Redesigning Your English Courses . . . And Your Campus

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Redesigning Your English Courses . . . And
Your Campus

• Patricia Ann Baldwin
• University Transfer Foreign Language Department
  Chair
• Pitt Community College
• Greenville, NC
• pbaldwin_at_email.pittcc.edu

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Where do you begin?

• Identify program problems.
• Identify program weaknesses.
• Identify program needs.
• Identify student weaknesses.
• Identify student needs.
• Research other schools solutions.
• Research Course Redesign.
• Create a steering team to plan the redesign to
  meet objectives.
• Pilot the redesign with a select group of
  classes.
• Evaluate results/outcomes/success/failure of
  pilot.
• Present redesign plan, research, data, and pilot
  program outcomes to administration to gain
  support.

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PCCs Redesign Projects

• 2002 English Composition Program, English 111
  and 113 course redesign.
• 2006 Foreign Language Program, Spanish 111, 112,
  211, 212 course redesign.
• 2008 University Transfer Advising Program,
  faculty advising redesign.

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Composition Program Challenges

• Space English faculty share offices no faculty
  lounge/facilities for congregation No writing
  center no designated computer classrooms
• Resources Only 3 computer labs on campus only 2
  department proxima/projectors no funding
• Faculty Stagnate faculty stagnate classroom
  instruction poor communication resistance to
  change course drift of requirements and
  department policy low student retention/success
• Administration Lack of buy-in and financial
  support

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Composition Program Needs

• Resources needed a solution which did not
  require extensive resources or funding
• Communication needed stronger communication
  among faculty and students
• Course Drift needed consistency in course
  format, improvement in rhetorical skills,
  grammatical skills, the writing process, and the
  research process
• Engage students/faculty needed a
  learner-centered environment which addressed all
  learning styles, encouraged student involvement,
  and motivated faculty
• Technology needed technological advancement
• Performance needed improvement of student
  success across the curriculum

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Composition Program Solution CourseCompass,
Customization, and Campus Website
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Composition Redesign Benefits

• Faculty
• The department template minimizes faculty
  workload
• The department template reduces course drift and
  encourages communication
• The department forum initiates faculty
  interaction and support
• Course materials available online reduces
  handouts/print costs
• Instructors grading time lessened with the online
  peer edit program
• Instructors eliminate classroom grammar review
  due to the grammar activities/exercises online
• Instructors use discussion boards and the virtual
  classroom for office hours, substitution of
  cancelled classes (inclement weather), and
  illness
• Students
• basic skills improve with use of online
  grammar/writing process activities and exercises
  
• research and documentation skills improve with
  use of online research/plagiarism exercises
• Student engagement grows with the use of online
  peer editing
• Students have access to course materials 24/7
  and have an avenue for more effective instructor
  communication
• Students online navigation skills develop to
  prepare for future online courses

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Composition Program Redesign ProcessStart Slow
And Dont Give Up!

• 2001 CourseCompass added only to English 111 as
  an optional component
• 2002 CourseCompass added to English 111 and
  English 113 as a required component
• 2003 CourseCompass added to remaining
  composition courses (English 112/114)
• 2004 CourseCompass customized for PCC and
  student handbook created customized textbooks
  created
• 2005 Campus Involvement IT offers training and
  troubleshooting for CourseCompass Students,
  Library Resources uploads necessary resources for
  CourseCompass and trains all staff to help
  students in navigation.
• 2006 Composition Program Website created
  CourseCompass and MyCompLab imbedded into the
  Composition Programs online Blackboard program
  Administration lends support and provides the
  composition program with its first computer lab

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Composition Program Outcomes

• Statistical analysis indicated
• consistent improvements in student retention
  pass rates increase and withdraw/fail rates
  decrease
• Course redesign was an undeniably contributing
  factor to overall improved student success
• Survey Information revealed
• 70 of faculty and 57 of students used
  CourseCompass regularly in its opening years
• 70 of faculty and 40 of students were satisfied
  with CourseCompass at its inception
• Comments faculty and students request change of
  delivery for Bb management to PCCs server
  (website) with an external link to MCL content
  features
• Comments Faculty and students request a computer
  lab for instruction once a week to utilize
  CourseCompass more effectively

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Foreign Language Program Course Redesign

• Challenges
• Space, no rooms available on campus to create a
  foreign language lab (most crowded Community
  College in NC)
• Funding, state cutbacks and reversions permitted
  no funding for the purchase of computers
• Faculty (no challenge!), buy-in was immediate due
  to the composition program precedent
• Administration (no challenge!), buy-in was
  immediate due to the composition program outcomes
• Students, buy-in not immediate students resist
  an online component as a requirement in a foreign
  language course
• Needs
• Resources, again an economical solution was
  needed
• Course Drift, again consistency was needed in the
  program/courses
• Student Engagement, students needed
  interaction/repetition outside the classroom
  which a foreign language lab would provide
• Performance, students needed to improve their
  success when transferring to the university to
  continue their language studies
• Delivery method, needed to begin building online
  foreign language courses for distance students.

