Transcript No Slide Title

How to Redesign Without a Grant:
Cost Effective Redesign of High
Demand Courses
Dr. Roger Von Holzen
Ms. Darla Runyon
Northwest Missouri State University
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Pew Foundation

Program in Course Redesign
– Started in 2000
– Sponsored 30 projects across a wide range of academic
institutions
– Program goal is the reduction of academic costs
through the incorporation of instructional technology
while improving the quality of course design and
delivery
» Participating institutions must invest a significant amount of
financial and human resources
» Rely on both graduate student labor and the use of technology
in order to reduce academic costs*
http://www.center.rpi.edu
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Pew “readiness” Requirement

The major criteria for selection by Pew for
inclusion in their project:
– the readiness of an institution “to engage in
large-scale redesign using technology”
Institutions with only individual departments
or pockets of readiness were not selected
 Preconditions also had to be
in place with respect to course
readiness for redesign*

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Eight Institutional Readiness Criteria:
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Costs and academic productivity
Technology to achieve academic goals
Campus culture
Mature IT organization
Faculty technology integration
Learner-centered education
Assessment
Partnerships
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Eight Course Readiness Criteria:
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2.
3.
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5.
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8.
Impact on curriculum
Capital-for-labor substitution
Collective ownership & decision-making
Existing/new materials
Requisite skills
Identify learning outcomes
Learning theory
Sustainability
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Need for Assistance

Institutions who don’t meet the “readiness”
criteria
– Need assistance during time of major budgetary
restraints
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Project aim:
– To cultivate the opportunities within these
smaller divisions of readiness*
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Building Upon Pew

Undertaking the challenge:
– to redesign our high demand courses
– to go beyond the financial goals of the Pew
Project

Worked with course teams:
– across a wide range of academic content
areas
– in large enrollment, multiple section
courses*
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Transformative Change
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Involves innovative educational technologies and
matching pedagogical practices
Has the broad, sustainable objectives of:
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improving teaching and learning
improving student access to material
increasing student engagement (active learning)
creatively using institutional resources to meet growing
enrollment pressure*
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Selection Process
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Call for proposals was issued in early September
Application Information:
»
»
»
»
»
»
Name
Department
E-mail & phone
Collaborating faculty members
Course which stands to benefit from the project
Can you commit to the project for both semesters (Fall 03 and
Winter 04)?
» Describe the current situation with the course identified above
and where you want to take this course—your goals*
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Selection Process

Projects selected in consultation with
college deans and provost
 Department teams received a
$2,500 incentive to participate
– Distribution of funds
» One half distributed at conclusion of workshops
» One half distributed after development of course
web site*
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Projects Selected

Arts and Sciences:
– The Enjoyment of Music
– Theatre Appreciation
– General Biology and Lab

Business:
– Management Information Systems
– Management Process and Behavior*
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Project Implementation
Workshop website
 Four scheduled workshops
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Course redesign
Course template development
Assessment strategies
Course management
Meet with individual teams*
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Course Template Development and
Learning Hubs
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Course Templates
Development of an orientation unit
 Common syllabus
 Development of a common curriculum
 Discussion of the courseware package to
create new learning spaces within a
blended course environment*
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Course Templates
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EXPECT STUDENTS TO READ THE COURSE
TEXTBOOK!
– “Lectures” should be used to:
» Summarize course content
» Explain in greater depth important, difficult course content
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Divide course into modules of content and
authentic learning activities
Student interaction/collaboration/communication
– student-to-student
– student-to-instructor
– feedback for course and instructor evaluation*
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Course Templates
Discussion of outcomes and objectives
 Moving the lecture component online
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– PowerPoint
– Tegrity
Active learning techniques (instructional
concepts)
 Formalization of blended learning format*
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Learning Hubs
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This type of course site is centered around one
faculty member
Learning hub for
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online
campus-based
graduate
undergraduate students
Design provides a unique way by which an
instructor can easily manage students and courses*
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Learning Hubs
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Addresses the increasing interest and
enthusiasm for collaborative learning
communities
– Content can be delivered to the various students
via the use of a group management feature
– Allows all students to learn together in a
collaborative environment
– Students can be divided into groups based upon
their enrollment status for the course*
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Assessment Strategies
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The New Role of Assessment
Assessment techniques should be based on
desired learning outcomes
 Assessment results should be used by
students to evaluate progress through course
materials
 Provides the instructor with:
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– evidence of effectiveness of course materials
– indications of content areas that need further
enhancement and/or development*
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Assessment Strategy
Continuous process (formative)
 Should guide the student to mastery of the
learning outcomes
 Becomes foundation for developing the
instructional design of the online course*
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Assessment Strategy
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Punctuate course with short assessment
opportunities
– Provide student with performance feedback on
learning concepts and activities
– Provide a diverse array of assessment methods
to reflect student understanding of the learning
outcomes
– Provide opportunities for relearning and
reassessment*
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Online Assessment
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Traditional methods should only be a small
component of the overall assessment strategy
Online delivery provides an environment
conducive to incorporating
– a diverse array of assessment techniques
– strategies that may be employed across a
variety of course subject areas
Flexibility of delivery allows for a more studentcentered approach to assessment and feedback*
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Course Management
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Pre-Course Development
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Extensive and thorough syllabus
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list required text and ordering information
supporting course information
scoring guides including grading review dates
course schedule of deadlines (student and
faculty)
– online communication etiquette
– online expectations and policies*
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Pre-Course Development
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Course orientation
– sample course that provides demonstration of
courseware
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Library component
– research information
– tutorials
– access to online library services*
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Course Management Techniques
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Build in course management techniques
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e-mail management/filtering
FAQ section
instructor availability schedule
utility documents
student feedback opportunities
Personalize course to develop community
– course welcome
– post autobiography in threaded discussion
– open chat and/or threaded discussion areas*
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Course Management Techniques
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Incorporation of instructional technology
techniques
– integration of announcements feature
– virtually grading assignments
– e-mail etiquette and feedback guidelines
» reply within a published time period feedback
opportunities for progress in content and learning*
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Course Support
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Information about helpdesk
– provide e-mail address and phone number for
helpdesk
– provide access to online helpdesk information*
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http://cite.nwmissouri.edu:2000/presentations/
Dr. Roger Von Holzen
[email protected]
Ms. Darla Runyon
[email protected]
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