Redesigning%20General%20Psychology%20@%20Frostburg%20State%20University

1
Redesigning General Psychology _at_ Frostburg State
University

• MCRI Workshop
• May 30, 2008

• Primary FSU NCAT Team
• Megan E. Bradley, Ph.D.
• Bill Southerly, Ph.D.
• Cindy D. Hay, MDE MS
• Joseph Hoffman, Ph.D.
• John Bowman, Ph.D.

2
Successes

• Assessment 1 Comparison of comprehensive final
  exam
• All instructors blind to exam content

3
Successes
Comparison of Common Comprehensive Final Exam

• Redesign sections significantly better than
  traditional sections
• Redesign sections the difference between a
  student earning a C vs. D

A one-way ANOVA of section (6 total 2
traditional and 4 redesign) on final exam
percentage grades was significant, F 4.710, p
.000, ?2 .090.
4
Successes
Comparison of Factually-Based Questions from
Common Comprehensive Final Exam

• Redesign sections again significantly better than
  traditional sections by nearly 10

A one-way ANOVA of section (2 total traditional
and redesign) on final exam percentage for
conceptual questions grades was significant, F
27.508, p .000, ?2 .102.
5
Successes
Comparison of Conceptually-Based Questions from
Common Comprehensive Final Exam

• Redesign sections yet again significantly better
  than traditional sections

A one-way ANOVA of section (2 total traditional
and redesign) on final exam percentage for
conceptual questions grades was significant, F
7.452, p .007, ?2 .030.
6
Successes

• Reason for success on multiple choice part of
  final exam by redesign students?
• Final exam scores positively correlated with
  average scores on Mastery Quizzes
• r .523, p .000

7
Successes

• Assessment 2 Comparison of extra credit essay
  question on final exam
• All instructors blind to exam content
• Question Discuss the psychological phenomenon
  of prejudice. In your answer, feel free to
  reflect on causes/explanations, consequences of
  being a victim of prejudice, and/or ideas to
  counter prejudice.

8
Successes

• Assessment 2 Comparison of extra credit essay
  question on final exam
• Scoring rubric emphasized use of psychological
  concepts
• No upper limit for scores
• 1 point per correct use of psychological concepts
• 1 point per accurate definition of terms
• 1 point per additional psychological concept

9
Successes
Comparison of Extra Credit Essay Question

• Redesign sections significantly better than
  traditional sections
• Mode
• Traditional 0 or 1
• Redesign 1, 2, 2, 3

A one-way ANOVA of section (6 total 2
traditional and 4 redesign) on final exam
percentage grades was significant, F 6.787, p
.000, ?2 .153.
10
Successes

• Reason for success on essay question of final
  exam by redesign students?
• Essay score positively correlated with
• Grade on semester long prejudice project
• r .328, p .000
• Grade across all online discussions
• r .244, p .005

11
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Weeks 1-2

• Redesign Traditional
• Identify struggling students? Yes No
• students meet for help? 10 - 30 6
• Email communication? Average 60 0

12
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Weeks 1-2

• Redesign Traditional
• 4a) In class behavior
• Lecture notes 7 40
• Asking questions 10 14
• Large group discussions 13 4
• Small group discussions 35 6
• Self-assessments 4 7
• Psychology-related activities 28 13
• Videos 5 8

13
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Weeks 1-2

• Redesign Traditional
• 4b) In class behavior
• Taking quizzes 0 0
• Critical thinking skills 0 9
• Writing about Psychology 0 0
• Oral presentations 0 0
• Taking tests 0 0

14
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Weeks 1-2

• Redesign Traditional
• 5a) Out of class/online behavior
• Group discussions 15 0
• Self-assessments 5 0
• Psychology-related activities 15 40
• Videos 0 0

15
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Weeks 1-2

• Redesign Traditional
• 5b) Out of class/online behavior
• Visiting web pages 5 0
• Taking quizzes 15 0
• Retaking quizzes (master) 17 0
• Writing about Psychology 20 0
• Critical thinking skills 10 18

16
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Full Semester

• Redesign Traditional
• 4a) In class behavior
• Lecture notes 18 30
• Asking questions 13 8
• Large group discussions 10 8
• Small group discussions 23 8
• Self-assessments 8 5
• Psychology-related activities 13 5
• Videos 8 7

