How we improved completion (after a 10 year trend of dropping completion) in a Fundamentals of Computing course at Owens Community College.

1. Improving Completion:
The IST 100 Case Study

2. Purpose
•To share how we:
•Improved success rate
•Reduced need for tutoring

3. What we will discuss
•The improvement in student success
•The reduction in tutoring
•Course Background
•5 course redesign steps we used
•Lessons learned

4. Success Rate up by 17.8%
(Summer 2015 to Summer 2016)
Grade 2015 2016 2015 2016 p-level Direction
A 31 63 38.3% 54.3% p = .03
B 12 21 14.8% 18.1% n.s.
C 7 14 8.6% 12.1% n.s.
D 4 4.9% 0.0% p = .02
F 21 16 25.9% 13.8% p = .03
WD 6 2 7.4% 1.7% p = .05
Total 81 116 100.0% 100.0%
Pass C or Better 50 98 61.7% 84.5% p < .001
Pass D or Better 54 98 66.7% 84.5% p < .01
IST 100 Grades & Completion Rates
Summer 2015 vs. Summer 2016
SOURCE: Query and two-tailed z-tests of significance conducted by Owens Institutional Research

5. Success Rate up by 12.4%
(Fall 2015 to Fall 2016 ) (First Part of Term)
Grade 2015 2016 2015 2016 p-level Direction
A 54 95 24.2% 50.5% p < .001
B 53 27 23.8% 14.4% p = .02
C 30 18 13.5% 9.6% n.s.
D 12 9 5.4% 4.8% n.s.
F 51 28 22.9% 14.9% p = .04
WD 23 11 10.3% 5.9% n.s.
Total 223 188 100.0% 100.0%
Pass C or Better 137 140 61.4% 74.5% p = .005
Pass D or Better 149 149 66.8% 79.3% p = .005
Free Drop prior to 14th Day 9 5 3.9% 2.6% n.s.
IST 100 Grades & Completion Rates
Fall 2015 vs. Fall 2016
First Part of Term
SOURCE: Query and two-tailed z-tests of significance conducted by Owens Institutional Research

6. Fall Completions
(Last 10 Falls)
Summer Completions
(Last 10 Summers)
SOURCE: Data provided by Owens Institutional Research

7. Summer
2016
Fall
2016
Actual number of successful students 98 149
Expected number of successful students 77 126
Increase in successful students(retained) 21 23
This equates to roughly two class-roomful of students

8. What we will discuss
•The improvement in student success
•The reduction in tutoring
•Course Background
•5 course redesign steps we used
•Lessons learned

9. Less Tutoring/Instructor Training
•In Fall 2016, the IST Tutoring Center reported
half the usual traffic during the first two weeks
of classes
• We eliminated the mandatory “Getting Started
Student Workshop”
•We removed Saturday tutoring
•We no longer have a mandatory faculty training
session before start of classes

10. What we will discuss
•The improvement in student success
•The reduction in tutoring
•Course Background
•5 course redesign steps we used
•Lessons learned

11. IST 100 Background
•1 credit hour (8 weeks course)
•No pre-req or co-req since Fall 2014
•Introduces computer hardware/software
concepts to students
•Provides a working knowledge of Word and Excel
•Discusses ethics, social media, file organization,
and assessment of online information sources

12. Used in 24 Degrees and Certificates
1. Automotive Service Management Major, AAS (Owens Code:
ASMM)
2. Automotive Technology, AAS (Owens Code: AUTO)
3. Baking and Pastry Certificate (Owens Code: ZBPD)
4. Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician, AAS (Owens Code:
CATP)
5. Computer Science Major, AAS (Owens Code: CSCI)
6. Construction Trades Major, AAS (Owens Code: SKTC)
7. Culinary Arts Certificate (Owens Code: ZCAB)
8. Culinary Arts Program, AAS (Owens Code: CAPP)
9. Diesel Technology, AAS (Owens Code: DSLT)
10. Dietetic Technician Program, AAS (Owens Code: DTTP)
11. Early Childhood Education Technology, AAS (Owens Code:
ECET)
12. Education Transfer Concentration, AA (Owens Code: EDTC)
13. Emergency Services Technology, AAS (Owens Code:
EMST)
14. General Motors Corporation Automotive Service
Education Program (ASEP), AAS (Owens Code: ASEP)
15. History Concentration, AA (Owens Code: HISC)
16. John Deere Tech Major, AAS (Owens Code: JDEM)
17. Licensed Practical Nurse/Associate Degree Nursing
Progression Program, AAS (Owens Code: NRSL)
18. Pre-Dental Hygiene Concentration, AS (Owens Code:
PDHT)
19. Pre-Dietetic Concentration, AS (Owens Code: PDTC)
20. Pre-LPN to RN Concentration, AS (Owens Code: PLRT)
21. Pre-Nursing Concentration, AS (Owens Code: PNTC)
22. Pre-Surgical Concentration, AS (Owens Code: PSTC)
23. Registered Nurse Program, AAS (Owens Code: NRSP)
24. Welding Major, AAS (Owens Code: WELD)
(Source: 2016-17 Owens Community College Online Catalog)

