1. TRANSFORMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH COURSE REDESIGN

2. TODAY’S DISCUSSION  The National Center for Academic Transformation  Overview of the Methodology and Findings of the Program in Course Redesign  Proven Models for Successful Redesign

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. BRIEF HISTORY OF COURSE REDESIGN The Roadmap to Redesign (R2R) 2003 – 2006 (20 institutions) Colleagues Committed to Redesign (C2R) 2006 - 2009 (60 institutions) Programs with Systems & States 2006 – present (~80 institutions) The Redesign Alliance 2006 – present (70+ institutions) Changing the Equation 2009 – 2012 (25+ institutions)

5. TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION Seminars Lectures

6. “BOLT-ON” INSTRUCTION

7. 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

8. 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

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. 30 projects 50,000+ students

10. 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. Course redesign is not just about putting courses online. It is about rethinking the way we deliver instruction in light of the possibilities that new technology offers.

11. WHY REDESIGN? Look for courses where redesign will have a high impact: High withdrawal/failure rates Students on waiting lists Students turned away – graduation bottleneck Over enrollment of courses leading to multiple majors Inconsistency of preparation Difficulty getting qualified adjuncts Difficulty in subsequent courses

12. QUANTITATIVE (13) Mathematics – Iowa State University – Northern Arizona University – Rio Salado College – Riverside CC – University of Alabama – University of Idaho – Virginia Tech Statistics – Carnegie Mellon University – Ohio State University – Penn State – U of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Computer Programming – Drexel University – University at Buffalo

13. SCIENCE (5) SOCIAL SCIENCE (6) Biology – Fairfield University – University of Massachusetts Chemistry – University of Iowa – U of Wisconsin- Madison Astronomy – U of Colorado- Boulder Psychology – Cal Poly Pomona – University of Dayton – University of New Mexico – U of Southern Maine Sociology – IUPUI American Government – U of Central Florida

14. HUMANITIES (6) English Composition – Brigham Young University – Tallahassee CC Spanish – Portland State University – University of Tennessee Fine Arts – Florida Gulf Coast University World Literature – University of Southern Mississippi

15. TEAM EFFORT IS KEY Each team included – Administrator – Faculty experts – Technology expertise – Assessment assistance

16. IT IS POSSIBLE TO INCREASE LEARNING WHILE REDUCING COST 25 of 30 PCR projects improved learning; the other 5 showed equal learning. 24 measured course completion rates; 18 showed improvement. All 30 reduced costs by 37% on average, with a range of 15% to 77%. Program in Course Redesign

17. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SAVINGS? Stay in department for continuous course improvement and/or redesign of others 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 Redesign similar courses Miscellaneous – Offer distance sections – Reduce rental expenditures – Improve training of part-time faculty

18. 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

19. 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.”

20. SIX 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 Replace developmental courses with just-in-time workshops

21. 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.

22. SUPPLEMENTAL MODEL Retains the basic structure, especially class meetings Supplements lectures and textbooks with technology-based, out-of-class activities to – encourage greater student engagement with course content – ensure that students are prepared when they come to class May also change what goes on in class by creating an active learning environment within a large lecture hall setting.

23. BIOLOGY University of Massachusetts CHALLENGES Inconsistent student preparation Poor class attendance Lectures that repeated the contents of the textbook High dissatisfaction with course by both faculty and students

24. BIOLOGY University of Massachusetts Continue to have large class meetings Require short pre-tests before the start of the first class each week and these are available for the entire term as review Receive small number of points for taking the online quiz Provide 24/7 online study materials Include small group interactions during class focused on applied biology problems Class periods are now used to discuss biology problems, rather than lecture

25. BIOLOGY University of Massachusetts Student Outcomes In spite of more difficult questions, scores on exams in the redesigned course averaged 73% vs. 61% in the traditional course. 23% of the exam questions in the traditional model required reasoning or problem solving skills vs. 67% in the redesigned course. Attendance averaged 89.9% in the redesigned course vs. 67% in the traditional course.

