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The Journey to Digital Professional Development Series
October 21, 2015
5 Course Design Tips to Increase Engagement and Outcomes
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Questions and Comments
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Today’s Presenter
Dr. Greg GelleneTexas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
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Greg’s Story
1990sLCD projection panel (8 shades of magenta!)
WebAssign - /X
2000sConnect (McGraw-Hill)
OWL (v1)
2014MindTap
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My 5 Course Design Tips
1. Put your students at ease2. Homework: think “how structured” vs. “how much” 3. Use instructional (contextual) assignments4. Abandon the weekly homework paradigm5. The Booster Shot Session
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Tip #1: Put Your Students at Ease
What excuses for learning do you hear at the beginning of the term?
Try a pep talk
Help students get comfortable early
Keep students comfortable
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Tip #2: Homework: Think “how structured” rather than “how much”
“Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn.”
Herbert SimonNobel Laureate, Economics 1978
Most of what students “do” is homework – Help them do more
Distribution and timing of assignments Tip #4
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A common approach
What could go wrong
What can help bridge the gap
Tip #3: Use Instructional (Contextual) Assignments
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Tip #3: Use Instructional (Contextual) Exercises
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Tip #3: Use Instructional (Contextual) Exercises
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Tip #4: Abandon the Weekly Homework Paradigm
Approach• Each Assignment 2-3 hours• New assignments MWF• Rarely asked for an extension
Benefits• High homework completion• Students are prepared for lecture • “Auto” flipped classroom
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Tip #4: Abandon the Weekly Homework Paradigm
0 - <1
010
- <20
20 - <
3030
- <40
40 - <
5050
- <60
60 - <
7070
- <80
80 - <
9090
- <10
010
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
DistributedHomework
(Bi-)weeklyHomework
Percent Homework Completed
Perc
ent o
f Stu
dent
s
A B C DFW0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Distributed Homework
(Bi-) Weekly Homework
Course GradePe
rcen
t of S
tude
nts
Value of Distributed Homework – First implementation in 2013
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How I used to think online homework systems led to content mastery: Tip #5: The Booster Shot Session
incorrect
Assignment
Correct Answer and Feedback
Content Mastery
correct
Answer
Newly generated question(s)
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Tip #5: The Booster Shot Session
0 – 1 time through the loop
Long-term memory
2+ times through the loop
Medium-term memory
(at best)
What I learned seemed to be going on
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18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 350%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%Without Support With Support
CPE Score
% D
FW in
CH
EM 1
307
p < 0.001 p > 0.10
Weekly, highly interactive Clicker-based sessions
Reinforce problem solving techniques and concept understanding
~20 multiple choice questions
Results:
Tip #5: The Booster Shot Session
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Outcomes and Student Feedback
A B C DFW0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
10.6%
20.1%
27.6%
41.7%42.5%
29.5%
12.3%15.8%
Face-to-Face Distance
CHEM 1307 Grade
% S
tude
nts
MindTapMastering
Questions?
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The Journey to Digital Professional Development Series
September 24, 2015
Incorporating Technology to Strengthen Critical Minds