Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign
Overview of Course Redesign
Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University
Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina
Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina
Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY
Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York
Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative
Tom Carey
Contributions from and discussion with all participants…
Comprehensive Course Redesign is a systematic process to simultaneously
improve learning outcomes and reduce/contain instructional costs
(also known as Academic Transformation, etc.)
Examples of comprehensive Course Redesign programs
• Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England
• Resource-based Learning
• Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’s
• Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE
• Pew Program in Course Redesign, 1999-2003
• Roadmap to Redesign, 2003-2006 [FIPSE]
• Colleagues Committed to Redesign, 2006-2009 [FIPSE]
• State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY]
NCAT Case Study [http://www.thencat.org/R2R/Abstracts/UNCG_Alg_Home.htm]
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) redesigned three
precalculus math courses, and the results were extremely rewarding. For
Precalculus I, the final exam average for the redesigned course increased
significantly from 58.2 for the traditional course to 75.5, and the DFW rate
dropped from 77% in the traditional course to 38% in the redesigned course.
For Precalculus II, the final exam average increased from 65 for the traditional
course to 69.6, and the DFW rate dropped from 60% in the traditional course to
41% in the redesigned course. For College Algebra, the DFW rate dropped from
62% in the traditional course to 49% in the redesigned course.
Costs also declined about 35%.
Examples of Transforming Course Design related programs and projects
• Teaching More Students, early 1990’s, England
• Resource-based Learning
• Center for Academic Transformation, from late 1990’s
• Built on ideas from EDUCAUSE
• Pew Program in Course Redesign, 1999-2003
• Roadmap to Redesign, 2003-2006 [FIPSE]
• Colleagues Committed to Redesign, 2006-2009 [FIPSE]
• State-wide programs [HI, OH, MD, AR, TN, NY]
• Teaching Well, Saving Time, Barbara Walvoord/Notre Dame, late 90’s
• E-Learning Transformation Program, in progress, Scotland
• Re-engineering Assessment Practices
• Self-regulated Learning
Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign
Overview of Course Redesign
Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University
Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina
Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina
Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY
Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York
Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative
Tom Carey
Contributions from and discussion with all participants…
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About UNC
• 16 campuses w. 200K students
• Rapid growth
• Course redesign will help with
– higher enrollment
– DFW rates
– readiness for further coursework
– consistency among sections
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UNC Redesign Efforts
2004 – 2006
• Large courses
• Outside assistance
(Carolyn Jarmon)
• Four campuses /
nine courses
2007 – 2009
• Any course
• Experienced mentors
from 2004-06 efforts
• Nine campuses /
thirteen courses /
two explorations of
technology,
methodology
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MERLOT Example #1
Issue
Using MERLOT
• Business research & • Identify existing
quantitative methods
learning materials
• Knowledge of
 More time available
statistics varies
for redesign
• Customized review
needed
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MERLOT Example #2
Issue
• Teacher education
in physics,
astronomy,
technology
• Moving online to
accommodate more
students
Using MERLOT
• RSS feeds on
course web site
 Students exposed to
many new resources
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MERLOT Example #3
Issue
• Theatre studies
• Multiple sections /
instructors
• Content widely
variable
Using MERLOT
• Department resource
collection like St.
Petersburg College
• Based on personal
collections feature
 Standardization
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MERLOT Example #4
Issue
• Health
• Multiple sections
• Guests available to
only one section
• Recorded for online
access by other
students
Using MERLOT
• Virtual speakers
bureau
 More flexibility
(person, timing)
 Provide materials
plus recording
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MERLOT Example #5
Issue
• College algebra
• Redesign vision
– Before class:
online modules &
practice problems
– During class:
student-driven &
interactive
Using MERLOT
• ELIXR case stories
show exemplary
teaching practices
 Successful transition
to unfamiliar
teaching methods
Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign
Overview of Course Redesign
Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University
Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina
Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina
Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY
Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York
Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative
Tom Carey
Contributions from and discussion with all participants…
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Administrators
Practitioners
Budget issues
Serve large enrollments
Prerequisite coverage
Efficient delivery
Student outcomes
Institutions own LOs
Efficiently reuse LOs
Consistent courses
Complete content
Course prep time
Meet discipline’s needs
Content coverage
Efficient grading
Student learning
LO fits teaching style
Adaptability of LOs
Adaptable courses
Teachable content
Course redesign stakeholders’ points of view
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IF….
