REDESIGNING STUDENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

TODAY’S DISCUSSION Getting Started Principles of Course Redesign Readiness Criteria

A STREAMLINED REDESIGN METHODOLOGY

“A Menu of Redesign Options”• Five 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

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

• What are the obstacles to starting a large-scale course redesign in your department?

• What issues do you need to consider?• What evidence would you need to overcome

the obstacles?• What information do you need to gather?

Where might it come from?• What process, if any, might help overcome

the obstacles?

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!

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN

#1: Redesign the whole course– Quality: Eliminate “course drift”;

greater course coherence and quality control

– Cost: Eliminate duplicate effort; create opportunities for alternate staffing

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN

#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, peer learning teams)

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN

#3: Provide students with individualized assistance

– Quality: Students get help when they are “stuck” and stay on task rather than giving up: software tutorials, F2F in labs or help rooms, “beep a tutor,” SMARTHINKING

– Cost: Apply the right level of human intervention: peer tutors, course assistants

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN

#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; individual and group assessment; faculty spend time on what students don’t understand

FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE REDESIGN

#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

READINESS CRITERIA• What does it mean to be “ready”

to do a major course redesign?• Is your institution ready?• Which courses are “ready”—i.e., are

good candidates for a comprehensive redesign?

READINESS CRITERION #1Course Choice

• What impact would redesigning the course have on the curriculum, on students and on the institution—i.e., why do you want to redesign this course?

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN THINKING ABOUT HIGH IMPACT

• High drop-failure-withdrawal rates• Student performance in subsequent courses • Students on waiting lists• Student complaints• Other departmental complaints• Lack of consistency in multiple sections• Difficulty finding qualified adjuncts

READINESS CRITERION #2Redesign Model

• Which redesign model do you think would be most appropriate for your redesign? Why?

• What aspects fit your particular discipline and your particular students?

READINESS CRITERION #3Assessment Plan

• Which assessment model do you think would be most appropriate for your redesign? Why?

ASSESSMENT GOAL

To establish the degree to which

improved learning has been

achieved as a result of the

course redesign.

ASSESSMENT PLANNING

Step 1. Establish the method of obtaining data.

Step 2. Choose the measurement method.

ESTABLISH THE METHOD OF OBTAINING DATA

• Baseline “Before” (traditional) and “After” (redesign)

• Parallel Sections –Compare traditional sections and redesigned sections

CHOOSE THE MEASUREMENT METHOD: FIVE MODELS

A. Comparisons of Final ExamsB. Comparisons of Common Content

Items Selected from ExamsC. Comparisons of Pre- and Post- TestsD. Comparisons of Student Work using

Common RubricsE. Comparisons of Course Grades using

Common Criteria

READINESS CRITERION #4Cost Savings Plan

• Which cost savings strategy do you think would be most appropriate for your redesign? Why?

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.

WHAT’S YOUR ENROLLMENT SITUATION?

• Is your enrollment growing or projected to grow?

• Is your enrollment stable or declining?

ACCOMMODATE ENROLLMENT GROWTH

• Increase the number of sections. • Increase the section size.• Change the mix of personnel

teaching the course.

Mix and match for greater savings!

U OF TENNESSEESpanish

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

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!

THE MATH EMPORIUMat 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

READINESS CRITERION #5Learning Materials

• Are the faculty able and willing to incorporate existing curricular materials in order to focus work on redesign issues rather than materials creation?

READINESS CRITERION #6Active Learning

• Do the faculty members have an understanding of and some experience with integrating elements of computer-based instruction into existing courses?

READINESS CRITERION #7Collective Commitment

• Describe the members of your team, the skills they bring to the project and what their roles will be in both the planning and implementation phases of the project.

NCAT PLANNING RESOURCES

http://www.thencat.org/R2R/R2R_Planning_Resources.htm

REDESIGNING STUDENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Carolyn Jarmon, Ph.D.cjarmon@theNCAT.org

www.theNCAT.org