Transforming Teaching and Learning Challenges in the CSU

SLOAN-C Symposium

Jeff Gold, Jim Julius, Kevin Kelly, & Brett Christie

Thursday, June 18, 200910:00 am - 10:50 am

Introduction

• Transforming Course Design

• Hybrid/Online Courses and Exemplary Instruction

• ePortfolios

• Accessibility/Universal Design for Learning

Real-time Feedback via Twitter

#sloan-csu

Transforming Course Design Overview

Systemwide Challenges 

• Reduce unsuccessful course grades, improve retention, and enhance application of knowledge after course completion.

• Reduce time needed to achieve desired learning outcomes within existing budgets.

• Promote meaningful collaboration among campuses and facilitate the sharing of best practices.

Transforming Course Design is a process to improve student learning while simultaneously addressing the issue of instructional costs.  

• Ineffective in engaging students

• Inadequate individual assistance

• Little to no interaction

• Students fail to retain learning

• All students treated as if they are the same

Components of Unsuccessful Courses

• Emphasize active learning

• Rely on interactive technology

• Increase on-demand, individualized assistance

• Automate course components that can benefit from automation

• Replace single mode instruction with differentiated pedagogical strategies

Components of Successfully Redesigned Courses

Choosing a Course to Redesign

Look for courses where redesign will have the largest impact:

• High enrollment

• High withdrawal/failure rate

• Graduation bottleneck

• Difficulty getting qualified adjuncts

• Student difficulty in subsequent courses

Transforming Course Design at the CSU

• Developmental Mathematics• General Chemistry

Successful Campus Programs (Scale)

Continuing Systemwide Programs (Pilot)

New Systemwide Programs (Plan)• U.S. History• Microeconomics

• Mathematical Methods for Business

Hybrid/Online CoursesCourse redesign presents transformative opportunities and challenges for faculty and instructional/technology support staff • Pedagogy/instructional design

o Principles and practices for effective learning environments, activities, and assessment

• Formative evaluation of course redesign and iterative improvement

o Adopting an inquiry approach to course design

• Technologies for teaching and learning

o Matching tools with instructors, learners, content, outcomes, pedagogies, and assessment strategies

Hybrid/Online CoursesCourse redesign initiatives provide "scaffolding" to best enable transformative experiences for faculty   

• Personalized support

• Peer connections & shared learning experiences

• Rich resources

• Clear expectations

• Recognition & reward

Hybrid/Online CoursesCourse redesign presents transformative opportunities and challenges at curriculum architecture level  • Focus on learning outcomes

o Internal consistency, external alignment/articulation

• Focus on learners

o Needs, preferences, support structures

• Institutional policies, resources, and commitments

o Instructional/tech support; course approval; faculty incentives; intellectual property; academic integrity; copyright; accessibility

• Shift from distinct structures supporting hybrid/online to unified approaches to quality teaching and learning

Chico Rubric for Online Instruction (ROI)

• Based in research and effective practices lit• Initially developed in 2002, revised over time• In wide use• Has complementary Instructional Design Tips checklist• Rubric Categories:

1. Learner Support & Resources   

2. Online Organization & Design

3. Instructional Design & Delivery 

4. Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning 

5. Innovative Teaching with Technology  

6. Faculty Use of Student Feedback

Role of a Rubric

• Define quality from the outset

• Shared vocabulary for [participants] to use in critique

• [Participants] internalize key concepts while using the rubric to guide efforts and in self- and/or peer-evaluation

• Reduce the amount of time spent evaluating work

 

From Academy of Art University

 

Using the Chico Rubric

• Understand best practices in course design o See SDSU's examples site o See also Chico's Instructional Design Tips

• Evaluate existing course, inform course redesign • Review courses for DE offerings, showcases, awards

ePortfolios

Transformation through aligning assessment strategies to student learning outcomes at different levels: 

o campuso programo classo student

ePortfolios

• Many campuses are shifting away from "checkbox filling" to "intentional and integrated learning." 

o Teachers: Assign appropriate ePortfolio activities

o Students: Write reflective statements about artifacts, show links between delivered/experienced/lived curriculum