Department/s have
And Campuses have
--Practical Consensus on content
and approach
--A long view
--Ways to foster enlightened
departmental leadership
--Adequate funding
--Infrastructure to support
unusual teaching loads and facility
uses
--Faculty who are ready to move
--Some Faculty members who are
already moving
--Courses with favorable capital to
labor ratios
--Adequate campus TLT support
--Commitment to ugrad teaching
--Agreement on autonomy,
academic freedom, specialties
--Openness to ideas from ANY
faculty member
--A credible internal champion
--P&T provisions for rewarding
undergraduate teaching
--Access to a body of reusable
teaching materials
Then Course Redesign may be a Good Approach
Adapted from ”The Concept of Readiness in the Academic Department: A Case Study of Undergraduate Education Reform” by
Virginia S. Lee, Michael R. Hyman, and Geraldine Luginbuhl. Innovations in Higher Education 2007, 32:3-18
Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign
Overview of Course Redesign
Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University
Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina
Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina
Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY
Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York
Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative
Tom Carey
Contributions from and discussion with all participants…
(part of) The CSU response: Transforming Course Design
“In March 2007, the CSU Office of the Chancellor launched a system wide project,
Transforming Course Design, to support campus planning and implementation of
comprehensive course design processes with the following goals:
Primary Goals:
• Enhance learning experiences and student success, through learner-centered
and technology-enabled instruction;
• Contain/reduce the costs of instruction, including a focus on optimizing the time
invested in learning and teaching by students and faculty;
Secondary Goals:
• Demonstrate these outcomes in rigorous assessments of student success and
instructional efficiencies;
• Leverage collaborations, in CSU & beyond, to develop resources/capabilities;
• Sustain ongoing activities and support a culture of Transforming Course Design.
The focus of the Transforming Course Design initiative is to support CSU
campus efforts in this area, to optimize the impact of those efforts,
and to insure that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’…”.
Sources of TOTAL workshop materials…
Curriculum
Learning
Outcomes
Course
Learning
Outcomes
Team-based
Outcomes-driven
Task-oriented
Time-optimized
Tool-intensive
Cost-sensitive
Assessment- rich
Demonstration
Knowledge-based…
& Assessment
NCAT
ETL (U.K.)
Walvoord
Walvoord
NCAT +
NCAT +++
REAP
MERLOT, SOTL
Prior capability,
knowledge, etc.
Learning tasks
and activities
Knowledge content
and resources
TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by
Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice
Outcome:
Project teams will be able to
 Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design
In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways
 Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2,
i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a
significant impact on your plans.
Outline:
 Sharing Resources
 Sharing Expertise
 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
 Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress)
 also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example
Sharing Resources
• Discipline Repositories of Learning Resources
• Compadre (Physics)
• CAUSE (Statistics)
• Institutional Repositories
• Open Courseware (e.g., MIT)
• Open Learning Initiative
• OpenLearn
• Regional Repositories
• MERLOT
CSU Institutional Teaching Commons
• other CSU initiatives
• other multi-discipline sites
TOTAL Workshop session 10: Transforming Course Design by
Exchanging Knowledge in our Communities of Teaching Practice
Outcome:
Project teams will be able to
 Identify opportunities and issues for Transforming Course Design
In Knowledge-based, Community-enhancing ways
 Commence work on the Knowledge-based section of Task 2,
i.e., what shared knowledge and resources would make a
significant impact on your plans.
Outline:
 Sharing Resources
 Sharing Expertise
 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
 Linking Expertise & Resources (work in progress)
 also see Teaching Research-based Innovation By Example
Applying MERLOT in Comprehensive Course Redesign
Overview of Course Redesign
Tom Carey, University of Waterloo & California State University
Potential MERLOT links to Course Redesign in North Carolina
Hilarie Nickerson, University of North Carolina
Perspectives on Course Redesign at SUNY
Jennie Dautermann, State University of New York
Applying MERLOT in the CSU Transforming Course Design Initiative
Tom Carey
Contributions from and discussion with all participants…