THE VIRTUAL CORE PROJECT: E nhancing the Core Curriculum Through Virtual Learning

1. THE VIRTUAL CORE PROJECT:Enhancing the Core Curriculum Through Virtual Learning Dr. Barbra Buckner Higginbotham Chief Librarian & Executive Director, Academic Information Technologies Brooklyn College of the City University of New York NERCOMP

2. Faculty everywhere are seeking to enhance instruction by integrating technology with teaching. Today, two models predominate. • In one, technology-based modules supplement conventional classroom activities. • In the other, class time has been completely displaced by courses delivered via technology. • We believe that Brooklyn's "in-class/on-line" model provides a better solution. NERCOMP

3. The Virtual Core Project is: • Developing a curriculum model for the classroom-combined-with-Internet environment. • Increasing the base of knowledge about technology-assisted learning for undergraduate teaching. • Identifying the aspects of courses that are most appropriate for Internet delivery. • Determining how to present appropriate aspects of courses in an effective, stimulating manner using the Web. NERCOMP

4. The Virtual Core Project is: • Discovering which online teaching techniques contribute most to student success and satisfaction with core courses. • Discovering the most effective ways to attract faculty to incorporate Internet components with their teaching. • Developing evaluation processes for good teaching, student success, and faculty/student satisfaction in the Internet-assisted environment. NERCOMP

5. The Project Team • Dr. Barbra Buckner Higginbotham, grant writer and Project Co-Director • Dr. John Blamire, Professor of Biology, Co-Director and Faculty Mentor • Dr. Donald Gerardi, Professor of History, Faculty Mentor • Dr. Hardy Hansen, Professor of Classics, Faculty Mentor • Dr. Manuel Martinez-Pons, Professor of Education, Project Evaluator • 12 Faculty Developers NERCOMP

6. Where are the Virtual Core Internet modules delivered? • Student computer labs on campus • The Library • The Library Café • Departmental computer labs • Students’ homes NERCOMP

7. The Virtual Core Project is Generating Results in Four Key Areas: NERCOMP

8. Results for Students • Students are exposed to new topics presently unavailable to beginners, because they are too costly to teach or because students lack the necessary background. • Their written skills are improving. • Student satisfaction & success are increasing. • Students have greater flexibility in meeting their educational requirements.. NERCOMP

9. Results for Faculty • Faculty have the opportunity to explore and develop new approaches to teaching, without abandoning those they now use and to whose power they remain committed. • They are developing fresh instructional skills and increasing their base of knowledge about technology-assisted learning. • Like students, they have greater flexibility in meeting their academic obligations. NERCOMP

10. Results for Brooklyn College • The “in-class/on-line” model has the effect of increasing the number of classrooms on campus. • When virtual labs substitute for some laboratory time, the same result occurs. • On campuses where faculty are reluctant about asynchronous education, a model where the classroom experience continues to predominate has a better chance for acceptance. NERCOMP

11. Results for Higher Education as a Whole • Brooklyn’s project will save other universities the time and expense of experimentation that often ends in failure. • We are developing a group of faculty who can provide leadership for technology-assisted curriculum design to other institutions. • The measurement and evaluation processes for good teaching, student success, and faculty/student satisfaction in the Internet-assisted environment will also be broadly useful. NERCOMP

12. The Virtual Core Project Design • Fall 1998: Recruit faculty developers • Spring 1999: Train faculty developers in course site production; begin to produce course sites • Fall 1999: Complete course sites • Spring 2000: Deliver and evaluate the courses • Fall 2000: Modify the course sites/courses, based on feedback and experience • Spring 2000: Deliver the courses for the third time • Fall 2000, Spring 2001: Evaluate, revise, deliver the courses again NERCOMP

13. GOAL 1. Develop a group of faculty who are: • Actively discussing technology-assisted learning • Mastering curriculum design techniques for the Internet environment • Enhancing their teaching skills Measurement:Team members: • Meet regularly throughout the grant, • Complete the faculty development course, develop Internet-based modules that (in the judgment of their peers) represent appropriate curriculum design, and • Notice improvement in their classroom presentations. NERCOMP

14. GOAL 2.Determine how best to present curriculum in an effective and exciting manner using the Internet. Measurement: • Student responses to the modules. • Student performance (especially compared to that of control groups). NERCOMP

15. GOAL 3.Rethink and redesign courses to integrate Internet-assisted modules. Measurement: We will assemble a Faculty Panel of instructors teaching in all ten Cores but not participating in this Project to evaluate: • The effectiveness of the individual Internet modules • The Faculty Developers' success in building useful links among the courses • The degree of successful integration among the Internet elements, lectures, and labs in the individual courses NERCOMP