17
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Full Semester

• Redesign Traditional
• 4b) In class behavior
• Taking quizzes 0 3
• Critical thinking skills 10 13
• Writing about Psychology 0 4
• Oral presentations 0 3
• Taking tests 0 10

18
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Full Semester

• Redesign Traditional
• 5a) Out of class/online behavior
• Group discussions 19 3
• Self-assessments 8 10
• Psychology-related activities 8 3
• Videos 8 0

19
Successes
Instructor Questionnaire Full Semester

• Redesign Traditional
• 5b) Out of class/online behavior
• Visiting web pages 8 0
• Taking quizzes 15 0
• Retaking quizzes (master) 23 0
• Writing about Psychology 9 15
• Critical thinking skills 10 35

20
Successes

• ULAs (Undergraduate Learning Assistants)
• New course and Leadership Certificate Program
• Accepted by MHEC May 19, 2008
• Nominated for campus-wide leadership award
• 2 students earned prestigious summer
  opportunities
• 1 student earned graduate assistantship related
  to teaching

21
Successes
Financial savings

• Savings
• 11,000
• 62,699
• 73,699

• Source
• Adjuncts
• 5 positions
• Full-time faculty
• Need 1 less position
• TOTAL SAVINGS

22
Implementation Issues

• DWF rate / retention issue
• Previous average 15
• Fall 2007 rate 33
• Trend increasing since 2002
• Spring 2008
• Traditional sections 4
• Redesign sections 22

23
Implementation Issues

• DWF rate / retention issue
• Possible reasons for lower than normal DWF rate
  for traditional sections
• Final exam, believed by students to be required
  and count in grade while taking test, was treated
  as extra credit upon completion
• Only traditional sections had students earning
  extra credit for participating in research studies

24
Implementation Issues

• DWF rate / retention issue
• Possible reasons for higher than normal DWF rate
  for redesign sections
• Difficult beginning for 2 reasons
• Access issues to online (graded) content related
  to financial aid reimbursement
• Technological issues
• Students not ready for self-motivation needed for
  blended part
• Too many required activities in first half of
  semester

25
Implementation Issues

• DWF rate / retention issue
• Adjustments
• Access to online portion course/e-text
• Publisher
• Future Lab fee
• Computer labs with ULAs
• Supplemental Instruction Meetings
• Student Support Group
• Extension of assignments from 1 week to 2 weeks
• Deadline Disorder

26
Implementation Issues

• Financial reimbursement to Department
• Work study money to cover labs
• Limited lab space requires 2 ULAs per lab time
• Recouping gains to make redesign effort
  worthwhile
• University or system-wide policy

27
Implementation Issues

• Student Motivation/Preparation
• Readiness for active learning
• Attitude towards online/blended learning
• Willingness to check email
• Need for university change to student email
  system (too many emails)
• Preventing/treating Deadline Disorder
• Other ideas?

28
Implementation Issues

• Reactions from colleagues
• Department Very supportive
• Pre-approval before submitting proposal
• Fall 2007 retreat

29
Implementation Issues

• Reactions from colleagues
• University-wide
• Hesitant or resistant to
• Online/blended courses
• Large sections
• Inexperienced undergraduates helping courses
• Changing the perceived FSU identity

30
Implementation Issues

• Solutions for colleagues
• Department
• Continue yearly retreat
• Seek financial reimbursement for departmental
  initiatives
• University-wide
• Held spring workshop for university
• Carolyn Jarmon guest speaker
• Sponsored by Houghton-Mifflin
• Large positive response
• Plan for more in fall

31
Implementation Issues

• Technology issues
• Met with Worth representatives
• Issue for labs
• Divide each section into 2 shifts in 2
  classrooms
• N 75 per section for fall (replacement model)
• Largest lab size 30
• Ways to motivate students to bypass lab??
• Reward system that is easy to implement

32
Implementation Issues

• Retention and student support
• Removed blended label
• Working with student support services to
  implement university-wide policies
• Tie-in
• Learning communities
• Orientations (redesign)
• General Psychology

33
Implementation Issues

• What would we have done differently?
• Reduce number of activities/deadlines
• Get financial policy finalized before
  implementation
• System-wide policy
• Deadlines needed for both the redesign team and
  the administration for financial reimbursement