? • Huge discussion boards • System problems at home – SAM/Angel

30. Skits

31. Questions and Answers