GETTING STARTED ON COURSE REDESIGN

1. GETTING STARTED ON COURSE REDESIGN

2. 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

3. 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

4. TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION Seminars Lectures

5. “BOLT-ON” INSTRUCTION

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 States 2006 – present (~80 institutions) • The Redesign Alliance 2006 – present (70+ institutions) • Changing the Equation 2009 – 2012 (34 institutions)

12. 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

13. SCIENCE Anatomy and Physiology Astronomy Biology Ethnobotany Chemistry Geology SOCIAL SCIENCE American Government Macro and Microeconomics Psychology Sociology Urban Affairs

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.”

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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%

26. 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

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

28. EMPORIUM MODELUniversity of Alabama

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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% UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMASUCCESS RATES

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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 U. OF S. MISSISSIPPIWorld Literature • Redesign triples course capacity.

35. 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% PRE-CALCULUS MATHRio Salado College

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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. DEVELOPMENTAL MATHAustin Peay State University

40. 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

41. 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

42. How do these examples relate to GETTING STARTED?

43. 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?

44. WHY INSTITUTIONAL TEAMS? • Faculty experts • Administrators • Technology professionals • Assessment experts

45. READINESS CRITERIA • Institutional Commitment to Change • Institutional Commitment to Strategic Use of Technology • Technology Readiness • Commitment to Learner-Centered Education • Commitment to Learner Readiness • Willingness to Use Active Learning Materials • Collective Faculty Commitment

46. GETTING STARTED ON COURSE REDESIGN Carolyn Jarmon, Ph.D. cjarmon@theNCAT.org www.theNCAT.org

47. 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

48. READINESS CRITERIA • Institutional Commitment to Change • Institutional Commitment to Strategic Use of Technology • Technology Readiness • Commitment to Learner-Centered Education • Commitment to Learner Readiness • Willingness to Use Active Learning Materials • Collective Faculty Commitment

49. 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

50. 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.