LSU Course Redesign

Phoebe Rouse

Louisiana State UniversityDEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

Baton Rouge, LA

Redesign Program Goals and Keys

• R2R: Roadmap to Redesign (Sept 2004-Aug 2007)

• Goals of Redesign: To use technology (MyMathLab)To reduce personnel costs (down 44%)To continue/improve current success rates (√)

• Pedagogical Keys of Redesign:Active Student Learning Experience Personalized, Individualized Instruction  Immediate Feedback  Repetition to Mastery

Courses and EnrollmentCollege Algebra (3 credit hours)• 1800 Fall• 400 Spring• 200 Summer

Trigonometry (3 credit hours)• 1000 Fall• 1000 Spring• 200 Summer

Precalculus (College Algebra and Trig, 5 credit hours)• 400 Fall• 50 Spring

A. Flexible Lab Model(Fall and Spring only)

Class at fixed time• CA – 1 hour per week – 40 students• Trig – 1 hour per week – 200 students• Precalculus – 2 hours per week – 40 students• Review and connecting of concepts, working

examples with most difficult skills

Lab at flexible times (open 60 hours each week)• CA – 3 hours minimum each week• Trig – 3 hours minimum each week• Precalculus – 5 hours minimum each week• Do homework, do quizzes, read ebook, watch videos

B. Early Completion Model(Fall and Spring only)

• 1 section each of College Algebra and Trig

• Sections capped at 200 students each

• No class meetings

• Optional lab hours – flexible times

• Rigid due dates

• Option to work ahead

C. Fixed Lab Model(Summer only)

• 2 sections of College Algebra and 2 sections of Trig

• Enrollment per section capped at 100

• 8 class days and 16 lab days cycling in order of class, lab, lab, and then repeating

• 3 fixed hours in lab required per cycle

• Lab open 8 hours each cycle

Pleasant Hall Math Lab

Fall 2005

Assessments• All homework, quizzes, tests, and final exam

using MyMathLab

• Test in university testing center

• Grade Distribution(modified for EC and Su)

10% Participation (5% class and 5% lab)

10% Homework (drop lowest 2/3)

10% Quizzes (drop the lowest 2)

45% Tests (4/5)

25% Final (can replace lowest test score)

College Algebra Fall Results

Semester and Delivery Model(s)# of

students enrolledABCRate

Fall 2001 Traditional Sections 3115 66%

Fall 2002 Traditional Sections 3188 64%

Fall 2003 Traditional Sections 3211 68%

Fall 2004 Traditional & Large Sections with MML 3347 71%

Fall 2005 Trad, Large w/ MML, & R2R with MML # 2506 54%

Fall 2006 R2R Sections w/ MML ^ 1724 75%

Fall 2007 R2R Sections w/ MML * 1739 67%

Fall 2008 R2R Sections w/ MML ~ 1772 68%

Fall 2009 R2R Sections w/ MML 1556 72%

Fall 2010 R2R Sections w/ MML 1744 71%

Permanent Changes: # MACT >24 given credit, Katrina/Rita ^ No partial credit on any assessments * Course rigor increased ~ Gustav/Ike

College Algebra Spring Results

Exam Median

# of Studentsenrolled

ABC Rate

Spring 2001 Traditional Sections 68% 1223 50%

Spring 2002 Traditional Sections 69% 1191 54%

Spring 2003 Traditional Sections 68% 1066 53%

Spring 2004 Traditional Sections 68% 1025 64%

Spring 2005 Traditional Sections 71% 610 66%

Spring 2005 R2R Pilot with MML 61% 196 47%

Spring 2006 R2R Sections with MML 67% 567 59%

Spring 2007 R2R Sections with MML 71% 384 55%

Spring 2008 R2R Sections with MML 61% 418 53%

“Must Haves” for Redesign1. The support of both the department administration

and the upper administration

2. A strong-willed, thick-skinned program director

3. A core group of instructors and professors dedicated to working hard to make the redesign succeed

4. Space and computers for a learning lab

5. A willingness on the part of everyone involved to be flexible and CHANGE

6. A purpose and an overall plan for redesign

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do stagger student assignment deadlines to avoid an overloaded lab

• Do set up homework and quizzes to be due before the new material is taught.

• Do establish credit hour equivalencies prior to assigning teacher’s schedules.

• Do increase administrator/coordinator release time to run program.

• Do designate a person to manage data, a person to prepare the lab schedule for tutors and train them, and a person to become expert at using the time clock.

• Do prepare for the unexpected.

• Don’t give up!

Contact Info

Phoebe Rouse LSU

prouse@lsu.edu

NCAT Redesign ScholarMyMathLab Faculty Advocate

Redesign PersonnelProgram Management• Overall program administrator• Course coordinators for each course• Tutor supervisor• Time clock manager

Teaching• Instructors• Upper level math graduate students

Lab Tutoring• Instructors• Upper level math graduate students• First-year math graduate students• Ugrad math majors

Tech support• Ugrad students from LSU ITS

Tutor and Teacher Training

1. Ugrad Tutor Training Programa. Hiring and screeningb. Pre-semester workshop

2. First-Year-TA Tutor Training Programa. Pre-semester workshopb. Fall semester Comm Math coursec. Spring semester Comm Math course

3. First-Time-Teaching-Redesign Teacher Workshop (R2R Manual)

4. Pre-semester Meeting for All Teaching

Elements of a Sustained Redesign

• Detailed course syllabus and individual daily schedules

• Online assessments and carefully chosen assignment settings

• Settings for individual students

• Process for importing into and exporting from the gradebook

• Precise password management

• Allowance for open homework

• Rotating lab and efficient time clock management

• Well-trained teachers and tutors and constant tutor supervising

• Attention to DETAILS

PH Basement Math Lab Fall 2006

PH Basement Side Room Fall 2007

TrigFall Results

Semester and Delivery Model(s) # of students

enrolled

ABC Rate

Fall 2001 Traditional Sections 1277 59%

Fall 2002 Traditional Sections 1150 56%

Fall 2003 Traditional Sections 1015 62%

Fall 2004 XLarge Lecture w/ MapleTA ^ 892 61%

Fall 2005 XLarge Lecture w/ MML # 1350 55%

Fall 2006 XLarge Lecture w/ MML 1234 63%

Fall 2007 R2R Sections with MML 1168 64%

Fall 2008 R2R Sections with MML ~ 1231 66%

Fall 2009 R2R Sections with MML 1209 76%

Fall 2010 R2R Sections with MML 1095 79%

Permanent Changes: ^ No partial credit on any assessments # Katrina/Rita ~ Gustav/Ike

TrigSpring Results

Exam Median

# of Studentsenrolled

ABC Rate

Spring 2001 Traditional Sections 69% 1304 65%

Spring 2002 Traditional Sections * 1451 63%

Spring 2003 Traditional Sections 64% 1490 63%

Spring 2004 Traditional Sections * 1477 69%

Spring 2005 XLg Lecture w/ MapleTA * 1252 69%

Spring 2006 XLg Lecture w/ MML * 1030 57%

Spring 2007 R2R Sections with MML 60% 967 62%

Spring 2008 R2R Sections with MML 67% 791 60%

*No exam median recorded.