
What it means

How it works

Why students are successful
Susan Barbitta
Guilford Technical CC
sbarbitta@gtcc.edu
336-334-4822 x50032
WHAT IT MEANS
NCAT Redesign Principles
The National Center for Academic Transformation

Principle #1
◦ Redesign the entire course

Principle #2
◦ Encourage active learning

Principle #3
◦ Provide students with individualized
assistance
NCAT Redesign Principles
The National Center for Academic Transformation

Principle #4

Principle #5

Principle #6
◦ Build in ongoing assessment and prompt
(automated) feedback
◦ Ensure sufficient time on task and monitor
student progress
◦ Modularize the student learning experience,
especially in developmental math.
HOW IT WORKS

Fixed class time

Open Lab

Student/tutor ratio

Additional tutors first two weeks and
the last week
◦ How many hours/week with an instructor
of record
◦ Required or optional?
◦ Professional tutors, student tutors
‣ Remove curricula redundancies
‣ Create pre-tests
‣ Link homework to pre-tests
‣ Personalized homework
‣ Determine course flow

Semester long courses

Pass or start over
Pick up where you left off
Work through all the
content
Credit given for concepts
previously mastered

Fixed pace
Flexible Pace

One course/semester
Ability to complete more
than one course/semester

4 week long modules
How To Prepare Students
• Explain how to progress through the course
• Detail these procedures in your syllabi
• Drive through the online software together
• How/when to watch videos
• How to review a quiz
• How to access the e-book
• Outline the cost & time savings
• Less math is needed for most majors
• Can finish more than one course per
semester
How To Prepare Faculty
• Training in the online software
• Work through selected sections of the
new course
• Consistency amongst instructors
• Academic Coaching
• How to keep students on track*
Keeping students on track
• Personal contact with every student
weekly
• Knowing where your students are in the
course
• Soft due dates
• Assignment completion times
WHY STUDENTS ARE
SUCCESSFUL

Reduced redundancies in curricula

Flexibly paced

Mastery Based

Minimal academic gaps

No course drift

Cost savings
 Access code valid for 2 years
 Workbook good for all of modules
 Jamestown,
North Carolina

4 Campuses
20,000 Curriculum Students
25,000 Con Ed Students

Developmental Math


◦ 56 Faculty and Staff
◦ ~7,500 Developmental Math Students/Year

Essential Mathematics
◦ DMA 010, 020, 030

Introductory Algebra
◦ DMA 010, 040, 050

Intermediate Algebra
◦ DMA 060, 070, 080

Most non-STEM programs require mods 1-5
DMA
DMA
DMA
DMA
010
020
030
040
–
–
–
–
Operations with Integers
Fractions and Decimals
Proportions/Ratios/Rates/Percents
Expressions, Linear Equations,
Linear Inequalities
DMA 050 – Graphs and Equations of Lines
DMA 060 – Polynomials and Quadratic
Applications
DMA 070 – Rational Expressions and
Equations
DMA 080 – Radical Expressions and Equations
Seated Classroom
vs.
Flexibly Paced Classroom
Now they’ll look like this.
o
150 person Math Emporium*
oCloud Computing
o 4 classes running concurrently
o 25 drop-in
o 40 person testing center
o
80 person Math Emporium
o
30 person Math Emporium
o
15 person Math Emporium
o 2 classes running concurrently
o 10 drop-in
o 1 class of 24 and 6 drop-in

Fixed class time
◦ 3-4 hours/week with an instructor of record
◦ 2 additional online hours required/wk

For each class of 35 students:

~15% seats are for drop-ins

Additional tutors first two weeks
◦ One instructor
◦ One professional tutor/student tutor



Create pre-tests
◦ Link personalized homework
Create homework assignments
Create the quizzes (pooling)
◦ Multiple authors/books

Create the Module Test (pooling)
◦ Personalized homework


Insert links to videos
Set pre-requisites for all assignments
Module Placement Test
Credit given for objectives previously mastered .
< 85%
Work through the
module.
≥ 85%
Exempt, move on
to the next
module.
◦ MML video (optional)
◦ Workbook exercises
◦ MML homework
◦ MML quiz
◦ MML Module test
◦ Personalized homework

Homework – 85%, unlimited attempts

Quiz – 85%, [3,∞)
◦ Pooled questions
◦ Instructor intervention
◦ personalized homework

Module Test – 80%, [1,4]
◦ Instructor intervention/personalized
homework
Keeping students on track
• Personal contact with every student weekly
• Knowing where your students are in the
course
• Soft due dates
• Assignment completion times
MODULE 6
Assignment
MOD 6 PLACEMENT
HW 6.01
HW 6.02
HW 6.03
HW 6.04
HW 6.05
HW 6.06
HW 6.07
HW 6.08
QUIZ 6.01 - 6.08
Predicted Date of
Completion
Pacing
Guide
Time
Needed
1:15
1:00
1:00
1:00
0:30
0:45
0:45
2:00
2:00
1:45
Day
Date
Assignment
1
1/7
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1/8
1/9
1/10
1/11
1/14
1/15
1/16
Orientation
Orientaion Assignment/Syllabus
Quiz
Placement Test 1
Leap Log 1.02/MML 1.02
Leap Log 1.03/MML 1.03
Leap Log 1.04/MML 1.04
Leap Log 1.05/MML 1.05
Quiz 1.02-1.05
Spring 2011 Pilot
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
93%
73%
66%
80%
72%
62%
Essential Math
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Traditional
Redesign Spring '11
Fall 2011
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
73%
80%
73%
66%
58%
Essential Math
59%
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Traditional
Redesign
Spring 2012
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
72%
82%
64%
Essential Math
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Summer 2012
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
82%
Essential Math
82%
87%
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Spring 2011 to Summer 2011 /Fall 2011
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
87%
59% 65%
62%
Essential Math
Introductory
Algebra
80% 82%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
Traditional
Redesign
Intermediate
Algebra
Spring 2011 to Summer 2011/Fall 2011
100%
100.0%
80%
80.0%
60.0%
65%
55%
45%
40%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
Essential Math
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Traditional
Redesign su '11
Fall 2011 to Spring 2012
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
85%
Essential Math
86%
83%
Introductory Algebra Intermediate Algebra
“I like it because you get to skip sections that
you already know how to do.”
“I hate to feel like I have to work at someone
else’s pace. This course gives me the ability to
learn the way I learn.”
“I like that you can go at your own pace. I just
do not like how one teacher shows you one
way to a problem and you get it and then
another teacher comes behind that teacher
with a different way and it confuses me.”**
“I feel like all of my class time is being used
instead of getting lectured and being lost.”
“I really like the individualized attention that the
teachers give. They are always available to
answer your questions.”
“I like that you can complete this course at your
own speed and not the speed of the class. With
this rate I am able to comprehend more.”
And faculty say….
The good, the bad, and the ugly…..
Change is hard!!
Faculty comments
“At first, I didn’t know what to think,
but I didn’t think I was going to like
it.”
“It can be challenging teaching 3 levels
at the same time.”
“I like the ‘on-demand’ teaching that
takes place. The student actually
listens to me.”
“Students learn by doing, not
watching. Now they are more
responsible for what they learn and
how quickly they learn it.”
Susan Barbitta
sbarbitta@gtcc.edu
336-334-4822 x50032