Overview of Course Redesign Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative Tom Carey Contributions from and discussion with all participants… Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign

Examples of comprehensive Course Redesign programs Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England Resource-based Learning Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’sCenter for Academic Transformation Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE Pew Program in Course Redesign, Roadmap to Redesign, [FIPSE] Colleagues Committed to Redesign, [FIPSE] State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY] Comprehensive Course Redesign is a systematic process to simultaneously improve learning outcomes and reduce/contain instructional costs (also known as Academic Transformation, etc.)

NCAT Case Study [ The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) redesigned three precalculus math courses, and the results were extremely rewarding. For Precalculus I, the final exam average for the redesigned course increased significantly from 58.2 for the traditional course to 75.5, and the DFW rate dropped from 77% in the traditional course to 38% in the redesigned course. For Precalculus II, the final exam average increased from 65 for the traditional course to 69.6, and the DFW rate dropped from 60% in the traditional course to 41% in the redesigned course. For College Algebra, the DFW rate dropped from 62% in the traditional course to 49% in the redesigned course. Costs also declined about 35%.

Examples of Transforming Course Design related programs and projects Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England Resource-based Learning Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’sCenter for Academic Transformation Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE Pew Program in Course Redesign, Roadmap to Redesign, [FIPSE] Colleagues Committed to Redesign, [FIPSE] State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY] Teaching Well, Saving Time, Barbara Walvoord/Notre Dame, late 90’s E-Learning Transformation Program, in progress, Scotland Re-engineering Assessment Practices Self-regulated Learning

Overview of Course Redesign Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative Tom Carey Contributions from and discussion with all participants… Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign

About UNC 16 campuses w. 200K students Rapid growth Course redesign will help with –higher enrollment –DFW rates –readiness for further coursework –consistency among sections

UNC Redesign Efforts 2004 – 2006 Large courses Outside assistance (Carolyn Jarmon) Four campuses / nine courses 2007 – 2009 Any course Experienced mentors from efforts Nine campuses / thirteen courses / two explorations of technology, methodology

MERLOT Example #1 Issue Business research & quantitative methods Knowledge of statistics varies Customized review needed Using MERLOT Identify existing learning materials  More time available for redesign

MERLOT Example #2 Issue Teacher education in physics, astronomy, technology Moving online to accommodate more students Using MERLOT RSS feeds on course web site  Students exposed to many new resources

MERLOT Example #3 Issue Theatre studies Multiple sections / instructors Content widely variable Using MERLOT Department resource collection like St. Petersburg College Based on personal collections feature  Standardization

MERLOT Example #4 Issue Health Multiple sections Guests available to only one section Recorded for online access by other students Using MERLOT Virtual speakers bureau  More flexibility (person, timing)  Provide materials plus recording

MERLOT Example #5 Issue College algebra Redesign vision –Before class: online modules & practice problems –During class: student-driven & interactive Using MERLOT ELIXR case stories show exemplary teaching practices  Successful transition to unfamiliar teaching methods

Overview of Course Redesign Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative Tom Carey Contributions from and discussion with all participants… Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign

Administrators Budget issues Serve large enrollments Prerequisite coverage Efficient delivery Student outcomes Institutions own LOs Efficiently reuse LOs Consistent courses Complete content Practitioners Course prep time Meet discipline’s needs Content coverage Efficient grading Student learning LO fits teaching style Adaptability of LOs Adaptable courses Teachable content Course redesign stakeholders’ points of view

Department/s have --Practical Consensus on content and approach --Commitment to ugrad teaching --Agreement on autonomy, academic freedom, specialties --Openness to ideas from ANY faculty member --A credible internal champion --P&T provisions for rewarding undergraduate teaching --Access to a body of reusable teaching materials And Campuses have --A long view --Ways to foster enlightened departmental leadership --Adequate funding --Infrastructure to support unusual teaching loads and facility uses --Faculty who are ready to move --Some Faculty members who are already moving --Courses with favorable capital to labor ratios --Adequate campus TLT support Then Course Redesign may be a Good Approach Adapted from ”The Concept of Readiness in the Academic Department: A Case Study of Undergraduate Education Reform” by Virginia S. Lee, Michael R. Hyman, and Geraldine Luginbuhl. Innovations in Higher Education 2007, 32:3-18 IF….

Overview of Course Redesign Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative Tom Carey Contributions from and discussion with all participants… Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign

“In March 2007, the CSU Office of the Chancellor launched a system wide project, Transforming Course Design, to support campus planning and implementation of comprehensive course design processes with the following goals: Primary Goals: Enhance learning experiences and student success, through learner-centered and technology-enabled instruction; Contain/reduce the costs of instruction, including a focus on optimizing the time invested in learning and teaching by students and faculty; Secondary Goals: Demonstrate these outcomes in rigorous assessments of student success and instructional efficiencies; Leverage collaborations, in CSU & beyond, to develop resources/capabilities; Sustain ongoing activities and support a culture of Transforming Course Design. (part of) The CSU response: Transforming Course Design The focus of the Transforming Course Design initiative is to support CSU campus efforts in this area, to optimize the impact of those efforts, and to insure that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’…”.

Sources of TOTAL workshop materials… Curriculum Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes Demonstration & Assessment Learning tasks and activities Knowledge content and resources Prior capability, knowledge, etc. Team-basedNCAT Outcomes-driven ETL (U.K.) Task-orientedWalvoord Time-optimizedWalvoord Tool-intensiveNCAT + Cost-sensitiveNCAT +++ Assessment- rich REAP Knowledge-based…MERLOT, SOTL

TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice Outcome: Project teams will be able to  Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways  Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2, i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a significant impact on your plans. Outline:  Sharing Resources  Sharing Expertise  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning  Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress)  also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example

Sharing Resources Discipline Repositories of Learning Resources Compadre (Physics) CAUSE (Statistics) Institutional Repositories Open Courseware (e.g., MIT)MIT Open Learning Initiative OpenLearn Regional Repositories MERLOT CSU Institutional Teaching Commons other CSU initiatives other multi-discipline sites

TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice Outcome: Project teams will be able to  Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways  Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2, i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a significant impact on your plans. Outline:  Sharing Resources  Sharing Expertise  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning  Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress)  also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example

Overview of Course Redesign Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative Tom Carey Contributions from and discussion with all participants… Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign