General Psychology Redesign Challenges and Solutions

1. General Psychology Redesign Challenges and Solutions Chattanooga, Tennessee

2. General Psychology Course Design • Classes: • total enrollment approximately 1500 per year • 7 on-ground sections main campus (100 students per section) • 3 on-ground sections at satellite campuses (40-50 students per section) • 5 online sections (30-40 students per section) • Contact Hours: • each on-ground section meets 2 hours per week • 2 optional one-hour help sessions per week • Faculty: • 4 full-time faculty (one serves as department chair) • 5 adjunct instructors

3. General Psychology Curriculum • Curriculum: • Uniform learning objectives and student learning outcomes across all sections • Assessment • Standardized across all sections • 1 syllabus quiz, 1 essay quiz, 14 interactive chapter quizzes, 1 learning strategies quiz, 3 unit exams, 1 final exam • Resources: • Wileyplus Interactive Website • PowerPoint slides, animations, streaming video, online textbook, web resources, self-assessments

4. Faculty Collaboration • The process • Frequent meetings • Formal and informal meetings • What makes it work? • Maintaining academic freedom • The individual is subsumed to the whole • Candor • Climate of innovation • Willingness to negotiate • Use of humor • Ability to handle criticism

5. Student Outcomes • Improved student learning – pre and post test data verification • Increased learner-focused curriculum • Designated Psychology area/classroom – building a learning community • Online and on-ground students have the same materials and opportunities • Faculty available for all students (on-ground and on-line) • One website for all on-ground students – maximum peer interaction and interactive mastery learning opportunities

6. Student Outcomes, Continued • Flexible scheduling • Eliminate drop/add confusion - students can enroll in any open section and attend any section with a seat as many times as they wish • “Now, I know. I need the lecture.” – can begin attending any or all lectures • “Job change. Can’t come to class.” or “My baby is due next week.” - not a problem just complete everything online without benefit of lecture • “Wow, if I’m sick one day or my car breaks down, I can take the exam on one of the other days it is offered.”

7. Faculty Outcomes • Streamlined management - eliminating replication of work • set of modularized course components that map to desired learning outcomes (one site – one syllabus – one set of materials developed collaboratively) • mass emailing and replication of course calendar • most weeks students receive an informative email --“ How are you doing?”, Office Hours, Due Date Reminders, Study Tips, “Where are you?”, … • Increased office time for other course development or research • Attention to students’ diverse learning styles • Less dependence on adjunct faculty instructors • Collaboration with other colleges and universities

8. College Outcomes • Increased and consistent faculty use of educational technology • Decreased demand upon classroom space • Reduction of instructional costs • Faculty development of new courses and revision of current offerings • Reduction of administrative hassles – scheduling and drop/add • Curriculum consistency across all sections – increased transferability and reduced grade inflation • Excellent SACS and Academic Audit Reviews

9. Information • National Center for Academic Transformation http://www.thencat.org/R2R/Abstracts/CSTCC_Abstract.htm • National Center for Academic Transformation- national project outcomes http://www.thencat.org/R2R/R2R_Project_Outcomes.htm • The Learning MarketSpace http://www.thencat.org/subscribe.htm