Course Redesign Perspectives Course Redesign Perspectives University – Ron Henry University – Ron Henry College - Jerry Hogle College - Jerry Hogle Department – Tristan Denley Department – Tristan Denley

Why Redesign? Improve student learning and retention of that knowledge Improve student learning and retention of that knowledge Improve instruction - active learning in postsecondary classrooms Improve instruction - active learning in postsecondary classrooms Decrease DFW rates Decrease DFW rates Minimize instructor impact and ensure consistency Minimize instructor impact and ensure consistency –Common assessments –Coordinated lessons –More uniform grading standards

Factors to Consider when Thinking about High Impact High drop-failure-withdrawal (DFW) rates High drop-failure-withdrawal (DFW) rates Student performance in subsequent courses Student performance in subsequent courses Students on waiting lists Students on waiting lists Student complaints Student complaints Other department complaints Other department complaints Lack of consistency in multiple sections Lack of consistency in multiple sections Difficulty finding qualified adjuncts Difficulty finding qualified adjuncts

Range of D, F, WF %

Range of Withdrawals %

Georgia State Experience NCAT workshop for department chairs NCAT workshop for department chairs Mathematics – R2R – College Algebra and Pre-Calculus using Supplemental model and Replacement model Mathematics – R2R – College Algebra and Pre-Calculus using Supplemental model and Replacement model Political Science – pilot blended course Political Science – pilot blended course Psychology – redesigned two introductory statistics courses Psychology – redesigned two introductory statistics courses Biology – redesigned to theme-based Biology – redesigned to theme-based

Process Model for Center Need for higher student achievement in science & math Vehicle for sharing what works, for whom, and why Many students ‘turned off’ science & math in college introductory courses Modify science & math courses to include effective active learning strategies Long Term Outcomes: Improved Student Achievement in science & math Intermediate Term Outcomes: Decreased DFW rates More science & math majors

Must Have for Success Department faculty recognition of the problem and willingness to do something about it Department faculty recognition of the problem and willingness to do something about it Upper Administration (Provost/Dean/ Department chair) recognition of the problem Upper Administration (Provost/Dean/ Department chair) recognition of the problem Upper Administration support Upper Administration support Dedicated Professors willing to work hard Dedicated Professors willing to work hard Resources to produce a computer learning environment Resources to produce a computer learning environment Strong Director/Course coordinator Strong Director/Course coordinator

Five Principles of Successful Course Redesign Redesign the whole course Redesign the whole course Encourage active learning Encourage active learning Provide students with individualized assistance Provide students with individualized assistance Build in ongoing assessment and prompt (automated) feedback Build in ongoing assessment and prompt (automated) feedback Ensure sufficient time on task and monitor student progress Ensure sufficient time on task and monitor student progress

Faculty consensus Leadership issues Leadership issues –Department chairs who were reluctant to press resisting faculty –Need for strong leadership and administrative support to overcome these challenges –Some project leaders thought they had solved the problem of faculty buy-in at the outset, but were surprised to find that they had not communicated as effectively as they had thought This underlines the importance of constant communication to check signals and maintain momentum This underlines the importance of constant communication to check signals and maintain momentum

Course Redesign Perspectives Course Redesign Perspectives College - Jerry Hogle College - Jerry Hogle University of Arizona University of Arizona

Course Redesign Perspectives Course Redesign Perspectives Department – Tristan Denley Department – Tristan Denley University of Mississippi University of Mississippi

Implementation Issues Prepare students and the campus for changes in the course Prepare students and the campus for changes in the course Train instructors, graduate teaching assistants, and undergraduate peer tutors Train instructors, graduate teaching assistants, and undergraduate peer tutors Ensure an adequate technological infrastructure to support the redesign as planned Ensure an adequate technological infrastructure to support the redesign as planned Achieve initial and ongoing faculty consensus about the redesign Achieve initial and ongoing faculty consensus about the redesign Avoid backsliding by building ongoing institutional commitment to the redesign Avoid backsliding by building ongoing institutional commitment to the redesign

Cost reduction strategies Substitute coordinated development and delivery of the whole course and shared instructional tasks for individual development and delivery of each individual course section Substitute coordinated development and delivery of the whole course and shared instructional tasks for individual development and delivery of each individual course section Substitute interactive tutorial software for face-to-face class meetings Substitute interactive tutorial software for face-to-face class meetings Substitute automated grading of homework, quizzes, exams for hand grading Substitute automated grading of homework, quizzes, exams for hand grading

Implementation Issues It just takes hard work and time It just takes hard work and time NCAT course redesign methodology is not a silver bullet that can be quickly put in place on any campus NCAT course redesign methodology is not a silver bullet that can be quickly put in place on any campus It is important to have top leadership willingness to stand up publicly on many occasions to talk about the project and its benefits and backing up the project team when they ran into trouble by providing resources or fixing administrative problems. It is important to have top leadership willingness to stand up publicly on many occasions to talk about the project and its benefits and backing up the project team when they ran into trouble by providing resources or fixing administrative problems. Local leaders had to ensure that the team stuck to the basic redesign plan. Local leaders had to ensure that the team stuck to the basic redesign plan.

Implementation Issues Instructor/tutor training Instructor/tutor training –How to facilitate and engage students in problem-solving, rather than resorting to lecturing or providing answers to students –Pre-course workshop –Weekly meetings of instructors of all sections –Tutor training sessions on each weeks problem sets

Implementation Issues Students need structure Students need structure –Mandatory attendance –Required group meetings –Weekly task lists

Cost reduction strategies Substitute course management software for human monitoring of student performance and course administration Substitute course management software for human monitoring of student performance and course administration Substitute peer interaction or interaction with other personnel for one-to-one faculty/student interaction Substitute peer interaction or interaction with other personnel for one-to-one faculty/student interaction Substitute online training materials for face-to-face training of tutors, adjuncts and other personnel Substitute online training materials for face-to-face training of tutors, adjuncts and other personnel

QUALITY AND COST ARE INTER-RELATED Redesign the whole course –Quality: Eliminate “course drift”; greater course coherence and quality control –Cost: Eliminate duplicate effort; create opportunities for alternate staffing Encourage active learning –Quality: “Learning is not a spectator sport.” –Cost: Reduce faculty preparation and presentation time; reduce grading time (e.g., interactive software, peer learning teams)

WHAT REALLY MATTERS? Data Data –First, measure something... A team approach A team approach –It takes a village... Corporate partners Corporate partners –Mutual self-interest Leadership Leadership –Faculty, department chairs, deans, campus executives, system and state leaders

Assessing student learning Pilot phase Pilot phase –Parallel Sections (Traditional and Redesign) –Baseline "Before" (Traditional) and "After" (Redesign) Validity Validity –Use the same measures and procedures to collect data in both kinds of sections –Ensure as fully as possible that any differences in the student populations taking each section are minimized