A Publication of
the University
of New Mexico
Foundation, Inc.
| The University of New Mexico |
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A Publication of the University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc. |
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By Jennifer K. Roberts
Required psychology classes will be a whole new experience for UNM's next generation of freshmen. Dramatic changes in the teaching format fused with technology-based learning are creating a distinct atmosphere for the undergraduates. Most students are unaware of the revolutionary planning and construction that has gone into the new design of the general psychology classes, which will be spread to other core classes in the near future. From hundreds of applicants, the University of New Mexico is one of this year's 10 recipients of a Pew Charitable Trusts grant in course redesign. UNM received the $200,000 grant based on greatest need, solutions or strategies using its existing technological capabilities to turn around the high withdrawal and failure rates in undergraduate courses, and the ability to deliver a higher quality course for less cost. A long and difficult journey, the application for the grant consisted of three stages where schools and programs nationwide competed for the funding to change the way they educate. "This was something innovative with a great deal of national attention," says Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Nancy Uscher, one of the grant's primary investigators with Dr. John Sobolewski, associate vice president of Computer and Information Research and Technology (CIRT), and Dr. Gordon Hodge, associate professor of psychology. Reflecting on the method of whittling down the number of colleges in the running for the grant, Uscher remarks, "One of my students said the process sounded like Survivor." Soboleweski and Uscher knew UNM had the strong technological background called for by the grant, so they began looking for a course that would fit the qualifications for the proposal. With 30 and 42 percent withdrawal and failure rates, respectively, the highest of all the required undergraduate core courses, Psychology 105 stood out as the best and most amenable candidate for implementing change. "Technology is changing society; changing the way we teach, learn, do research, communicate and entertain ourselves," comments Sobolewski. "Technology is like a steamroller coming and we need to figure out how to become part of the steamroller or we will become part of the road."
Increasingly dependent on technology rather than the old pen and paper, students want educations packaged in a more palatable form. "Students are demanding technology and want a greater range of courses offered. They want to be able to take a class from home and/or work, and we need to provide a more effective delivery system," says Sobolewski. Hodge, who has taught general psychology for 25 years, has the daunting task of restructuring and implementing the changes. "This semester I have 500 students, and we are implementing as much of the course redesign as possible in one section of the class," he comments. The goal of the redesign this semester is to replace three hour-long lectures with one 50-minute lecture and one 50-minute studio session per week. For the Spring 2002 semester, UNM will maintain the second section of Psychology 105 in its original format, serving as a test model for later comparison. Computer workshops and group-learning sections, or "studio sessions," consist of about 20 students. As a supplement to the lecture, students work with problem-based learning activities. "For example, one of the activities will involve groups of students training a computer animated rat to press a lever for reward," says Hodge. Students must go to the studio sessions to receive the password that will allow them to take the mandatory computer quizzes. Virtual reality and 3-D rendered simulations also play a role in the new design. They allow students to view and manipulate structures, study functions and exchange ideas with other students online. One of the biggest changes to the course is the mandatory computer use. Twenty-five new iMac computers, two new Apple PowerBooks, two Apple iBooks and two Apple G4 computers give instructors the ability to monitor student computer quizzes and exercises. This allows for a proactive approach to educating, where instructors intercept students before they fall too far behind. Poorly performing students often do not seek help before they have to drop or fail. "The computerization of this course makes it more time and cost effective, and we get instantaneous feedback," says Hodge. "We can check and see what the students have done in real time, and offer them help before it is too late." Teaching assistants make a bi-weekly effort to contact students making a "C" or lower, find out where their skills are weak, and tutor them. "So far, 61 percent are doing 'C' work or better compared with approximately 45 percent at the same time in previous semesters," Hodge comments. "The computer quizzes randomly sample 10-20 questions from a database of 1,250 questions," he explains, "so it is a different test for each student, each time they take it." Encouraging better study habits, Hodge urges students to take the computer quizzes as many times as they can, even if they have perfect scores, as all of the questions from the computer samples have a chance of appearing on the in-class exams. "The computer quizzes are good because you can retake them. The more times you take them, the more you learn," says student April Sanchez. "The studio sessions give you extra time to analyze the material so you learn." Since Sanchez has been going to the studio sessions, she has been able to apply the learning strategies to other classes. At the end of the sixth week of class, the last week of the "no-fault" drop date, students take their in-class mid-term exam. As occurs each week for quizzes, those who make less than a 73 percent on the exam are contacted by e-mail and strongly encouraged to attend a special study session where undergraduate assistants, who have received 90 percent or better in previous sections of General Psychology, will field questions and facilitate discussions. Instructors fail and drop unresponsive students but encourage them to retake the class the following semester. Another benefit of a class rooted in technology is the reduction in cost. As it is currently structured, this course costs the University $72 per student per semester, which amounts to $161,184 yearly. The redesign cuts the faculty time from 1,056 hours to 220 hours per year, and drops the teaching and graduate assistants' yearly hours from 2,880 to 1,960. The reformatted course reduces the cost per student to $29 per semester, an annual savings of $96,412, and rolls the savings over to implement the future redesigns of other undergraduate level courses. With the savings aiding other classes, this grant enables UNM to utilize all of the University's best qualities of research, teaching and technology to create a palatable core class for a wide range of students. At the same time, this design helps new students acquire study habits they can use throughout their college career, with the faculty and tutor support to see them through to graduation. According to Uscher, "The University will move forward in a more balanced way, by recognizing the tremendous value of both research and teaching to the academic climate of the institution." UNM
Foundation Inc. 505-277-4503 Copyright
© 2006 The University of New Mexico. |
Winter 2002
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