c ourse t ransformation p roject:
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C ourse T ransformation P roject:. Making Large Classes Small 2013 Midwest First-Year Conference Julia Spears, Michaela Holtz, and Sheela Vemu. Overview. Share why NIU chose CTP as its approach to undergraduate instruction ( Julia Spears ) Describe how CTP works at NIU ( Michaela Holtz ) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Course Transformation Project:Making Large Classes Small
2013 Midwest First-Year ConferenceJulia Spears, Michaela Holtz, and Sheela Vemu
Overview
• Share why NIU chose CTP as its approach to undergraduate instruction (Julia Spears)
• Describe how CTP works at NIU (Michaela Holtz)
• Demonstrate parts of CTP courses (Sheela Vemu)
• Discussion & Questions
Perfect Storm - National Context
Perfect Storm
• High DFWI rates• Financial factors - tuition cannot keep
exceeding inflation (CPI)• Faculty Accountability• Students Today
• Demographics - higher and more diverse enrollments• Multi-taskers• Higher and more diverse enrollment• A reliance on the web - danger of plagiarism• Tech-savvy
Perfect Storm – Knowledge of Learning Today
With active learning experience – students:• engage with course content, each
other, and instructor• think critically• develop cognitively.
Technology Emergence - • radical impact on higher education• delivering the foundational content
effectively in large classes• different thought process
Students Today
Why Course Transformation?
• Passive classes lead to passive students.
• Students “lost” in large lecture classes.
• Students experience disconnect; they don’t see the relevancy of the classroom experience to their own lives.
Goals of the NIU’s CTP
• Improve SLOs in large enrollment undergraduate
courses and link them to the Baccalaureate Goals
• Have a university-wide impact through the
establishment of a Community of Practice (20
faculty members)
• Create a redesign process that is sustainable and
replicable
Course Transformation Project @ NIU
• Faculty teams redesign 5 - 7 courses per year– Two - year commitment– Occurs within an
interdisciplinary community of practice
– Senior Faculty Fellows• Retreats and monthly meetings
with faculty and staff• Institution - wide forums/
workshops• End – of - pilot and project
meetings
• Based on UNT’s NextGen model Teaching and Learning at
NIU
Other courses in the
department
Multiple sections of each
redesigned course
Redesign 5-7 courses
per year
Steps In The CTP Redesign Process
(Nextgen, 2011)
CTP – Blended Course
(Guidelines based on Nextgen, 2011)
CTP Large Lectures
• Present the critical lower level concepts to provide building blocks for higher level, more complex concepts
• Synthesize, clarify and expand upon (rather than deliver) content
• Create interest and motivation
• Provide assurance that what they are studying is relevant
• Model means of interpreting and analyzing content
CTP Large Lectures @ NIU
• OMIS 259 (30%, 1 hour a week) - Audience response system(10 times per lecture)
• ANTH 102 (30%) – assert themes from the readings and materials; cover tricky issues
• PHYS 180 – lectures with 2-3 in- class performance demonstrations
• HIST 171 – follow up after online quiz prior each lecture and readings assigned
CTP online
• Acquire lower level learning
• Limit content to overcome working memory limits
• Implement low-stakes assessments (quizzes) to boost students’ confidence
• Practical and participatory ways to engage student with reading material
CTP online @ NIU
• Before class quizzes• Online crossword puzzles -
Learning definitions and concepts• Readings – assigned pages with
built in questions• Online musical performance
analysis• Lascaux Cave online treasure
hunt; interactive maps• Group videos – interactive
training exercise
CTP Experiential Learning
• Introduce emotional component; Brain-based learning
• Analyze and evaluate information
• Present and defend newly-acquired hypotheses
• The Cemetery Project – ANTH 102: examine changing mortuary practices in DeKalb County – results in written report
• Create Website - WOMS 230: Students choose a current issue relating to women and/or gender, research it, collaborate with a relevant campus or community partner, take action to address that issue, and create an original and engaging website communicating the results of the project.
•
• Make and analyzing the sound of simple instruments (8-10 groups)
• Debates; research and teach the class
• Research ethics training – COMS 252: Students study and get trained on a research protocol, conducting a research interview using that protocol, transcribing the interview, work with their own and other students’ data to enact coding procedures, theorize from the results, and advocate a position based on their findings.
CTP Experiential Learning @ NIU
Transformation Goals
• Students think, work hard, like what they are doing, get good grades
that mean something, and graduate
• Doesn’t cost more and uses less space
• Faculty enjoy and believe in the process
FACULTY PERSPECTIVE
Dr. Sheela Vemu
SAIL Cycle
The Science Assessment, Instruction, and Learning (SAIL) Cycle
Five E Model - Engagement
1. Engagement
Are we encouraging their interest?
What is their prior experience of the topic?
Have you peaked their interest?
Personal reflection
Five E Model - Exploration
2. Exploration Metacognition Identify gaps Close the gaps with
explanations
Five E Model – Exploration cont.
Purpose <- -> Learning Report
Five E Model - Explain
3. Explain Experiential learning POGIL method
In class…BIOS 109
Five E Model – Elaboration & Evaluation
4. Elaboration Assignments in the new context
5. Evaluation Quizzes & grading/ Midterm/
Final
CTP 2012-2014
1. Chuck Downing - OMIS 259
2. Yasuo Ito - PHYS 180
3. Eric Jones - HIST 170
4. Sibel Kusimba - ANTH 102
5. Sheela Vemu - BIOS 109
6. Douglas Wallace - PSYC 102
CTP - Lite 2013
• Winifred Creamer - ANTH 491• Jason Hanna - PHIL 231• Amanda Littauer - WOMS 230• Anders Linner - MATH 210
• Jimmie Manning - COMS 252• Lyle Marschand - PHYS 150/ 150A• William McCoy – LEEA 490/590• Wendel Johnson & Meredith Ayers - UNIV 105
NIU’s Community of Practice
CTP 2013-2015
1. Laura Steele – FCCL 271
2. Joseph Scudder – COMS 302
3. Matthew Wittrup – PHHE 295
4. Cathy Carlson – NURS 318
5. Jeremy Groves – ECON 260
6. Courtney Gallaher – GEOG 101
Questions?
Thank you!