26. REPLACEMENT MODEL Reduces the number of in-class meetings Replaces in-class time with online, interactive learning activities Determines what activities require face-to-face and what can be done online Provides 24/7 access to online learning resources Includes online self-assessment activities with immediate feedback

27. COMPUTER LITERACY Arizona State University GOALS Update content and delivery Cover modern methods and technologies Promote self-directed learning Use modern learning environment and technology to deliver course Reduce cost Decrease delivery costs – efficient sustainable delivery structure for ~2200 students each term

28. COMPUTER LITERACY Arizona State University Updated Content Traditional Course  4 paper-based, multiple choice exams based on computer technology too introductory for today's tech-savvy students  12 assignments in Microsoft Word, Excel, and FileMaker Pro, submitted in hard copy Redesigned Course  9 online quizzes demonstrating understanding of modern computing concepts  7 self-guided learning assignments applying computing concepts and computer-driven problem solving techniques, submitted via various online methods  4 major projects requiring substantial independent inquiry, submitted via various online methods

29. COMPUTER LITERACY Arizona State University Updated Delivery Traditional Model  2 lectures per week  Open lab hours for assistance, staffed by TAs and graders  Assignments turned in hard copy during lecture – graded by graders, and returned hard copy during lecture  Paper-based, multiple choice exams completed in lecture Redesign Model  1 optional lecture per week, all content on Blackboard  Scheduled guidance in lab, staffed by Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs)  Discussion board available for assistance daily  All assignments, quizzes and projects submitted via the Web

30. COMPUTER LITERACY Arizona State University Learning Outcomes: Traditional Sections  Average of 26% of students earned 70% or more Redesigned Sections  Average of 65% of students earned 70% or more, on a demonstrably more difficult course Cost Reduction : a reduction from $50 to $35 per student, which is a 30% savings.

31. EMPORIUM MODEL Eliminates all lectures Replaces them with a learning-resource center (lab) model – interactive software – on-demand, personalized assistance Permits the use of multiple kinds of personnel Allows multiple courses to be offered at the same time and place Can be adapted for different kinds of institutions and disciplines

32. THE EMPORIUM MODEL 77% Cost Reduction (V1) 30% Cost Reduction (V2)

33. THE MATH EMPORIUM at Virginia Tech Traditional 38 sections (~40) 10 tenured faculty, 13 instructors, 15 GTAs 2 hours per week $91 cost-per-student Redesign 1 section (~1520) 1 instructor, grad & undergrad TAs + 2 tech support staff 24*7 in open lab $21 cost-per-student Replicated at U of Alabama, U of Idaho, LSU, Wayne State, U Missouri-St. Louis, Seton Hall, Cleveland State CC, Northeast State CC, Jackson State CC

34. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Math Learning Center

35. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Success Rates Semester Success Rate Semester Success Rate Fall 1998 47.1% Spring 199944.2% Fall 1999 40.6% Spring 200053.5% Fall 2000 50.2% Spring 200135.8% Fall 2001 60.5% Spring 200249.8% Fall 2002 63.0% Spring 2003 41.8% Fall 2003 78.9% Spring 200455.4% Fall 2004 76.2% Spring 200560.1% Fall 2005 66.7% Spring 200656.6% Fall 2006 73.8% Spring 200759.8% Fall 2007 75.2% Spring 200857.3% Fall 2008 78.1%

36. FULLY ONLINE MODEL Eliminates all in-class meetings and moves all (or most) learning experiences online Adopts successful design elements of other models including – web-based, multi-media resources – commercial software – automatically evaluated assessments with guided feedback – links to additional resources and alternative staffing models

37. FINE ARTS Florida Gulf Coast University CHALLENGES Significant inconsistency among multiple sections Difficulty finding either faculty or adjuncts with the breadth of knowledge in all of the humanities Poor performance in this course that is required by all freshmen Growth in students and no money for new faculty

38. FINE ARTS Florida Gulf Coast University Each module covers one aspect of the Humanities Each module is designed and monitored by a faculty expert in that academic area One course coordinator manages the course of 400+ students each term Undergraduate peer tutors and adjuncts guide discussion groups and evaluate longer papers 24/7 interactive learning resources are available anytime, any place

