ABOR ABOR Learner-Centered Education Learner-Centered Education Course Redesign InitiativeCourse Redesign Initiative

Workshop IVWorkshop IVFinal ReportFinal ReportApril 2, 2009April 2, 2009

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

General ChemistryASU

Pam MarksAllan ScruggsGary Cabirac

General Chemistry RedesignGeneral Chemistry Redesign

4 Courses: 2640 + 1800 Enrolled

CHM 101 Non-science Majors/ Allied Health

CHM 113 / 116 2-Semester Sequence for Science Majors

CHM 114 Course for Engineering Majors

Changes and Results Changes and Results of the Course Redesignof the Course Redesign

CHANGES

Problems with old course design

Solutions Photos of redesigned

collaboration area New Function of

recitation TAs Online HW Prelab Activities

RESULTS

Cost Savings

Retention

Learning gains known so far

Survey results

Problems with Old Course DesignProblems with Old Course Design

Recitation Each lab TA ran a recitation for 50 minutes at the

beginning of the 3-hr lab.Nothing cohesive among TAs – inconsistent

activitiesSometimes little TA preparation or taught “on the

fly” Homework

Not graded so only some students did the homework

Lecture – okay (Many faculty use a learner-centered approach with consistent coverage across sections.)

Lab – Guided inquiry, but students had trouble making connections to lecture concepts

Underlying FactorsUnderlying Factors

Students did not know how to use out-of-class time effectively.

Poor long-term memory of conceptsStudents had difficulty connecting lecture

and lab concepts25-40% DFW rateSome lab TAs didn’t know what was

happening in the lecture class; couldn’t help.

SolutionsSolutions

Designed a new recitation room Developed structured weekly guided

inquiry activities for all courses. Incorporated online homework in all

courses Added a pre-lab component to the lab

SolutionsSolutions

The Redesigned Recitation Room We overhauled a poor-quality octagonal

classroom/low ceiling Traded it for our previous monopoly of

six smaller classrooms (w/capacity of 24) Our Redesign $$$ leveraged 10x more

from university and Steelcase Company. Built a quality, multimedia, collaborative

learning room to accommodate ~70 students

SolutionsSolutions

New Guided-Inquiry Recitation Activities Structured activities written by faculty and

facilitated by 2 instructors / 60-70 students Activities designed to develop concepts for deeper

and longer-term understanding and for visuallization.

“Recitation Instructors”: a graduate TA or faculty instructor devoted to facilitating 6-8 recitations of 50 minutes.

Reason for Success with Fewer TAs w/ 72 students (2 not 3) Collaborative work in tables of 6 promoted

discussion among students. The “scripted” guided-inquiry activity was written by

a faculty member of each course.

SolutionsSolutions

““Lab TAs”Lab TAs” can teach more: Less time/lab and no prep for recitation Not required to attend lecture From 6 hr to 8 hr (from 2 labs to 4 labs

with no rec.) Fewer Lab TAs needed

Old Recitation Room

FULL IMPLEMENTATION

The New Recitation RoomThe New Recitation Room

Soln: Recitation Instructors Function as Soln: Recitation Instructors Function as FacilitatorsFacilitators

Student ImpressionsStudent Impressions

It’s different... the layout. Nice seating and visual aids. It’s cool to work across the table and interact with everyone and learn from each other. Interview- Student

New Classroom In the traditional

classroom, students did not sit in teams, which made it difficult for them to engage in peer learning.

Old Classroom

Student ImpressionsStudent Impressions

We can throw our stuff up there [digital projection on the wall] if we want to. Interview- Student

New Classroom It’s very different from the

other recitations. [In the previous recitation classroom] it was just the TA talking, then everyone working on their own instead of working in a group.

-Interview- Student

Old Classroom

Online HomeworkOnline Homework

Introductory Chemistry (nonscience majors) ARIS/CONNECT Online Homework

5-10% of grade

General Chemistry and Engineering Chemistry MasteringChemistry Online Homework

9-12% of grade

Laboratory ModificationsLaboratory Modifications

Lab is now a 2-hour block with no recitation.

