1. Getting Started on Course Redesign Jennifer L. Hearne, Ph. D
Getting Started on Course Redesign Jennifer L. Hearne, Ph.D. Baltimore, Maryland January 25, 2011

2. Overview NCAT & MCRI Institutional & Course Readiness
Institutional & Course Readiness
UMES Team & Principles of Chemistry I
Efficiency and Effectiveness Strategies
Key Aspects
Assessment
Implementation Issues
Motivational Factors

3. NCAT & MCRI Goals of the MCRI
Adopt new ways to improve student learning outcomes
Demonstrate these improvements through rigorous assessment
Reduce institutional costs
Release instructional resources for other purposes
Develop the internal capacity of USM Faculty and Staff to continue the redesign process
Teams bring experts from many areas to work together.

4. Institutional Readiness
Does your institution want to control or reduce costs?
Does your institution want to increase productivity?
Academic productivity of students
Academic course offerings
Scholarly activity of faculty

5. COURSE READINESS High drop-failure-withdrawal rates
Poor student performance in subsequent courses
Creates a bottleneck
Student & Departmental complaints
Course drift -> Inconsistent learning outcomes
Difficulty finding qualified personnel

6. UMES & MCRI University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Thelma B. Thompson, Ph.D., President
Charles Williams, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs
MCRI Team at UMES
Yan Y. Waguespack, Ph.D.
Joseph M. Okoh, Ph.D.
Gladys G. Shelton, Ph.D
Charles Williams, Ph.D.
Amelia G. Potter
James R. Hayes
University System of Maryland
Teams bring experts from many areas to work together.

7. Principles of Chemistry I
Population
Caters to science and health professions students
20% of freshman class
73% Freshman
6% nontraditional
Goals
Basic atomic and molecular theory
Nomenclature
Reaction stoichiometry
Gas laws

8. Principles of Chemistry I
Academic Issues
Inconsistent knowledge of incoming students
55% student retention rate
Lack of coordination among the professors teaching the sections of the course leading to course drift and inconsistent learning outcomes

9. NCAT REPLACEMENT MODEL
Replaces in-class time with online, interactive learning activities
May keep remaining in-class activities the same or may make significant changes
May schedule out-of-class activities in computer lab or totally online so that students can participate anytime, anywhere

10. Key Aspects of Redesign
Infusion of technology components
Use of integrated staffing
Offering of individualized, active assistance
Restructure the course

11. Redesign Strategy NCAT Principle #1: Redesign the whole course.
Restructure the course - Chemistry 111E
Results
Eliminates course drift
Eliminates duplication of effort
Creates opportunities for integrated staffing
Reduced faculty preparation and presentation
time

12. REDESIGN STRATEGY NCAT Principle #2: Encourage active learning.
Incorporate technology-based exercises
Recitation or PBL sessions
Results
Student learning and interaction with materials/each other
Reduced faculty preparation and presentation time
Reduced grading time
Recitation is an informal class meeting conducted by the LA/ULA and myself. Students often work in small groups to solve problems.
Competitions are offered during class and recitation. Competitions generally consist of 3-5 questions (it is classwork with an edge!). Students may work individually or in groups. The first to finish gets approximately 3 bonus points, second gets 2, and third gets 1 added to the classwork grade. Papers from all students are collected.

13. REDESIGN Strategy
NCAT Principle #3: Provide students with individualized assistance.
Dedicated Computer Lab
Integrated Staffing: Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) and Learning Assistants (LAs)
Recitation
Results
Students are provided with help when they need it (electronic or human intervention).
ULAs will be selected from students at the junior or senior level who have performed with distinction (i.e., earned a grade of A in Chemistry 111). ULAs will serve as a liaison between faculty and students enrolled in Chemistry 111E, provide insight into strategies for high levels of achievement through informal settings in which students can ask questions, aid students in the review course materials and the development of skills needed to be successful in Chemistry 111E, aid in recitation delivery, and help the professor with grading exams.
During the Pilot Phase I had one LA, Amakoe, and one ULA, Krystal. Amakoe received his BS in chemistry from UMES in December of 2007, Krystal will receive her BS in chemistry during the upcoming academic year.

