A CASE FOR LEVERAGING THE ONLINE GRADE BOOK

1. A CASE FOR LEVERAGING THE ONLINE GRADE BOOK John Fritz, Tim Hardy & Karin Readel University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) February 15, 2011

2. OVERVIEW • Introductions, Stage Setting (John) • Highlight: ECAR study of Undergraduates and IT, desire for profs to use grade book. • UMBC’s Alternate Delivery Program (Karin) • Effective Practice: Adaptive Release • Walking the “Self Interest” Talk in ECON 122 (Tim) • Highlight: How course design influences student performance • Wrap Up, Q & A

3. About UMBC • Founded in 1966 • “Research extensive university” Carnegie classification • Fall 2009 Stats • 12,870 Students • 9,947 undergrad, 2,923grad • 730 Faculty • 480 FT, 250 PT • Selected Brags • #1 “Up and Coming National University” U.S. News America’s Best Colleges2010 & 2009 • 1st in undergrad chemistry degrees awarded to African Americans • One of 50 Best Colleges for Women • 7-time National College Chess Champions

4. About Blackboard @ UMBC • Blackboard Learn 9.1 • As of Spring 2010 (began using in SP2000) • 95% of all students • 75% of all instructors • 65% of all courses (1,645 FA2010) • 356 Communities • Includes all student, faculty and staff senates • Support Staff: • 2 FTE (Admin & Support) • 1 Server Admin

5. WHAT STUDENTS WANT FROM A CMS?

6. CURRENT PRACTICE @ UMBC • Blackboard Courses with active grade books • 49 percent (FA2010) • 48 percent (SP2010) • 47 percent (FA2009) • Source: www.umbc.edu/blackboard/reports • Why don’t more faculty use the grade book? • What could happen if they did?

7. UMBC'S HYBRID WORKSHOP & ADP

8. Program Goals • Provide realistic outlook on what it will take to convert course to hybrid format • Provide assistance with available technology • Provide opportunity for feedback from peers • Create network of “hybrid” faculty for support and feedback

9. SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING

10. ADAPTIVE RELEASE • Create rules governing access to material • ADP uses this in work with faculty to facilitate self-directed learning and demonstrate the approach. • Syllabus or AI quiz before students can access assignments or turn in any work for credit). • One of three “Effective Practices” emphasized during Hybrid Workshop and ADP.

11. TIM HARDY & ECON122

12. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TODAY? • Background • Final Exam • “My” Hybrid Way • The Keys • The Results • My Opinion • What’s Next

13. BACKGROUND • Economics Department • ECON 122 – Accounting Principles II • Required for five or six majors • Approximately 500 students per year • Three or four folks teach the course – all part time faculty • Common final – department prepared • Final exam grades are shared • Results???

14. FINAL EXAM • Same exam for all students • Fifty questions • Two hours • All multiple choice • Students MUST score at least 50% on the final exam or all other work is for naught. • Department policy

15. “MY” HYBRID WAY • Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em. • Tell ‘em • Tell ‘em what you just told ‘em.

16. “MY” HYBRID WAY • Read the chapter • Consider EOC questions • “Watch” the video – one per LO • Take an on-line quiz on the LO • “Watch” the next LO video • Take the next on-line quiz for the LO • Repeat ‘til finished. • The student can’t see LO2 ‘til they’ve successfully completed LO1.

17. “MY” HYBRID WAY • When all LOs are complete, take an on-line conceptual quiz – this is the first activity that “counts”. 30 minute time limit, one attempt only. • Then do the homework problems – again, on-line. • The class meets and we address any questions about the homework.

18. “MY” HYBRID WAY • They take an “on-line” quiz on the problems just discussed. They are exactly the same problems just discussed, EXCEPT, each student has different values/numbers to use. • 60 minute time limit, one attempt only.

19. “MY” HYBRID WAY • Tests • Four tests • 25 questions each • 1 hour time limit – strictly enforced • All multiple choice • End of semester • Mock final exam – with key • A few minutes on “how” to take the final exam

20. THE KEYS • Small chunks. LO videos less than 10 minutes, less than 7 minutes is better. • Adaptive Release on BlackBoard. A student can’t see the next activity ‘til they’ve successfully completed the current activity. • Overlay Adaptive Release with Date/Time “open” and Date/Time “closed”.

21. ADAPTIVE RELEASE

22. THE KEYS • Report results on BlackBoard – Grade Center/My Grades • Very FAST feedback on each of the four tests. They know their results within an hour. The key is posted on BlackBoard. • Keep a close eye on your email. • Put a “step by step” on BlackBoard in Announcements/”Start Here” when you “open” the class.

23. THE KEYS • Alert students about BlackBoard “Certified” operating system/browser combinations. Don’t be their “tech support”. • TEST, TEST, TEST, TEST, TEST, TEST, TEST your site BEFORE the semester starts. • TEST it as a student! You’ll have to get a student login to BB. • Make nothing so valuable that it is fatal.

24. THE KEYS • Syllabus quiz • Advice to Students. • Do all the parts and pieces • Keep up • Ask if you have a question

25. THE RESULTS • All but one of my F2F students have successfully passed the departmental final exam – PROVIDED they “did all the parts”. • Best success rate in the department. • All Hybrid (and online) students have successfully passed the departmental final exam – PROVIDED they “did all the parts”.

26. THE RESULTS • Fall 2009 departmental results. • My section was “hybrid” • All other sections were F2F (other instructors) • All students took the same exam. • My students, on average, did about 20% better on the final exam than the F2F students. • I was delighted. • So were they.

27. THE RESULTS – CONTINUED • Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 departmental exam results. • While the “gap” narrowed, “hybrid” delivery still produced the best results. • Summer 2010 • Course was offered for the first time completely “on-line”, though it did require an “in-person” final exam. • Better final exam average score results than “hybrid”.

28. THE RESULTS – CONTINUED • Winter 2010 and Winter 2011 • “Hybrid” delivery in a three week “mini-mester” • All who “did what was asked” succeeded. • Winter 2011 average final exam scores were the best ever recorded.

29. MY OPINION • I was quite nervous on my maiden voyage. • ‘Tis “more comfy” now. • It worked!!! • Yup, I like it.

30. WRAP UP

31. BB ACTIVITY BY GRADE DISTRIBUTION

32. BB ACTIVITY OF D & F STUDENTS • Based on voluntary participation by instructors in 131 courses, students earning a D or F tend to use Bb 39 percent less than students earning higher grades. • SP2010 21 courses | 37 percent less • FA2009 29 courses | 37 percent less • SP2009 11 courses | 47 percent less • FA2008 13 courses | 40 percent less • SU2007 7 courses | 33 percent less • SP2008 26 courses | 32 percent less • FA2007 15 courses | 36 percent less • Does the pattern hold true during the semester? • What if students knew this information sooner? NEW: iStrategy analysis of 1,461 SP2010 courses shows D&F students used Bb 47% less than students earning C or higher.

33. MYUMBC CHECK MY ACTIVITY (CMA)

34. www.umbc.edu/blackboard/reports

35. THANKS fritz@umbc.edu thardy@umbc.edu readel@umbc.edu