The Daily Bulletin Archive

Is it possible to redesign large introductory courses in a way that improves student learning while making the class size even larger? According to William Ganley, professor of economics and finance, the answer is yes, but it requires an effort from a team that includes experienced faculty members. Ganley will take part in a panel discussion about course redesign, “Lessons Learned from ECO 101,” on Tuesday, December 1, in Classroom Building B118 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

“Course redesign” is a national effort that has been under way since the late 1990s, when the Pew Charitable Trusts funded a program that examined ways to reinvent large introductory courses. The effort, now spearheaded by theNational Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), seeks to “enhance the learning experience”—that is, reduce drop-out and failure rates—for students in large introductory, overview, or survey courses. ECO 101: The Economic System is such a course.

Ganley and associate professors of economics Ted P. Schmidt and Curtis Haynes Jr. worked with Karen O’Quin, associate dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences; Meghan Pereira, instructional technology specialist in Instructional Resources; and Ginger DeMita, ’09, to redesign ECO 101. Funded by a $40,000, two-year grant from SUNY, they developed a hybrid version of the course following the “replacement model,” one of six models identified by NCAT.

The hybrid course is offered both face-to-face, with Ganley as professor, and online via ANGEL. The online component is facilitated by undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs). Pereira’s role is to design the ANGEL component. These three elements—professor, ULAs, and technology—work together to make the course succeed.

“This is the fourth semester,” Ganley said, “and the difference between the redesigned hybrid course and the traditional course is significant. In the hybrid, fewer students are dropping out, more are passing, and students are doing better on exams.” The hybrid course has about 240 students; the traditional ECO 101 has about 100 to 150 students.

Ganley believes that professors who master technology and contemporary higher education trends are in the best position to ensure that changes in higher education promote scholarship for both professors and students. “You can’t turn time back,” he said.

In the hybrid course, ANGEL uses a number of tools, including video clips and Toondoo (a cartoon-generating site), as well as online quizzes and class discussion. Students also use clickers during the face-to-face class. “Clickers give the professor a way to evaluate student comprehension on the spot,” said Pereira.

The ULAs, whose primary role in the course is to encourage online engagement, attend a two-day workshop before assuming their role as ULA for a group of 30 to 40 students. Each ULA knows the students in his or her group, and guides students through the quizzes, which are used as a learning tool and a way to measure class participation. Online forums facilitate discussion; each student is expected to offer at least one comment in response to a question, and to respond to two other students’ comments. Ganley meets once a week with the ULAs to discuss progress, strategies, and ideas.

“We’ve been able to increase student engagement in ECO 101,” said Ganley, “while freeing faculty members to teach upper-level and graduate courses.” Details and examples will be presented at the panel discussion. The event is open to the campus community.