14. REDESIGN STRATEGY
NCAT Principle #4: Build in ongoing assessment and prompt (automatic) feedback.
Technology-based program
Hints
Provides solutions
Instantaneous grading
Cumulative grade postings
Results
Enables practice
Provides diagnostic feedback for focused time on task
CengageNOW:
Tracks student time and progress
Provides hints before, during and after solving a question.
Provides the solution to questions.
Grades assignments immediately after student finishes.
Allows students to see individuals grades on assignments and cumulative grade in CengageNOW.
Cumulative class grade is posted on my door each Monday – this grade determines if a student is required to attend recitation.

15. REDESIGN STRATEGY
Principle #5: Ensure time on task and monitor student progress.
Web-based program/technology
Classroom management system implementation
ULAs/LA monitor students’ time-on-task
Results
Milestone-learning
ULA and LA monitor student activity in the computer lab to ensure time on task.

16. KEY ASPECTS OF REDESIGN
Infusion of technology components
Integrated staffing
Individualized, active assistance
Restructure the course

17. INFUSION OF TECHNOLOGY
Blackboard
CengageNOW
Tutorials and exercises that can be repeated in an attempt to earn a perfect score
Hints/Answers -> Instantaneous grading
Grade management
Monitors time-on-task
Establishment of a Chemistry Computer Lab

18. INDIVIDUALIZED ASSISTANCE & INTEGRATED STAFFING
ULAs and LA
monitor students’ time-on-task in computer lab
Offer on-demand assistance
Cumulative grade posted every Monday
Office door/Blackboard
CengageNOW grade available in student account
Call or text from 8AM-9PM

19. RESTRUCTURED CHEMISTRY 111
Course
Section Size
Meetings
Sections / Professors per academic year
Integrated Staffing
Traditional Chemistry 111
Up tp 40
MWF
50 min
7/6 No
Pilot Chemistry 111E
Up to 80 M
75 min + 2h in computer lab
Recitation offered 1
Yes
Chemistry 111E
Up to 114 MW
50 minutes + 1h in computer lab
3/2

20. ASSESSMENT Choose the measurement method Use of historical data
Parallel offering of Traditional and Pilot Section of Redesigned Course
Minimize differences between the student populations in the traditional and Pilot Section offerings
Use the same measures and procedures to collect the data for the Pilot and Full Implementation

21. SUCCESS OF STUDENTS

22. Traditional Course
Pilot Course
54.5% A-C
65.7% A-C
61.1% enrolled in CHEM 112
61.8% enrolled in CHEM112
61.9% earned A-C
In comparison to students enrolled in the Traditional course section, Pilot course section students were:
7.4% more likely to earn the grade of A, B or C in Principles of Chemistry II (Chemistry 112)

23. COST ASSESSMENT
Large saving in materials development and instruction.
Curriculum Development: Materials Acquisition, Materials Development
Instruction/Evaluation
Face-to-face class meetings
Hand grading
Human monitoring and course administration
Coordinated development and delivery and shared instructional tasks
Interactive tutorial software
Automated grading
Course management software
Peer interaction or interaction with other personnel

24. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SAVINGS?
Stay in department for continuous course improvement and/or redesign
BIOL111
CHEM112
Provide a greater range of offerings at upper division or graduate level
Accommodate greater numbers of students with same resources
Stay in department to reduce teaching load and provide more time for research

25. IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
Faculty perspectives
Technology
Administrative issues
Scheduling
Teaching load

26. MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS Professional Development Opportunities
Publications
Presentations
Publicity
Increased opportunity to work directly with students who need help
Reduced time spent on grading
Ability to try different approaches to meet different student needs
Opportunity for continuous improvement of materials and approaches

27. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NCAT – Carolyn Jarmon and Carol Twigg USM – Don Spicer, Nancy Shapiro and Stan Jakubik UMES –Team, Administration, ULAs and LAs, MARC U*STAR and MBRS RISE Programs Contact: