REDESIGNING TRANSITIONAL
EDUCATION AT CARROLL
COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
ENGLISH AND READING
Magdeleine Vandal, Associate Professor
Department Chair, Transitional Studies and Academic
Services
Spring 2014
Impetus for the Redesign




Findings from Program Review
Lumina Grant for Course Redesign
Growing Student Frustration
Growing Controversy over developmental Education
Goals for our Transitional Program







Increase pass rates on 1st attempts
Identify student needs to provide targeted
instruction
Accelerate students through transitional courses
Provide opportunity for self-paced instruction
Provide opportunities for success (eliminating 2nd
and 3rd attempts)
Lower DWF rates
Improve Course Integrity
Redesign Model: Modular Formatting
 Individualized
Instruction
 Self-paced
 Active
Learning
 Flexibility
Traditional Program
READ 091: Basic Reading
4 hours
ENG 091: Basic Writing
4 hours
READ 099: Reading in the
Content Areas
4 hour
ENG 097: Writing Effective
Paragraphs and Essays
4 hours
Students starting at the
lowest level in read, Eng,
and math could take up to
two semesters to complete
transitional course work.
Modular Program
Reading - 6 modules
English – 5 modules
Read A: College Readiness
Read B: Main Idea
Read C: Supporting Detail
Read D: Inference
Read E: Author’s Purpose and
Tone
Read F: Sentence
Relationships and Critical
Reading
ENG A: Information Literacy
ENG B: Review of Grammar,
Mechanics and Punctuation
ENG C: Writing Process and
Paragraph Development
ENG D: Essay Development
ENG E: Argumentation
Traditional vs. Modular Format
Traditional







Lecture
4 billable hours (students must
take the entire course)
Set start and end date
70% passing grade
Failure means student repeats
the entire course
Students must come to class
Students work at the
instructor’s pace
Modular






Text and computer based
1 billable hour per module –
students take only the modules
needed
Staggered start dates
Pass/Fail (minimum 75% to pass
– must master each objective
within the module)
Students work at their own pace
Students have the flexibility to
work from home
Module Format





Objective
Introduction
Practice
Application
Assessment
Improvements to Instruction






Individualization
Self-paced format
Personalized help
Immediate feedback
Student engagement
Mastery Learning
Changes to Curriculum
Reading




Adding College
Readiness
Added more on critical
reading skills
Increased passing
grade from 70 to 75%
Mastery Learning
English




Added Information
Literacy component
Increased he
complexity of
assignments
Increased passing
grade from 70 to 75%
Mastery Learning
Results: Reading
Academic
Year
Reading
Course
Passed/
Successful
Failed/
Unsuccessful
2011-12
Traditional
Reading*
72%
28%
2012-13
(pilot)
Traditional
Reading*
72%
28%
Reading
Modules**
84%
16%
Reading
modules*
79%
21%
2013 - 14
Results: English
Academic
Year
English
Courses
Spring
2013
Traditional
English*
56%
44%
Fall 2013
(Pilot)
Traditional
English*
70%
30%
Modular
English**
75%
25%
Modular
English
64%
36%
Spring 2014
Passed/
Successful
Failed/
Unsuccessful
Challenges to Overcome




Motivation
Poor work and study habits
Life
Weather!
What Works – The Good





Students are engaged
Students are responsible for their work
Students determine the pace – accelerate
or slow down as needed
Students demonstrate mastery
Students have flexibility
What Doesn’t Work - The Bad





Students think they don’t have to come to class
Students don’t do homework
Students underestimate time needed to complete
an objective
Students don’t read and follow instructions
Other classes take priority
What Doesn’t Work – The Ugly!


Students stop attending
Students do not complete the sequence in one
semester
Addressing the Challenges!



Modularized Transitional English and Reading
Bridge Programs for Traditional and Adult Ed
students
Placement Test Preparation
Resources

Accuplacer/Reading and English Diagnostics

Accuplacer/MyFoundationsLab – Pearson

Accuplacer Online Course and Practice Tests
www.longsdalepub.com
Acknowledgements






Dr. Faye Pappalardo, College President
Dr. James Ball, Academic Vice-President
Mr. Steve Geppi, Dean
Redesign Advisory Committee
Full-time and adjunct faculty for Transitional
Reading and English: Jennifer Dunn, Jennifer Gertz,
Carolyn Gulmi, Diane Wittig, Linda Brown
Lumina Foundation - Redesign Grant
Contact Information
Magdeleine Vandal
Carroll Community College
1601 Washington Road
Westminster, MD 21157
mvandal@carrollcc.edu