Redesign of Biology 101 at Salisbury University Maryland Course Redesign Workshop 29 May 2009

SU Redesign Team Clem Counts* Mark Frana Sam Geleta Ron Gutberlet* Mark Holland Wanda Kelly* Joan Maloof Claudia Morrison-Parker Wanda Perkins Betty Lou Smith* Bob Tardiff Melissa Thomas McGraw-Hill –Heidi Freund, Meghan Moreau, Matt Swinand Enhancement of online learning in Biology 210 –Kim Hunter, Richard Hunter *current instructors Dr. Les Erickson, learning technology guru (left)

Selected Goals of Biology 101 Improve biological literacy of our students Demonstrate relevance of biological science to all citizens Create a positive experience of biology, doing justice to the amazing natural world Distinguish science from non-science Share practical information about personal and environmental health

Selected Components of Redesign Use of Blackboard to deliver online content that partially replaces traditional lectures –Weekly instructions –Study guide –Reading assignments –Online lesson from McGraw-Hill –Practice activities from McGraw-Hill –Additional links –Online quiz Maximize use of lab time for activities, discussion, team contests Use of clickers to engage more students, to initiate discussions, and to automate some grading

Value of Pilot (Spring 2008) Learned that “lecture” time could probably be reduced to one hour per week Learned that some traditional lecture is probably beneficial Student reaction to an eBook was generally negative. Developed online course component Single instructor Student feedback prior to full implementation

Course Structure TraditionalInitial RedesignFull Redesign “Lecture” hrs/week students/section sections Lab hrs/week students/section sections

Selected Enhancements to Course Structure The same instructor now teaches all of the lab sections (5) from their “lecture” section. One section of Biology 101 with its 5 labs is a full teaching load. Course Coordinator Lab Coordinator

Additional Enhancements Complete revision of lab manual during summer 2008 Academic value of lab time is maximized— activities and small group discussion. Revision of online materials based on student and instructor feedback. Course drift minimized through use of common online materials and faculty cooperation and compromise (summer and fall 2008).

Evaluation and Assessment Student surveys –Response to course is generally positive –Students spend more time working on course material Embedded exam questions –Student performance has improved or stayed the same DFW rates –Decrease from 11 to 6% for one instructor –Heterogeneous results during fall 2008 Full implementation in spring 2009 –Analysis pending

Student Comments “I liked the online style of the course.” “Online quizzes were helpful.” “I usually do not like bio but it quickly became my favorite this semester.”

Student Comments “I really like the mix between online work and class time.” “It is new and a little hard to get used to, but I like it!” “I never really liked bio until now.”

Cost Reduction—Overload Pay Fall 2006 (Traditional) Spring 2009 (Redesign) Fall 2009 (Projected) $10,370.48$ $0

Cost Reduction—Cost per Student Traditional (Spring 2007) Redesign $269.30$51.85* *further evaluation pending

Implementation Issues Not all instructors “bond” with clickers. Comfort level of instructors improves significantly after one semester. Student attitudes and expectations evolve quickly. –Some resistance (very limited) to course design during pilot –New students don’t necessarily expect the more traditional course format.

Selected Faculty Reservations Decreased classroom time and the uneasy feeling of not telling students information directly and in person Concern that workload could increase Both have been addressed.

Support from Department, Institution, and McGraw-Hill Assigned time to prepare and implement the pilot; workload discussion ongoing Department faculty and university administration supportive and encouraging Good advice from redesign team and other colleagues Excellent support (advice, implementation, etc.) from our Instructional Technology group Free online course and eBook from McGraw-Hill for students in the pilot section