UMBC- SOCY 101
Update (September 2013)
Description of the course
Each spring and fall semester the sociology department offers four sections of Socy 1011.
Each section has an enrollment capacity of approximately 150 students. On average, all
sections are filled to capacity. Each semester two to three instructors (full time faculty and
adjunct instructors) teach sections of the course. In addition, each instructor is assigned at
least one graduate teaching assistant for each section taught. Instructors individually select
the course materials and student evaluation methods. Often instructors did not select the
same textbooks or testing methods.
There are several alarming trends historically in regards to the withdrawal rates and the
number of Ds and Fs earned in Socy 101. The figure that follows illustrates the rates of
withdrawals, Ds and Fs earned over a four semester period. The mean withdrawal rate for
these semesters is 4.5%2. This rate is slightly below the university wide 100-level course
withdrawal average. More disconcerting are the rates of students earning Ds and Fs.
During this four semester period, across the four sections of Socy 101, the mean rate of Ds
and Fs earned was 8.5% and 9.8% respectively. The rate of Ds peaked in the fall of 2010 at
10.2%. The F rate peaked, at 12.1%. Collectively, these data indicate that on average over
one-fifth (22%) of students that enroll in Socy 101 will not complete or pass the course.
Data for the Winter and Summer sessions of Socy 101was not included in this
analysis. These sections as taught exclusively online.
2 This rate is relatively rate compared to other courses the UMBC has identified as
problematic courses. For example, Introductory courses the Mathematics and
Biology department had semester withdrawal rates of 15% and 12.4% respectively.
1
Figure 1: UMBC Socy 101 DFW Rates: Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010 and Fall 2009
S11
F10
% Withdrawal
% Grade F
S10
%Grade D
F09
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
Redesign model and description of pilots
The replacement model was used to improve the quality of Socy 101. Several new
components were introduced to the course. The primary changes include the
following:
 15- 20 minutes per week of class was taken away from the lecture time and
replaced with graded weekly small group activities
 Team peer evaluations
 Weekly online quizzes and electronically submitted homework assignments
 Greater emphasis placed on attendance and classroom participation
Results from Pilot Fall 12 and Spring 13
The results, as shown in Table 1, from the Fall 2012 pilot indicate that the DFW
rates for both the redesign and the traditional section fell from the historically high
rate of 22% to around 15% for all sections.
Table 1: Fall 12 Data
Course Type
Fall 12
Traditional
Fall 12
Redesign
N=
288
289
A,B,C
245
243
D,F,W
43 (14.9%)
46 (15.9%)
Posttest
11.22
12.71
(Note: Common text used by all sections)
Qualitative feedback indicated that group work provided the opportunity for more
student-to-student interactions. Many students indicated they “enjoyed” talking
with their group members. Both the students and the 101 instructors found the
peer mentors to be a helpful addition to the classroom. Students were able to
receive immediate feedback from the peer mentors assigned to their groups.
Instructors felt “supported” by the “additional hands in the room”.
The DFW rate went up from Fall 2012 to Spring 2013. This occurred in both the
traditional and the redesign sections. Table 2 indicates that the DFW rate for the
traditional section was 23% and for the redesign section 24%. Historical data will
be investigated further to uncover if there is precedence for differing Fall and Spring
DFW rates.
Table 2: Spring 13 Data
Course Type
Spring 13
Traditional
Spring 13
Redesign
N=
112
241
A,B,C
86 (76%)
183 (76%)
D,F,W
26 (23%)
58 (24%)
(Note: Common text used by all sections)
One of the redesign sections from Spring 2013 was further analyzed to pinpoint the areas of
that redesign are working. Grades for each evaluation area were calculated. It was found
that students performed the strongest on “group work”. 83% of the class earned a C or
better on group work assignments. Students also preformed strongly on “attendance”. 82%
of the class earned a C or better in this area. Students performed less strongly on
“homework” and “exams”. 77% of the class earned a C or better on homework and 72% of
the class earned a C or better on exams.
The focus of the full implementation (Fall 2013) will be on improving the homework and
exam grades for students. Given that students are attending class and working well in
groups, emphasis will be placed on discussing homework and exam preparation in the small
group setting.