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Foreign Language Program Course Redesign

• Solutions
• Built a strong department with a common mission
  and vision in line with the schools mission and
  vision
• Built a consistent program with common course
  content, course evaluation, course resources, and
  delivery method
• Online Foreign Language Lab, WebSam Online
  feature of Vistas which allows students practical
  application and pronunciation of the language
  with instructor interaction and evaluation
  Online program Quia for building hybrid/online
  courses
• Campus Website built to provide resources for
  students and faculty
• Benefits
• Department reduces course drift as all foreign
  language courses are now Web Based , using the
  same online workbook component all course
  sections cover common content, common
  assignments, common grading/evaluation. Quia
  allows for the development of online courses
• Faculty workload lessened due to all workbook
  pages graded automatically online, course grades
  recorded and averaged automatically repetition
  of basic grammar in class lessened due to student
  use of WB program outside of class improved
  connection/relationship and communication among
  faculty who as a team to develop department
  guidelines and web based materials
• Students more successful in class (improved pass
  rates and fewer withdrawals) istronger language
  skills when transferring to the university to
  continue study

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Foreign Language Program Course Redesign

• Process
• 2006 Online workbook used in full time
  instructor courses as a pilot
• 2007 Department guidelines established training
  of adjunt faculty library staff trained and
  resources loaded on library computers
  development of online courses
• 2008 All foreign language courses are Web Based
  and require use of the online components as lab
  instruction
• Outcome
• Student resistance has lessened online courses
  have increased in numbers stronger student
  success and pass rates upper level courses have
  increased in numbers as students show an interest
  to complete foreign language requirements at the
  community college level
• Administration interested in future lab space on
  campus

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University TransferAcademic Advising Redesign

• Challenges/Needs
• Resources, space and funding unavailable to
  create an advising center to centralize and
  improve student advising
• Availability, advisors available limited office
  hours due to teaching load (not available during
  summer) students unable to contact advisors due
  to schedules priority registration lengthy and
  cumbersome with long advising appointments
• Students, no knowledge of program requirements,
  no knowledge of campus processes, self-advising
  which brought incorrect course selection in
  program, repeating courses circumventing of
  co-requisites/pre-requisites heavy course loads
  which led to course failure/withdrawal no
  concrete connection/relationship with the school
  led to low retention and student success
• Advisors, see advising as a burden define
  advising as course selection/registration, do not
  provide true academic counseling and guidance
• Registrar, assignment of advisors and majors
  incorrect attempt to advise students without
  knowledge of programs place students in wrong
  courses override course capacity without
  department chair knowledge
• IT, resisted purchase, loading, implementation of
  any online resources for advisng
• Administration, poor view of faculty advisors
  did not see the impact advising makes on student
  success/retention and thereby did not support a
  redesign

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Solution E-Advising Through Web Advisor

• What is Web Advisor?
• Web Advisor is a student driven program which
  provides students with the opportunity to
  electronically create a semester by semester plan
  of courses which he/she needs to complete a
  degree.
• Web Advisor is a function of Datatel, so course
  information/requirements are directly linked to a
  students program of study and the evaluation
  audit.
• Students will view their degree audit and use it
  to plan for courses in the upcoming semesters
  therefore, students can be ensured course
  selection is relevant to the completion of their
  degree.
• Web Advisor provides students with a direct
  communication path to their advisors through
  email and comment areas on the Web Advisor
  worksheet page.
• Students can do the following
• Create, modify, View and print educational plans
  and DA evaluations
• Receive email notifications, updates, and
  public/private notes from the advisor
• Process what if scenarios
• Use curriculum tracks to search and register
  using Course Planning Wizard
• Advisors can do the following
• Create, modify and view entire student
  educational plan (completed, in-progress,
  pre-registered, registered or planned)
• Add public and private notes and send email
  notifications approve student-added courses
• Search and Register students using Course
  Planning Wizard

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Benefits of Academic Redesign using E-Advising

• Students
• Encourages students to take responsibility for
  their own academic success.
• Provides students with a track similar to their
  high school experience in planning courses.
• Encourages students to work with their advisor in
  educational and career planning.
• Maps the students progress in their program, so
  they can set short term and long term goals.
• Allows students to feel connected to their
  advisor and PCC. Students can see the estimated
  time for degree completion which provides them
  with long term goalsl and a way to track their
  progress.
• Encourages students to plan ahead, use priority
  registration, and see the direct consequences of
  dropping/failing courses and how this contributes
  to the delay of their goals.
• Encourages students to register early and
  register on their own electronically.
• Advisors
• Can lessen the number of drop in students
  during late registration who have no plan
• Can shorten advisor appointments because the
  students have a clearer understanding of their
  program and its requirements and have already
  selected their courses for registration
• Web Advisor provides an electronic path through
  email and a comment section on the worksheet, so
  advisors can lessen the number of phone calls and
  appointments from students.
• Web Advisor allows the advisor to function as
  intended providing academic advice and guidance
• PCC
• Holding students accountable providing them with
  a realistic plan and short/long term goals
  connecting them to PCC with a personal
  relationship (advisor) and guiding students on a
  career path will encourage students to remain at
  PCC, thereby increasing retention.
• Increasing student retention creates more
  successful transfer students, thereby directly
  impacting performance measures.
• Increasing performance measures puts PCC on a
  path for a superior rating thereby increasing
  funding from the state.

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Process for Advising Redesign

• 2006 researching and visiting other colleges
  advising programs form a task force of all
  relevant campus staff/faculty (registrar,
  counselors, advisors, facilty scheduling, etc)
• 2007 working with IT and Datatel representatives
  to determine cost and implementation and
  customization processes
• 2008 working with campus deans and vice
  presidents to gain administrative support and
  funding training students, advisors, and staff
• implementing pilot program of 350 students

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Outcomes for Advising Redesign

• Thus Far
• Administration financial support and
  resources/space created
• Campus divisions show the desire to move the
  pilot program into their divisions fall 2008
• Campus shows an interest in e-advising
  enhancements and changing PCCs academic advising
  policy. . .will advising become a required
  student action?

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Closing Thoughts

• When course redesign is planned out properly and
  with a team of participants, the process can work
  smoothly
• Once you accomplish your first redesign, you will
  find the process much easier and faster because
  faculty and administration buy-in has already
  been established
• Think outside the box what areas on campus other
  than the classroom can you redesign?