Tools of the Trade: Using Tools of the Trade: Using Technology in Your Course Technology in Your Course

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Ms. Darla RunyonAssistant Director/Curriculum Specialist

Northwest Missouri State University

Dr. Roger Von HolzenDirector—Center for Information Technology in Education

Northwest Missouri State University

Focus of Course RedesignFocus of Course Redesign

• Three options:– DFW reduction– Cost reduction– Increased enrollments

• Three approaches to cost reduction– Keep student enrollments the same while

reducing the instructional resources devoted to the course

– Increased student enrollments with little or no change in course expenditures

– Decrease costs by reducing the number of repetitions required to pass the course*

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Begin with Course SiteBegin with Course Site

• Redesign the entire course– Design using a tool such as Quality Matters as a

guideline• Eight Quality Matters General Standards

– Course Overview and Introduction– Learning Objectives– Assessment and Measurement– Resources and Materials– Learner Engagement– Course Technology– Learner Support– Accessibility*

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Begin with Course SiteBegin with Course Site

• Need to gain agreement on: – core course outcomes– instructional formats– textbook or eTextbook selection along with digital

assets for interactive learning– publisher materials and resources– topic sequences/course site navigation– setting up a common course site

• Library research module– created and monitored by librarians*

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Continuous Assessment and Continuous Assessment and FeedbackFeedback

• Create low-stakes online quizzes to test assigned readings and homework (formative)

• Allow repeated quiz taking to achieve mastery of material (within the confines of a set course schedule)

• Provide automatic grading and feedback to students via course site grade book

• Provide faculty member with feedback to detect challenging content (item analysis on quizzes/exams from the CMS)*

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Increase Interaction Among Increase Interaction Among StudentsStudents

• Creating "Small" Within "Large" – Create small online discussion groups (10-12

students)– Have group discuss instructor questions – Create group guidelines

• Assign roles • Allow students to vote out inactive or unproductive

group members• Generate and submit for evaluation a group

response*

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Promote Active LearningPromote Active Learning

• Replace lecture time with individual and small-group lab activities– Have labs staffed by faculty, GAs and/or undergraduate peer

tutors– Provides greater one-on-one assistance

• Online Tutorials– Design interactive tutorials to take over the main instructional

role (SoftChalk and/or Flash learning objects)– Check digital repositories such as Merlot– Use quizzes to test mastery of the material before proceeding to

next topic– Use the learning path or mastery tool in the CMS to track

mastery and guide students to mastery levels*

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Move Lectures OnlineMove Lectures Online

• Create short (5-10 minutes) mini-lectures:– historically difficult content or concepts– critical content not covered in textbook

• Use a web conferencing software such as Elluminate to record short lectures for posting and/or to provide tutoring sessions

• Use Jing for screen recordings demonstrating software, web tours, and/or problem explanations with a Tablet*

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Undergraduate Peer TutorsUndergraduate Peer Tutors

• Better at assisting their peers than GAs due to: – greater understanding of the course content

– appropriate communication skills

– awareness of the common misconceptions about computers held by the students

• Able to assist instructors by: – addressing non-content specific questions

– staffing virtual office hours to answer content-related questions

– monitoring student progress*9

Additional Cost Reduction Additional Cost Reduction TechniquesTechniques

• Reduction of space requirements– Scheduling of blended/hybrid classes

• Use of online course management system– Development of shared resources to eliminate

duplication of effort• Faculty resources site (separate or included within course

site but hidden from students)

• Online automated assessment of exercises, quizzes and tests– Need for large test banks– Use of Respondus to organize test banks*

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Implementation IssuesImplementation Issues

• Need for buy-in by Faculty, Chairs, Deans and Provost to sustain redesign effort– Sustained through faculty turnover and

textbook changes

• Willingness to use an appropriate blend of homegrown (created by faculty) and purchased earning materials– Avoid “not-invented-here” syndrome*

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Implementation IssuesImplementation Issues

• Need for adequate laboratory classroom space and equipment

• Able to handle student technical and logistical issues*

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Additional Key Redesign PracticesAdditional Key Redesign Practices

• Avoid optional activities– Students participate more, score higher, and

spend longer on supplementary activities when course credit is at stake

• Avoid self-paced design– Most students function better in structured

environments*

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Ms. Darla RunyonMs. Darla Runyondrunyon@nwmissouri.edu drunyon@nwmissouri.edu

Dr. Roger Von HolzenDr. Roger Von Holzenrvh@nwmissouri.edu rvh@nwmissouri.edu

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