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Redesigning Your English Courses ' ' ' And Your Campus

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Course materials available online reduces handouts/print costs. Instructors grading time lessened with the online peer edit program ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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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

2
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.

3
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.

4
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

5
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

6
Composition Program Solution CourseCompass,
Customization, and Campus Website
7
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

8
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

9
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

10
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.

11
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

12
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

13
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

14
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

15
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.

16
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

17
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?

18
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?
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