39. FINE ARTS Florida Gulf Coast University Traditional 25 sections (~30); 6 sections (~15) = 800 Taught mainly by adjuncts “Course drift” $132 cost-per-student Redesign Single section (~950) Taught by 1 faculty, 1 course coordinator, 20 preceptors Consistent & coherent $81 cost-per-student Average exam scores increased from 70% to 85% Number of A’s/B’s increased from 31% to 75% DFW rate decreased from 45% to 11%

40. EMERGENT LITERACY Arizona State University Traditional: Graduate level course taught f2f with FT faculty once a year on multiple campuses in sections of ~30 – enrollment ~100 now, but cannot meet demand Redesign: Students from any campus enroll online; course taught every term with enrollment projected to grow to 300-500 annually; GTAs lead online course with FT faculty oversight Learning assessed through common finals and use of common rubrics for written work No difference in learning or change in DFW rates Plan is to change all 14 courses in the MS degree

41. 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

42. STATISTICS Ohio State University CHALLENGES Previous redesign using IT increased the cost Students had highly variable learning styles Lectures were poorly attended 20% of the students repeat the course each quarter even though most have satisfactorily completed initial modules Too many emails for faculty Faculty time was used inefficiently Inconsistency among sections

43. STATISTICS Ohio State University Students use online assessment by Felder and Solomon. There are multiple routes to established outcomes for each module. Students are assisted in thinking about how they approach learning and what mode is easiest for them. Students file a learning plan for each module. Various kinds of learning activities using websites, software, video lectures, small group discussions, individual and group projects.

44. STATISTICS Ohio State University OUTCOMES Redesign students had greater success on common exams (mean = 78.3) than traditional students (mean = 70). The number of students needing to retake the course was reduced from 33% to 12%. Cost reduction from $191 per student in the traditional to $132 per student in the redesign

45. LINKED WORKSHOP MODEL Retains the basic structure of college-level course, especially class meetings Replace remedial/developmental course with just-in- time (JIT) workshops – designed to remove deficiencies – computer-based instruction, small-group activities and test reviews – individually assigned modules based on diagnostic assessments – facilitated by students who have previously excelled in core course who are trained and supervised by core faculty JIT workshop activities designed so students use concepts during next core course class session, which in turn motivates them to do workshop activities

46. DEVELOPMENTAL MATH Austin Peay State University Student Success Rates College CourseBeforeSLA Fund of Math32.4% 69.9% Elem Statistics22.4% 52.5%* * Higher than the success rate for students with 19-22 ACT subscores

47. A STREAMLINED REDESIGN METHODOLOGY “A Menu of Redesign Options” Six 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

48. MANY DIFFERENT COURSES 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

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

50. HUMANITIES British Literature Communication Studies Developmental Reading Developmental Writing English Composition European and US History Great Ideas in Western Music History of Western Civilization Public Speaking Spanish Technical Writing Visual & Performing Arts Women & Gender Studies World Literature PROFESSIONAL Accounting Education: The Curriculum Elementary Education Engineering Nursing Nutrition Organizational Behavior

51. 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

52. TRANSFORMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH COURSE REDESIGN Carolyn Jarmon, Ph.D. cjarmon@theNCAT.org www.theNCAT.org

54. BREAK

55. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT QUALITY AND COST? The factors that lead to increased student learning and increased student retention are the same as those that lead to reduced instructional costs!

56. #1: REDESIGN THE WHOLE COURSE SEQUENCE – Quality: Eliminate “course drift”; greater course coherence and quality control – Cost: Eliminate duplicate effort; create opportunities for alternate staffing

57. #2: ENCOURAGE ACTIVE LEARNING – Quality: “Learning is not a spectator sport.” – Cost: Reduce faculty preparation and presentation time; reduce grading time (e.g., interactive software)

58. #3: PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH INDIVIDUALIZED ASSISTANCE – Quality: Students get help when they are “stuck” and stay on task rather than giving up (e.g., software tutorials, F2F in labs) – Cost: Apply the right level of human intervention (e.g., tutors, course assistants)

