1. “Writing” Our Wrongs: CSUB and MyWritingLabPlus Pearson Course Redesign, February 2012 Randi Brummett (rbrummett@csub.edu) Brooke Hughes (bhughes@csub.edu) CSU, Bakersfield

2. About California State University, Bakersfield Quarter-based campus (10 weeks) Non-traditional students Most do not live on campus Average age = 23 Enrollment: almost 8,000 Students 38% Hispanic (3,040 students) 73% of those students are ESL or Generation 1.5 62.5% First-Time Freshman Regular Admits requiring English Remediation Commuter Campus Budget Cuts/Furloughs Because of the items above, we decided to rethink our course design.

3. Challenges that Lead to Using Technology We lacked Money Time Space Quality & Consistent Learning A Better Way to Track SLOs Small class sizes (from 23 to 35)

4. English 50 – Basic Skills Model used: Replacement BeforeAfter DescriptionRequired writing tutoring hours after class every day 10 required topics and pre/post diagnostics in MWLP outside of class Work EnvironmentFull class (17-25) with one tutor (often inexperienced) Students work on their own % of Grade0% (required hours, but no category set aside in overall grade) 10% Grade Determined ByAttendanceScore in program Types of Topics CoveredVarious grammar and writing Basic & sentence level grammar Summer only, grant fundedEntrance program

5. English 80 – Reading and Writing Model used: Replacement BeforeAfter Description10 required separately scheduled grammar workshops (1 a week for 1 ½ hours each) outside of class 10 required topics and pre/post diagnostics in MWLP outside of class Work EnvironmentClass split into 2 groups (anywhere from 12-15 students) Students work on their own % of Grade10% Grade Determined ByAttendanceScore in program Types of Topics CoveredBasic & sentence level grammar Developmental courseFocuses on paragraph to essay

6. English 99 – Writing and Critical Thinking Model used: Replacement BeforeAfter Description10 required pick-and- choose grammar mini- lectures (1 a week for 1 hour each) outside of class 15 required topics and pre/post diagnostics in MWLP outside of class Work EnvironmentGroups can be anywhere from 2-200 Students work on their own % of Grade10% Grade Determined ByAttendance via sign up sheet Score in program Types of Topics CoveredWriting Developmental courseFocuses on essay and modes

7. English 110 – Writing and Research Model used: Supplemental BeforeAfter DescriptionThere was no clear before/after for this course, as we did not use the Replacement model. Program is OPTIONAL 5 – 10 topics, chosen by the instructor to best supplement their class Work EnvironmentStudents work on their own % of GradeNo more than 10% Grade Determined ByScore in program Types of Topics CoveredVaries by instructor from grammar to writing to research Freshman compositionFocuses on research paper

8. Humanities 207 & 407 Model used: Fully Online BeforeAfter DescriptionStudents work one-on- one with an instructor for 17 hours on grammar, writing, etc. 20 required topics and pre/post diagnostics in MWLP Work EnvironmentWalk-in and/or appointment only Students work on their own % of Grade100% Grade Determined ByCompleting all 17 hoursCompleting 20 topics & diagnostics Types of Topics CoveredWriting, Grammar, Documentation, etc. All topics in the program One unit, Credit/No Credit course

9. Non-English Courses We are working with multiple courses across disciplines as a grammar supplement. Two Options Linked Option: Students sign up for the one-unit course 207/407 where we manage it Incorporated Option: We train the instructor & help him/her create a course in MWLP, where he/she manages it Disciplines we’ve worked since 2006: Social Work, Sociology, History, Chemistry, Geology, Communications, Business, Music Beginning in 2011, we began offering trainings for non-English faculty throughout the year Thus far, we have trained 27% of our faculty!

10. Our Training Process English faculty are trained/re-trained every summer at orientation, regardless of previous experience (mandatory) We offer frequent “brush up” trainings for English faculty throughout the year Writing Resource Center tutors are trained at least once a year

11. Our Training Process, cont. Non-English faculty are trained in a three tier process: Tier One: Demo/Informative Session (30 minutes) Tier Two: Hands-On Session (1 hour) At the end of the session, faculty are given a consultation form Tier Three: One-on-One Consultation (30 minutes-2 hours) Faculty meet with us one-on-one to go over the consultation form and discuss the best way to incorporate MWLP into his/her class Tier Four: In-Depth Training (30 minutes-2 hours) Faculty come in for hands-on, in-depth training to learn about how manage their course, set up the study plan, etc. Tier Five: MWLP Learning Communities (1 meeting/quarter) Faculty gather in small groups to discuss pedagogy and curricular policy when using MWLP. Faculty receive a “comp buddy,” who keeps in contact with them for the year and can help with the implementation of MWLP in the course.

12. LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS Course Redesign data CSU, Bakersfield

13. Redesigned Developmental Courses Compared to Traditional with Mini-Lectures/Tutoring Component Since our redesign, our fail rate in developmental courses is almost 8% lower.

14. Average Retention (in %) of Students in English Courses After the redesign, on average, our retention rate went up 14.9%.

15. Average Length of Time (in Quarters) Students Spend in English Courses After the redesign, our students are spending an average of 1 less quarter in remediation.

16. Percentage of Grades Comparing Preparedness for Freshman Composition In Freshman composition, the pass rate of students who used the program in a previous English course is 8% higher.

17. Pre- to Post-Diagnostic Comparison On average, there is a 20% improvement between pre and post diagnostics in all classes using MyWritingLabPlus.