• More authentic assessment preferred by employers (AAC&U 2008 Business Leader Poll)

o over 50% find ePortfolios and 99% find typical ePortfolio projects effective in ensuring grads have skills/knowledge

o 39% feel this way about multiple-choice tests

Transformation Through Culture Shifts

ePortfolios

• Statewide discussions about ePortfolios in conjunction with transcripts

• Transfer student perceptions:o  "Your grades don't necessarily give the true meaning of

you."o  Perceived value in using ePortfolios 

to clarify transfer requirements that differ from institution to institution

to show evidence of meeting transfer requirements to demonstrate skills and knowledge required when

applying to specific programs (e.g., Nursing, Film)

Transformation Through Process and Organizational Change

Accessibility

• Better meeting the needs of students with disabilities

• Raising awareness and obtaining faculty buy-in

• Communicating a complicated initiative across 23 campuses

• Making significant growth in this area without additional funding

• Being realistic while trying to do the right thing

CSU Accessibility Efforts• Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act

• CSU Accessibility Technology Initiative, 2005

1.Web Accessibility (Administrative)

2. Instructional Materials Accessibility

Textbook Adoption

Instructional Resources

doc, ppt, pdf, xls, etc

multimedia (audio & video)

Learning Management System

External resources (web 2.0; databases)

3.Procurement

Making Your Curriculum Accessible

• Universal Design (Mace, 1972)

• Universal Design for Learning

o Multiple forms of representation of essential course content in support of learning recognition networks

o Various forms of student engagement in support of affective learning networks

o Offer students various formats for expression of what they have learned through strategic learning networks.

• Accessible Instructional Materials

o Word, ppt, pdf, web, LMS, audio, video, ePortfolios, etc.

A Major Paradigm Shift

Open Q&A

More information on each topic: http://csutechchallenges.wikispaces.com

 Backchannel Twitter discussion :

#sloan-csu

Transforming Course Design Resources

• CSU Northridge Business Math Video Case Story http://130.157.145.22:8081/pachyderm_2_1/presentations/KateStevensonsTCDStory71/?wosid=rchTJberZtSNzZtRSi61Gw

• CSU San Francisco Calculus Video Case Story http://calculus.sfsu.edu/transforming/

• CSU Developmental Mathematics Google Group Site http://groups.google.com/group/csu-transform-dev-math-teams

• CSU General Chemistry Google Group Site  -http://groups.google.com/group/csu-transform-general-chemistry-teams

• The National Center for Academic Transformation http://www.center.rpi.edu/

     

Hybrid/Online ResourcesMoving from a Face-to-Face to an Online Learning Environment http://f2f-to-online.wikispaces.com/

Improving Learning and Reducing Costs: New Models for Online Learninghttp://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0352.pdf

Relationships Between Interactions and Learning in Online Environmentshttp://www.sloan-c.org/publications/books/pdf/interactions.pdf

SDSU Course Design Institutehttp://cdi.sdsu.edu & http://sdsu-cdi.wikispaces.com

Rubric ResourcesRubric for Online Instruction http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/index.shtml

Exemplary Online Instruction Awardshttp://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/eoia.shtml Instructional Design Tips for Online Instructionhttp://www.csuchico.edu/tlp/resources/rubric/instructionalDesignTips.pdf

Hybrid & Online Course Exampleshttp://tinyurl.com/course-examples 

Accessibility/UDL Resources• Center for Universal Design

o www.design.ncsu.edu/cud

• Center for Applied Special Technologyo www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes

• Ensuring Access through Collaboration & Technologyo enact.sonoma.edu

• CSU Accessibility Websiteo www.calstate.edu/accessibility

• CSU Accessibility Professional Development Websiteo teachingcommons.cdl.edu/access/

• ELIXR Projecto elixr.merlot.org

• Online Video Case Stories on UDL Implementationo elixr.merlot.org/udl

Contact Information  • Jeff Gold, CSU Office of the Chancellor, Director of Academic Technology

o jgold@calstate.edu • Jim Julius, SDSU, Associate Director of Instructional Technology Services

o jjulius@mail.sdsu.edu • Kevin Kelly, SF State, Online Teaching & Learning Coordinator

o kkelly@sfsu.edu • Brett Christie, SSU, Director of Faculty Development

o brett.christie@sonoma.edu