Project History
Overview - Year 1
Purpose of Project
The Course Design Academy (CDA) serves as a student success initiative, a faculty development opportunity, and an investment in intentional design for key courses with the potential to substantially enhance student success. Funding has been allocated to support the redesign of a set of gateway courses that present special challenges to students. The courses chosen for redesign have significant enrollment and hold substantial potential for improving student success through course and curriculum redesign.
Funds for 2016 were awarded to participating programs and faculty based on participation in two CDA workshops and completion of a series of activities leading to a comprehensive redesign of the selected courses. Besides compensating faculty for their work, the program also received funds at specific intervals throughout the project that may be used to purchase instructional materials or to send faculty to conferences, etc., as detailed in the program’s CDA proposal. Funds were disbursed as work was completed, based on the plan outlined.
An outline of primary activities and project budget follow.
Initial Program Analysis (due by 1/21/16 noon)
Stipend/Deliverables – Pre-Workshop Report
$375 to program (for use by program for approved expenditures, upon submittal of deliverable)
Deliverable: Report of pre-workshop analysis, to be prepared in advance of Workshop #1
Potential Stop-Out Point
Design Phase #1
Identification of situational factors and data needed, development of project proposal and research plan.
(Role of CIS: Develop and deliver Workshop #1, assist in development of proposals.)
Stipend/Deliverables – Workshop #1
Stipend: $250 each to faculty member (and Chair) attending Workshop #1
Deliverables: Attendance at and report on results of Workshop #1 (submitted at end of workshop).
Possible Stop-Out Point
For programs continuing on . . .
(Proposal to be developed in consultation with CIS, due 1/29/16 – application form available 1/4/16.)
Design Phase 2
Complete Steps 2-5 of Integrated Course Design process.
(Role of CIS: In consultation with participating faculty, develop and deliver Workshop #2, assist in course design and development, and provide any associated faculty development necessary as identified by program.)
Each team works through steps 2-4 of the Integrated Course Design process (Steps 2-4) for one significant learning goal.
Course Design Activities
(In consultation with CIS as needed with faculty development tailored to needs of program)
- Identify at least three significant learning goals.
- Design backward-looking and forward-looking assessment for the significant learning goals.
- Develop teaching/learning activities.
- Develop course design criteria to be used for reviews in Design Phase 5.
- Verify alignment of course design.
Design Phase 3 (Spring term 2016)
Course Design Activities
(In consultation with CIS as needed with faculty development tailored to needs of program)
- Create a thematic structure for the course.
- Define teaching strategies.
- Integrate the course structure to create an overall scheme and flow of teaching and learning activities.
- Select textbook/open educational resources.
- Finalize formal research plan for project evaluation (data to be collected and methodology to be used) and help develop IRB.
Stipend/Deliverables – Phase 2 & 3 Activities
Stipend: $1,000 each to faculty on course design team (includes attendance at Workshop #2)
Deliverables: Receipt of all stipends depends on attendance of participating faculty at Workshop #2, delivery of report from Design Phase 3 activities.
Potential Stop-Out Point
Design Phase 4
Course Design Activities
- Complete detailed assessment plan for course (requires involvement of faculty involved in program assessment).
- Complete learning activity design based on assessment plan (ensure activities are fully mapped to course learning outcomes and significant learning goals.)
- Debug possible problems.
- Write course syllabus.
- Complete course design reviews - end of Spring term 2016 (Chair and other program faculty, Center for Instructional Support, University Studies Division Director, University Studies Committee, and if learning outcomes modified, Curriculum Committee).
Stipend/Deliverables – Phase 4 Activities
Stipend: $1,000 each to faculty member on course design team & $450 to program for direct involvement of other program faculty in course design review process
Deliverables: Receipt of all stipends conditional on delivery of report from Design Phase 4 activities, and formal course design review by June 30, 2016 (hard deadline).
Design Phase 5
(Role of CIS: Assist in design and development of multimedia and Moodle site, and any associated faculty development identified by program.)
Course Design Activities
- Build and fine tune course.
- Develop multimedia and learning aids.
- Create Moodle site.
Stipend/Deliverables – Phase 5 Activities
Stipend: $250 each to faculty member on course design team
Deliverables: Receipt of all stipends depends on completion of Moodle site and course fully prepared to offer in Fall 2016. Hard deadline 9/15.
Course Offered Fall 2016
Evaluation Phase (Fall-Winter 2017)
(Role of CIS: Assist in evaluation activities.)
Faculty Design Team Activities associated with Evaluation Phase
- Manage data collection (based on research plan) during course delivery (with CIS help)
- Analyze results and review against goals
- Recommend adjustments in course design (and teaching practices) based on analysis of results
Program Activities Associated with Evaluation Phase
- Program sign-off on project evaluation
Stipend/Deliverables – Evaluation Phase
Stipend: $350 to program for final program/project report sign-off (for use by program for approved activities)
$500 each to faculty member on course design team
Milestone: Receipt of stipends depends on delivery of final evaluation, recommendations, and review and approval by program
Stipend Summary
- Faculty stipends: $3,000 each
- For required attendance at Workshops #1 & 2, course design, and project evaluation.
- Chair stipend: $250
- For attendance at Workshop #1.
- Program stipends: $1,175
For initial analysis of data, program review and sign-off on course design, and program review and sign-off on final evaluation. Project proposal will include plans for use of program stipends.