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University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS. NCAT Course Redesign Introduction to Psychology David J Echevarria david.echevarria@usm.edu. Introduction. General education requirement 1200 annual enrollment 3 sections per semester (plus summer)
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University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS NCAT Course Redesign Introduction to Psychology David J Echevarria david.echevarria@usm.edu
Introduction • General education requirement • 1200 annual enrollment • 3 sections per semester (plus summer) • Course is traditional F2F in a large room with some use of technology • Redesign will reduce the number of faculty assigned to teach this course • Pilot Spring 2009, revised version Fall 2009 David J Echevarria : Social Sciences
Faculty and Administrative Support • Initial faculty reception was mixed • If it ain’t broke don’t fix it • Been there done that • Change means work • Support of colleagues on the redesign team • Chair, Dean, Provost, IT folks David J Echevarria : Social Sciences
Faculty and Administrative Support • Securing a suitable lecture hall • Rooms for laboratory sections • Are these rooms equipped for the redesign? • Course listing and credit hours David J Echevarria : Social Sciences
Technology • We are also using an interactive e-textbook • Blackboard • Cengage • Online testing • Many challenges with data collection and communication between technologies • Steep learning curve for students • Training for faculty is crucial David J Echevarria : Social Sciences
Technology • We supplement the larger lecture with lab groups of about 20 students • On line exercises • Videos • Software simulations David J Echevarria : Social Sciences
Staffing the Redesign • 1 faculty member for lecture (300 students) • 3 graduate TA’s • Blackboard • Data • Supervising peer instructors • 10 undergraduate peer instructors • Recruited top performers • These folks run the lab sections • They receive course credit and gain experience “teaching” which can be documented in a letter of recommendation for graduate school David J Echevarria : Social Sciences