Maryland Course
Redesign Initiative
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Pilot Assessment Report: Principles
of Chemistry I
Jennifer L. Hearne, Ph.D.
May 30, 2008
TechCenter @ UMBC
Introduction
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University of Maryland Eastern Shore
MCRI Team at UMES
Goals of the MCRI*
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Adopt new ways to improve student
learning outcomes
Demonstrate these improvements
through rigorous assessment
Reduce institutional costs
Free up instructional resources for other
purposes
Develop the internal capacity of USM
Faculty and Staff to continue the redesign
process
*as stated in Call to Participate
Topics of Discussion
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Principles of Chemistry I
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Redesign Strategy
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Pilot Project Assessment
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Results
Implementation Issues
Revisions
Full Implementation Strategy
Principles of Chemistry I
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Goals
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Basic atomic and molecular theory
Nomenclature
Reaction stoichiometry
Gas laws
Population
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Freshman chemistry course for science and
health professions majors
 20% of freshman
30-50 students / section
 73% are freshman
 6% nontraditional
Principles of Chemistry I
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Tradition Delivery
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Lecture format
3-50 minute lectures / week
3 professors / semester
7 sections / academic year
Academic issues
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Inconsistent knowledge of students
Poor retention of material
55.1% student retention rate
Lack of coordination among professors
 Course drift
 Inconsistent learning outcomes
Redesign Strategy:
Replacement Model
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Principle #1: Redesign the whole course.
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Chemistry 111E
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Two lecture sections / semester
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One 75-minute lecture / week
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75-minute recitation (aka Resuscitation)
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2 hours in the Chemistry Computer Lab
using CengageNOW or studying
Redesign Strategy:
Replacement Model

Principle #2: Encourage active learning.
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CengageNOW includes tutorials and
exercises that may be repeated in an
attempt to earn a perfect score
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Recitation
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Competitions
Redesign Strategy:
Replacement Model

Principle #3: Provide students with
individualized assistance.

Chemistry 111E Computer Lab
 Staffed by Undergraduate Learning
Assistants (ULAs) and Learning
Assistants (LAs)

Recitation
 Informal atmosphere
 Exercise driven
Redesign Strategy:
Replacement Model

Principle #4: Build in ongoing
assessment and prompt (automatic)
feedback.
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Features of CengageNOW
 Student time and progress
 Hints
 Provides solutions
 Instantaneous grading
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Cumulative grade posted each Monday
Redesign Strategy:
Replacement Model

Principle #5: Ensure time on task and
monitor student progress.
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CengageNOW monitors a student’s
activity
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ULAs/LA monitor students’ time-on-task
Pilot Project Assessment
Offering
Total Population

Did not meet
First
Math pre/cochemistry
requisite
course
Enrolled in Fund.
reading, writing,
and math
Traditional
MWF
11:0011:50am
33
82% Freshman
82% Black, 4% Latino
25% Nontraditional
25% First generation college

21.4%
7.1%
10.7%
Pilot
MW
2-3:50pm
76
54% Freshman
84% Black, 4% Latino
29% Nontraditional
25% First generation college

10.7%
17.9%
7.1%
Pilot Project Assessment
Percentage of Students
Traditional vs Redesigned Course
100
80
60
40
20
0
A
B
C
D
F
W
A-C A-D
Traditional
Grade
A
Traditional
B
C
D
Redesigned
F
W
12.1% 18.2% 24.2% 18.2% 21.2% 6.1%
Redesigned 17.2% 31.3% 17.2% 15.8% 5.7%
A-C
A-D
54.5% 72.7%
14.1% 65.6% 81.3%
Pilot Project Assessment
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Successes
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Covered more material
Increased the percentage of A-C grades
(11.1%)
Attitude improvement
 Recitation
 LA/ULA
 Cell phone – text messaging
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Class size
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Pre/co-requisites
Students voted…
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“One-on-one help in computer lab is beneficial to
me-I like TNOW.”
“I like the Wednesday Recitation aka
“Resuscitation” – it is a great informal review.”
“The TA is AWESOME!”
“We only have to come once a week if we are
passing-that’s cool.”
“I like the Blackboard notes, that there is always a
TA to help with TNOW and study notes in the lab,
and NO CLASS on FRIDAYS!”
“I like having help all the time-you or Amakoe are
always around and care about us.”
…they liked it!
Implementation Issues
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Greatest challenges
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Computers in the lab did not function properly
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Funding for a computer lab
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Math and reading skills of students
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Text
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Knowledge of computers
Implementation Issues
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Reaction from colleagues
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“I don’t have to teach this way.”
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“I won’t teach this class.”
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“How will I get credit for teaching a large?
It doesn’t matter how many students I
teach; the number of credits is what
counts.”
Implementation Issues
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Department support
 Receptive of new methods and
materials
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Institutional support
 Contract approval of LA/ULA
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Funding
Revisions
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HH3073 block schedule
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In-class exercises
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Two online quizzes / chapter
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Time allocation for CengageNOW
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Pre/co-requisite enforcement
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Math 109
No concurrent enrollment in
fundamentals of reading and writing
Include mathematical exercises
Steps to Full Implementation
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Instructional conference
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Blackboard & CengageNOW
Revision and distribution of materials
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Custom textbook
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Increase CengageNOW assignments
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Develop web-based quizzes
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50 minute lecture (M), 50 minute
recitation (W)
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Additional ULAs
Acknowledgements
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Amakoe Ajavon – Learning Assistant
Allie Bryant – Cengage Publishing
Krystal Esoga – Undergraduate Learning
Assistant
Drs. Kelly M. Mack and Joseph M. Okoh
– MARC / MBRS Co-Principle and
Principle Investigators
Don Spicer & Nancy Shapiro
Carol Twigg &Carolyn Jarmon
Good morning Dr. Hearne,
I am writing to remind you of how awesome of a job you
did this semester in teaching Chemistry. There was no way
I could have predicted an A in this class, of all classes.
Thanks to you, your plan, Lenny, Christal, and TNOW. This
approach to chemistry is different, unique, and learner
friendly. However, it still requires a lot of work, time, and
commitment. I applaud the way you handle a very large
group with dignity, compassion to teach, compassion to
know if your students have grasped the concept and
knowledge, and zero tolerance of classroom disruptions.
You are a perfect model of how past, present, and future
Professors should be. Keep up the Good Work. May you
and this program in chemistry continue to grow and be
successful.
Thank you
Jerry Tucker