Review of Online Course DENT 805/HYG 455 Care of the Medically Complex Patient – WI 09

Overview of the courses 120 Dentistry students (D4s) Many took boards this term 23 Dental hygiene students (DH4s) 1 credit hour; 7 weeks Taught simultaneously, with slight differences in quiz questions

Course setup Weekly readings Weekly quizzes over readings Weekly group case reports Discussed and written in small groups of 6-8 Discussions were graded for participation Written report with rotating principal author Feedback given in video and written form; student did not utilize this – too long! Final exam

Rationale for online delivery Students engaged in boards, job interviews, etc Moving to 8 week rotations next year Free students from fixed course times

Results: best part of class

Sample responses “It helped me study for boards without even realizing it.” “I thought I learned a LOT more…vs. a classroom setting.” “Being able to collaborate with my peers enabled me to …learn this vast amount of information easier.” “Group reports were better than doing it as an individual, and the cases do help you understand the material.”

Results: needs improvement

Sample responses “The quizzes have were EXTREMELY frustrating.” “Some questions on the quizzes were in direct conflict with other courses we have had earlier.” “A more direct way to get the information than reading 3 chapters. I enjoy consise [sic] powerpoints.” “Time vs. credit given.” “Too intense for a 1 credit course.” “I prefer a lecture with a live instructor.”

Analysis of responses Quizzes Work required Needed more proofreading/vetting Students found multiple right answers Work required Too much content for 1 credit hour? Quizzes took unexpectedly long time Students don’t like to read

Time commitment Instructor Instructional designer Creating course outline and format 10 hrs. Preparing content and cases 20 hrs. - Writing quiz questions 40 hrs. Creating CTools site, including entering quiz questions 5 hrs. 10-15 hrs. Total prep time 75 hrs. 20-25 hrs. Responding to students re: course content Responding to students re: mechanics 15 hrs. Grading cases Reading/grading discussions 6 hrs. 25 hrs. (Grader) Fixing quizzes & updating grades 15-20 hrs. Hours per week during class ~14 ~8.5 Also talk about 24/7 expectations

Time commitment - 2nd year Instructor Instructional designer Creating course outline and format 5 hrs. Preparing content and cases 10 hrs. - Writing quiz questions Creating CTools site, including entering quiz questions Total prep time 30 hrs. 15 hrs. Responding to students re: course content Responding to students re: mechanics Grading cases 40 hrs. Reading/grading discussions 25 hrs. (Grader) Fixing quizzes & updating grades Hours per week during class ~13.6 ~5 If we take out the mechanical problems and increase faculty feedback as per student request, the total time per week when the course is running stays nearly the same. Unfortunately, this is more than one instructor can reasonably fit into the schedule. Still excessive

Lessons Learned Meet face-to-face Give more credits for course Fix quizzes Reduce group size (4-6) Make faculty availability clear on syllabus More faculty to comment on group discussions CTools fixes would be nice Instructional designer and grader are necessary

Summary Excellent student learning Student frustration could be greatly reduced with a few simple changes Extensive faculty time required, especially preparing the term ahead of time Some aspects of this online course would be very valuable to incorporate into a traditional lecture-based course

Questions?