Course Redesign Toolkit

Why redesign?

Teaching and learning are fundamental to KU’s mission and creative course design is an essential element of high quality student learning and engagement. Motivation for considering course transformation and redesign comes in many forms.  Perhaps your department is focused on reducing DFW rates?  Is the focus on improving retention of fundamental concepts or skills your students will need in downstream courses?  In larger classes, would students benefit from more opportunities for interaction, active learning, and ways to connect their readings, homework, and lecture materials into integrated knowledge?  This course redesign toolkit is the beginning point of how to take the next step if you are considering, or think you might consider, redesigning your course.

The National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) will offer four free webinars on course redesign in fall 2015. 

 Getting Started Webinar on September 15, 2015 at 1 pm EDT

Getting Started on Course Redesign is a webinar for those of you who are thinking about beginning a large-scale course redesign project. This two-hour-long webinar will provide participants the opportunity to learn about how redesign efforts have begun at both four- and two-year institutions. NCAT Redesign Scholar Danae Hudson from Missouri State University will describe how their redesign of Introductory Psychology got started and how they resolved problems that arose. NCAT vice president Carolyn Jarmon will give examples of what has been experienced by two-year institutions in a variety of academic disciplines as they began their redesigns. The agenda includes plenty of time for discussion to help you think about how to get started.

How-To Redesign Webinars: October, November and December of 2015 

Each hour-long webinar will introduce one of NCAT's recently published how-to guides followed by a case study of a highly successful course redesign. After a presentation, the lead faculty member will be available to answer questions and provide additional specifics about the redesign. The following topics and speakers are planned: 

• October 13, 2015 at 1 pm EDT: How To Redesign A College Course Using NCAT's Methodology. This seminar will showcase NCAT's guide to redesigning any academic area other than mathematics and will include a case study of Fairfield University's redesign of General Biology presented by Shelley Phelan.

• November 10, 2015 at 1 pm EST: How To Redesign A College-Level or Developmental Math Course Using the Emporium Model. This seminar will showcase NCAT's guide to redesigning a single math course using the Emporium Model and will include a case study of Louisiana State University's redesign of College Algebra presented by Phoebe Rouse.

• December 8, 2015 at 1 pm EST: How To Redesign A Developmental Math Program Using the Emporium Model. This seminar will showcase NCAT's guide to redesigning a developmental math program using the Emporium Model and will include a case study of Leeward Community College's redesign of its four-course developmental math sequence presented by Eric Matsuoka.

You must register for each webinar, but there is no registration fee. Go to http://thencat.org/Webinars/2015Webinars.html to register for one or more of these webinars.

Videos of Prior Webinars 

Videos of the following prior webinars may be accessed at http://www.theNCAT.org/Webinars/Webinars.html.