Office of Academic Innovation

Course Redesign--Towson Style

Towson University Proposal Instructions (Academic Year 2013)

Purpose and Goals for Course Redesign

The purpose of Course Redesign at Towson University is to support the renewal of existing
courses—as well as creating new courses—that have the potential for long-term effects on (1)
student success, (2) faculty success, and (3) the quality of academic programs.

Goals of the initiative are to simultaneously

• Adopt new ways to improve student learning outcomes
• Demonstrate these improvements through rigorous assessment
• Enhance the faculty teaching experience

Background

Since 2006, the University System of Maryland (USM) has sponsored a Course Redesign
Initiative with funding initially provided by USM and later by the Carnegie Corporation. One of
the goals of the initiative has been to encourage USM institutions to create their own course
redesign initiatives specific to the mission and needs of each institution. In response to the USM,
the Office of Academic Innovation at Towson University now announces Course Redesign—
Towson Style, sponsored by the Division of Academic Affairs.

Towson Course Redesign Inverviews

Dr. Raouf Boules Chairperson/Professor Department of Mathematics	Dr. Jeremy Tasch Assistant Professor Dept. of Geography and Enviornmental Planning

Elements of Successful Course Redesigns

(adopted from NCAT http://www.thencat.org/)

1. Whole course redesign. In each case, the whole course--rather than a single class or section- is redesigned. Faculty members begin by analyzing the time that each person involved in the course spends on each kind of activity. This analysis often reveals duplication of effort. By sharing responsibility for both course development and course delivery, faculty members save substantial time and achieve greater course consistency.
   
   
2. Active learning. All of the redesign projects make the teaching-learning enterprise
   significantly more active and learner-centered. Lectures are replaced with a variety of learning
   resources that move students from a passive, note-taking role to active learning. As one math
   professor put it, “Students learn math by doing math, not by listening to someone talk about
   doing math.”
   
   
3. Computer-based learning resources. Instructional software and other Web-based learning
   resources assume an important role in engaging students with course content. Resources include tutorials, exercises and low-stakes quizzes that provide frequent practice, feedback, and reinforcement of course concepts.
   
   
4. Mastery learning. The redesign projects offer students more flexibility, but the redesigned
   courses are not self-paced. Student pace and progress are organized by the need to master
   specific learning objectives--often in a modular format, according to scheduled milestones for
   completion--rather than by class meeting times.
   
   
5. On-demand help. An expanded support system enables students to receive assistance from a
   variety of people. Helping students feel that they are a part of a learning community is critical to
   persistence, learning and satisfaction. Many projects replace lecture time with individual and
   small-group activities that meet in computer labs--staffed by faculty, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and/or peer tutors--or online, thus providing students more one-on-one assistance.
   
   
6. Alternative staffing. Various instructional personnel–-in addition to highly trained, expert
   faculty--constitute the student’s support system. Not all tasks associated with a course require a faculty member’s time. By using alternative staffing, the projects increase the number of hours during which students can access help and free faculty to concentrate on academic rather than logistical tasks.
   

Course Redesign Models

Based on its nationwide experiences, NCAT has identified six different models for applying
these elements. The six models represent different points on the continuum from a fully face-toface
course to a fully online course. The Course Redesign Project at Towson University will
support redesigns of existing courses (or the development of new courses) that utilize any of
these approaches:

1. The Supplemental Model -The supplemental model retains the basic structure of the traditional course and (a) supplements lectures and textbooks with technology-based, out-of-class activities, or (b) also changes what goes on in the class by creating an active learning environment within a large lecture hall setting.
   
   
2. The Replacement Model - The replacement model reduces the number of in-class meetings and (a) replaces some in-class time with out-of-class, online, interactive learning activities, or (b) also makes significant changes in remaining in-class meetings.
   
   
3. The Emporium Model - The emporium model replaces lectures with a learning resource center model featuring interactive computer software and on-demand personalized assistance.
   
   
4. The Fully Online Model - The fully online model eliminates all in-class meetings and moves all
   learning experiences online, using Web-based, multi-media resources, commercial software,
   automatically evaluated assessments with guided feedback and alternative staffing models.
   
   
5. The Buffet Model - The buffet model customizes the learning environment for each student based on background, learning preference, and academic/professional goals and offers students an assortment of individualized paths to reach the same learning outcomes.
   
   
6. The Linked Workshop Model - The Linked Workshop model provides remedial/developmental
   instruction by linking workshops that offer students just-in-time supplemental academic support to core college-level courses.
   

Resources

University System of Maryland Course Redesing Initiative

NCAT Course Redesign Planning Resources

USM-NCAT Course Redesign Initiative (2006 – 2009)

Frostburg State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Dr. Raouf Boules - Course Redesign—Towson Style Presentation Slides (March 2013)

Office of Academic Innovation
Cook Library Room 405
Phone: 410-704-2005
E-mail: oai@towson.edu