Title: Redesigning Your English Courses ' ' ' And Your Campus
1 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
2Where 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.
3PCCs 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.
4Composition 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
5Composition 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
6Composition Program Solution CourseCompass,
Customization, and Campus Website
7Composition 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
8Composition 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
9Composition 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
10Foreign 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.
11Foreign 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
12Foreign 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
13University 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
14Solution 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
15Benefits 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.
16Process 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
17Outcomes 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?
18Closing 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?