59. #4: BUILD IN ONGOING ASSESSMENT AND PROMPT (AUTOMATED) FEEDBACK – Quality: Enables practice, diagnostic feedback, focused time on task – Cost: Good pedagogy with large numbers of students; automated grading; faculty spend time on what students don’t understand

60. #5: ENSURE SUFFICIENT TIME ON TASK AND MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS – Quality: Self-pacing vs. milestones for completion; points for engagement – Cost: Course management systems can reduce costs while increasing oversight; automated intervention; focus on students who need help

61. FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN #1: Redesign the whole course #2: Encourage active learning #3: Provide students with individualized assistance #4: Build in ongoing assessment and prompt (automated) feedback #5: Ensure sufficient time on task and monitor student progress

62. FIVE CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES Prepare students (and their parents) and the campus for changes in the course. Train instructors, GTAs and undergraduate peer tutors. Ensure an adequate technological infrastructure to support the redesign as planned. Achieve initial and ongoing faculty consensus about the redesign. Avoid backsliding by building ongoing institutional commitment to the redesign.

64. AFTER LUNCH

65. ASSESSMENT GOAL To establish the degree to which improved learning has been achieved as a result of the course redesign.

66. ASSESSMENT PLANNING Step 1. Establish the method of obtaining data. Step 2. Choose the measurement method.

67. ESTABLISH THE METHOD OF OBTAINING DATA Baseline “Before” (traditional) and “After” (redesign) Parallel Sections – Compare traditional sections and redesigned sections

68. CHOOSE THE MEASUREMENT METHOD: FIVE MODELS A. Comparisons of Final Exams B. Comparisons of Common Content Items Selected from Exams C. Comparisons of Pre- and Post- Tests D. Comparisons of Student Work using Common Rubrics E. Comparisons of Course Grades using Common Criteria

69. COST SAVINGS GOAL Create cost savings that can be used to sustain ongoing redesign, to fund future operations and to free up resources for program and/or institutional priorities.

70. WHAT’S YOUR ENROLLMENT SITUATION? Is your enrollment growing or projected to grow? Is your enrollment stable or declining?

71. ACCOMMODATE ENROLLMENT GROWTH Increase the number of sections, keep section size the same and keep personnel the same. Reduce the number of sections, increase the section size and change the mix of personnel. Change the mix of personnel teaching the course. Mix and match for greater savings!

72. U OF TENNESSEE Spanish Traditional 57 sections (~27) Adjuncts + 6 TAs 100% in class $167,074 ($2931/section) 1529 students @ $109 Redesign 38 sections (~54) Instructor-TA pairs 50% in class, 50% online $56,838 ($1496/section) 2052 students @ $28

73. STABLE COURSE ENROLLMENT Reduce the number of sections and increase the section size. (Reduce the number teaching the course.) Reduce the number of graduate teaching assistants (Only 9 of 30 projects!) Change the mix of personnel teaching the course (Adjuncts, undergraduate learning assistants.) Mix and match for greater savings!

74. VIRGINIA TECH Linear Algebra Traditional 38 sections (~40) 10 tenured faculty, 13 instructors, 15 GTAs 2 hours per week $91 cost-per-student Redesign Single section (1520) 1 tenured faculty, graduate & under- graduate assistants 24 x 7 in open computer lab $21 cost-per-student

75. FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY General Biology Traditional 7 sections (~35) 7 faculty 100% wet labs $131,610 $506 cost-per-student Redesign 2 sections (~140) 4 faculty 50% wet, 50% virtual $98,033 $350 cost-per-student

76. INNOVATIVE COURSE REDESIGN PRACTICES Creating "Small" within "Large“ Undergraduate Learning Assistants Freshmen Don’t Do Optional Modularization New Instructional Roles Avoiding “Either/or” Choices

77. REDESIGN CHECKLIST Consensus about Curriculum Course Organization Materials Selection and Adaptation Faculty Development and Training Student Preparation Infrastructure

78. ASSIGNMENT What are the obstacles to redesigning your course at UNC Charlotte? 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 make note of any specific questions.