16. GOAL 4.Design a faculty development model for Internet-assisted learning that is transferable to other institutions. Measurement: We will measure this goal by: • Surveying schools that implement the Brooklyn model about its usefulness in their environments. • Recording the number of visits to the campus by faculty from other schools • Measuring the number of presentations made by our faculty at local and national meetings on undergraduate instruction NERCOMP

17. GOAL 5.Improve student success and satisfaction with courses. Measurement: • The modules promote greater student/student and student/faculty interaction, both in and out of class • Students pace themselves in their course work more effectively during the semester • Students' written skills improve • Students' grades in the courses improve • Students enjoy the courses more • Students take courses at the proper time and in the proper sequence NERCOMP

18. GOAL 5.Improve student success and satisfaction with courses. Tools: • Data from students in Web-enhanced classes • Data from control groups in un-enhanced sections • College records • Student surveys NERCOMP

19. GOAL 6.Develop specifications for technical and student support. Measurement: • What was the performance level of the server on which the modules were mounted? • Of the campus's Internet/Web connection? • Of the ISPs used by students for home access? • Did students enjoy sufficient on-campus access? • What percentage of students interacted with Web modules from off-campus connections? • Were the level and caliber of human support provided to students acceptable? NERCOMP

20. GOAL 7.Attract more faculty to develop and incorporate Internet components with teaching. Measurement: • The number of new Faculty Developers who come forward as a result of the Virtual Core Project. NERCOMP

21. GOAL 8.Develop measurements and evaluation processes for good teaching, student success, and faculty/student satisfaction in the Internet-assisted environment. NERCOMP

22. Virtual Core Project Instruments • Logs • College records • Proxy server reports • Pre-tests for students in control and VC sections • Post-tests for students • Questionnaires for instructors • Interviews with students • Interviews with instructors • Input of faculty panel NERCOMP

23. Pre-tests showed there were no significant differences between students in control & Virtual Core sections in these areas: • Gender • Race • Age • Parents’ education • Grade expected in the course • Beliefs about computer-assisted education • Disposition to work in a computer-assisted environment • Computing skills (word processing, spreadsheets, Web) NERCOMP

24. The post-test outcomes show: The Virtual Core students displayed: • More favorable beliefs about computer-assisted education • Greater involvement in the core curriculum course Beliefs about computer-assisted education were highly predictive of: • Disposition to work within a computer-assisted educational environment • Interactions with the instructor NERCOMP

25. The post-test outcomes show: Disposition and interaction with the instructor were predictive of: • Involvement in course activities • Desire to take other courses in the field covered by the course • Desire to take other courses in the Virtual Core Curriculum Interactions with the instructor and involvement in course activities were predictive of the final grade in the course. NERCOMP

26. New Models for Faculty Development • The Virtual Core project’s faculty training & development model was conceived almost three years ago. Much in the landscape of distance learning has since changed. • The FIPSE model–five semesters of released time per faculty member in return for the development of one partially virtual course–is a very costly one. • There has been an evolution in the technology of course site creation & an associated savings in development time: faculty developers have gone from writing HTML, to using HTML editors, to multi-functional electronic learning platforms such as Blackboard and WebCT. NERCOMP

27. New Models for Faculty Development Institutions must look toward a model for faculty training & development that: • Is cost effective • Has a broad impact • Produces scalable, share-able content modules At Brooklyn, we have begun refocusing our approach so that AIT staff and faculty content experts work as partners to create a database of content modules, each containing resources in digital form (audio, video, text, and images) and each suitable for use in a range of courses & disciplines. NERCOMP

28. Project Products: • Internet modules useful for undergraduate courses. • A virtual kit that offers other institutions a step-by-step guide for designing their own program for developing Internet modules for core undergraduate courses. NERCOMP

29. The Virtual Kit • An outline of the program's objectives • A plan for assembling faculty teams • Requirements for the Academic Support Team • A suggested schedule for team meetings and exchanges • Course plans for each Internet-enhanced class, including syllabi • Information about the Internet modules and how to access them NERCOMP

30. The Virtual Kit • Specifications for, and descriptions of, the software and equipment used by the Faculty Developers (including the technical specs for the Web authoring environment), as well as specialized auxiliary equipment • Specifications for the larger technical environment required to deliver the modules • Information about student support • The evaluation plan, including survey instruments. NERCOMP

31. Virtual Core URLs & E-mail Addresses • Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ait/ • academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/chem/howell/FIPSE/devPage.htm • http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/anthro/acac/Documents/ • bhiggenbotham%20guide.htm • academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/ait • academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/library • barbrah@brooklyn.cuny.edu • jblamire@brooklyn.cuny.edu NERCOMP