Managing Increased Online Enrollment with Team Teaching and SAM
Melinda White and Sandy KeeterSeminole State College of Florida
About your Instructors
Melinda White and Sandy KeeterLaverne and Shirley slide show
History
VP/Dean challenged us to increase enrollment and average class size
Looked for creative ways to re-design without making more work, yet maintain quality
Increased EnrollmentCGS2100 – Office Applications
Higher Average Class Size CGS2100 – Office Applications
Why Re-design? The current economy makes reducing costs while serving more
students imperative Data tell us that we need to improve course completion, re-enrollment
rates and student learning outcomes in gateway courses Examining what we do, how we do it, and the results we achieve is
imperative for accreditation, and for continuous renewal as a vibrant, high-quality college
What do we want to be sure to preserve at Seminole State? The human, personal touch with students The community college mission and culture Faculty responsibility for teaching and student learning
Opportunities
Expand use of technology and computer-based learning to supplement classroom teaching
Provide structured practice for students Reduce faculty routine grading of homework Facilitate learning assessment Explore team teaching to take advantage of
respective strengths of faculty Improve student learning across all sections of a
course, whether taught by FT or adjunct faculty
Goal
To reduce costs significantly while maintaining and even improving quality by piloting course re-design
The primary source of savings would be larger class sizes in appropriate courses, appropriately re-designed
Think Outside the Box
You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about. Which one would you choose to offer a ride to,
knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?
Possible Solutions
This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.
You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first.
Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.
However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again….
WINNING Solution!
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: 'I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.‘
Think OUTSIDE the BOX when thinking about course re-design – there is not always one answer or one choice!
Course Redesign Efforts
Rather than our administration telling us what to do, we came up with solutions we could live with and proposed our ideas to them
Decided to “pilot” a few of our ideas by coming up with a course shell we both could use and eventually share with others
Tackling the Problem
Attended Course Redesign ConferenceMet with faculty from various
disciplines to brainstorm/share ideasHired student assistant to help re-
design from a student perspective
Concerns 30+ sections of Office Applications with 30
students/class per term Class size and enrollment nearly doubled in last five years
Did not want to make course easier by requiring less; need to maintain quality
Wanted to keep personal touch with students Didn’t want to add more work to already
overloaded professors
Our Plan – how we did it Last summer we combined all of our online
Office Applications sections into one ANGEL site and integrated SAM PROJECTS
Both added as course designers so we could make changes as we go…
Used ONE syllabus – with our contact info No concern for whose student was whose Two teachers working from one course site,
online ≈16+ hours/day
FeedbackFeedback was great (except for a select few..)
College student surveys praised us for attentiveness, helpfulness, quick response White, Melinda and Keeter, Sandy
“They are truly two very caring and supportive Professors.”
Cost Justification Enrollment skyrocketed so we asked Dean for course
grading assistant if we increased class size by 30%
Faculty onlyFaculty with
Assistant
Student Per Section 30 45
Number of Sections Required for 180 Students 6 4
Cost if Taught by Adjunct Faculty with Master's Degree $9,533.70 $ 6,355.80
Cost of Student Assistant per Term $ 0 $1,500.00
Total Spent $9,533.70 $7,855.80
Savings to College for One Term for 180 Students $1,677.90
Average Cost Per Student $ 52.97 $ 43.64
Things to Think About
Who to team teach withHow choose an assistantUnique Institutional needsHow to organize classWho grades, who answers
discussions?Sub possibilities
Who to team teach with?
Someone you trust, teaches similarlySame work ethic/skillsComplementary personalities – not just
like youPartner with someone strong in your weak
areas and vice-versa
Team Teaching Tips
Open to changeWilling to try out new ideasFlexibilityMeet weekly to discuss issuesMake updates to course as needed Respect and support each other’s ideas
and decisions
Other Things to Consider
All instructors must know content wellLab Manager/DL Department onboard Be open to CHANGEDecide who does what, when?Knowing partner well prevents
surprises later
Course Grading Assistant
Choose course assistant from pool of your best students – good work ethic, trustworthyWe hired former student, made an A in this
course, Education Student at UCF
Course Assistant Prep
Required to take Angel/Sakai trainingWorked through all assignments/examsProvided course re-design ideas from a
“student perspective”
Course Assistant Responsibilities
Angel “Designer Rights”Proof entire course for errors and
inconsistencies; fix problemsAttend weekly meetings to discuss
course issues or concernsMake changes to online material as
needed or requested by instructorsGrade assignments within 24 hrs
Course Assistant Benefits
Student assistant worked average of 8 hours/week, made $1500/semester
Equivalent to what an adjunct makes in one class, but she was working equivalent of 2 classes
Flexible schedule, can work from homeGood work experience for resumeMeets with students as needed
Improved Grades
More passing grades, less withdrawals
Suggestions Provide Welcome Letter, Campus Orientation
and Orientation Quiz to go over FAQs Build online community with good discussions With SAM Projects - allow multiple chances to
learn from mistakes, consistency in assignments/grading
Require PRACTICE Tests for Exam SuccessMake THEM turn in Reports so they take
ownership of gradeQuick Feedback; better results
Course Setup
Angel Course Content and SAM Setup
Problems
Making assignments CLEAR$/time for course re-design effortsToo many students in one course?
How many is too many?
How many instructors/sections can work well together?
Huge discussion boards
System problems at home – SAM/Angel
Skits
Questions and Answers