Pre-lab activities are now assigned to students.

Pre-lab activities include:Online researchProblems that help students make

connections to lectureStudent’s proposal for a procedure

Cost SavingsCost Savings

Due to a change in the way recitation occurred:2/3 as many TAs needed for recitation in new format24% decrease in overall number of TAs (101 to 77)

TA Cost: Salary + tuition + benefits$33,421 x 24 TA lines = $802,000 saved annually

Substituting 5 full-time “instructors” at the Master’s level for 8.5 TAs working 50% time.

We gained equivalent of + 1.5 TAs annuallyAt savings of $40,500 annually.

Cost of 5 instructors’ salary + benefits = $51,400 * 5 = $257,000 for instructors vs $297,000 for TAs

Total Annual Cost Savings: $802,000 + $40,500 = $842,500

Reduction of teaching assistants Reduction of teaching assistants was important and desirablewas important and desirable

The shortage of chemistry graduate students had resulted in hiring some graduate students outside our department to staff the general chemistry program.

This situation provided uncertainty in quality control of teaching assistantsfor students enrolled in our introductory chemistry courses.

Student RetentionMeasured with DFW rate

W defined: (# taking 1st exam – # grades given).

Non-Science Majors’ Course (CHM 101) No pattern of retention

DFW Averaged 31% over 3 semesters of Traditional, Pilot, and Full Implementation

Recorded change in population from 40% nursing and kinesiology to below 30% due to Downtown course increased enrollments

Science Majors Sem I Course (CHM 113) DFW dropped 4%

From 24.1% in Traditional to 19.9% in Redesigned Course

Student LearningStudent Learningas measured by as measured by common exam questionscommon exam questions

Non Science Majors No pattern over three semesters of traditional,

pilot, and full implementation

Science Majors No common exam questions in the Traditional First implementation semester

Only 30-45% of students answering correctly on four of the eight questions

Questions selected Fall 08 too fact- oriented rather than highly conceptual

Student Surveys Show Student Surveys Show Positive Response to ChangesPositive Response to Changes

Student Surveys Evaluation of Recitation Activities

Understanding Content: Good; ScMaj Course Working in Groups: Good; no difference Use of Technology, Software, & Physical Objects

Good Recitation TAs: Good; ScMaj Course

Survey about Online Homework: time/wk, attempted, % completion

Non-ScMaj Course

Implementation Advantages and ChallengesImplementation Advantages and Challenges

Advantages Faculty know what students are learning in

recitation More efficient use of student time / Active learning Increased sense of community inside and outside of

class. Better student attitudes / good feedback Cost savings Consistency across courses

Challenges during pilot and start of full implementation Administering new design Computer issues Changes to lab Some TAs and students were resistant to change

The FutureThe Future

Modify laboratory experiments and renovate laboratories to create a more collaborative environment.

Improve prelabs Online Interactive / videos / animations

Continue to modify recitation activities to take advantage of multimedia environment.

The TeamThe Team

Janet Bond-Robinson – Project PI, Clinical Professor

Ron Briggs – Coordinator of General Chemistry

Pam Marks – Principal Lecturer

Shelly Seerley – Faculty Instructor

Allan Scruggs – Lecturer

Gary Cabirac – Lecturer/ General Chemistry Lab Coordinator

Richard Bauer – Senior Lecturer, Phoenix campus

Holly Huffman – Lecturer, Polytechnic campus

Recitation Faculty InstructorsRecitation Faculty Instructors

Shelly Seerley

Heidi McIllwraith

Brandon Forest

Jim Klemaszewski

Sidd Sreekaram

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Steelcase / Polyvision

Walsh Bros.

University Architects Office (UAO)

Pedro Chavarriaga – Project Manager (UAO)

Dominique Laroche (UAO)

Judy Case (UAO)

Frank Davis – Chemistry Electronics

Jim Allen – Department Associate Chair

Bill Petuskey – Department Chair

ABOR