13. Software and Hardware Used
• Microsoft Office
• Word
• Excel
• Browser based software:
• Blackboard (Learning
Management System)
• SAM (Skills Assessment Manager)
• Hardware used:
• Classroom and open lab
computers
• Students personal computers

14. What we will discuss
•The improvement in student success
•The reduction in tutoring
•Course Background
•5 course redesign steps we used
•Lessons learned

15. Course Redesign, Step 1: Team Formation
• We formed a volunteer team of full time and adjunct faculty with a
goal of increasing completion rates
• The team suggested great ideas including:
• Updating the shell with clearer instructions
• Improve the navigation in the shell
• Remove discouraging language
• Reducing exam points to a reasonable value
• Give adjuncts more freedom to change the shell if needed during a semester

16. Step 2: Consultation with Stakeholders
• Met with and surveyed:
• Chairs of different school departments
• Faculty (fulltime and adjunct)
• Tutors
• Student Advisors
• Chair took the class in summer to get first hand student experience

17. Step 3: Consolidate Data From Consultations
• Complaints:
• Unintuitive shell navigation
• Due dates not easy to understand
• Some weeks require disproportionately more work than others,
• no way for students to tell which weeks in advance
• Not easy for students to know their current average grade
• Exams have too much weight (1000 pts)
• Assignments required different passwords each week

18. Step 4: Redesign of Blackboard Shell
• Modify for easier navigation for students
• All Help resources in one place
• one click link to check for hardware/software compatibility
• All resources needed each week accessible in one area.
• Optional material explicitly noted and moved to subfolders
• Syllabus both in printable format and as webpage,
• Student without printer access can refer to it easily.
• Every assignment due each week is listed in syllabus
• Easier student time management through posted time expectations for assignments.
• Assignment names are meaningful in syllabus and gradebook
• Unnecessary assignment passwords were removed
• Assignment due dates were made weekly (from biweekly) for better students time
management

19. Step 4: Redesign of Blackboard Shell
(continued)
Is this an
assignment week?
Watch
videos
Read
textbook
Complete
and submit
tutorial
steps
Find
password
for this
weeks
assignment
Complete
pre-
assessment
Complete
training
Complete
post
assessment
Complete
discussion
Read textbook
complete and
submit tutorial
steps
Complete
assessment
Complete
discussion
Change in typical weekly student workflow
Old workflow:
New workflow:

20. Step 4: Redesign of Blackboard Shell
(continued)
• Moved due dates to Fridays (from Sundays), for better instructor/support
availability
• Provided clear instructions on how to install MS Office and data files.
• Redesign of Blackboard Gradebooks so assignments are sequenced well and
students are aware of missing assignments
• Consistent font, font size and font color was used throughout.
• The tone of instructions was improved to communicate more respectfully
with students
• Redesign of grading structure so exams and ethics assignment do not have
disproportionate weight

21. Changes to Assignment Point Values
Testbook Tutorial
Skills Assessment
Ethics essay
Discussion
Exam
New Point Values
Old Point Values

22. Step 4: Redesign of Blackboard Shell
(continued)
• Instructors subscribe to “I need help discussion” for fast response.
• Immediately get an email when a student posts to the help forum
• Private Instructor Instructions within shell
• How to configure shell for start of semester
• What to do after

23. Step 5: Incorporate Continuous Feedback
• We asked faculty for reviews of the new shell in May 2016
• We are continued to make modification to the shell as faculty give
feedback
• So far we have received positive feedback from 95% of faculty and
from repeating students.

24. Lessons Learned
• Discuss with people to understand the issues
• Two heads are better than one
• In course shell design
• Understand the student experience
• Do a student workflow walkthrough
• Aim for simplicity and consistency
• Make it easy for students to manage their time
• Don’t leave room for surprises or time for frustration

25. Lessons Learned
• Technology can stand in the way of student success
• Beware of course workload creep for automatically graded assignments
• In the final analysis your students need to learn your course outcomes
• Not Blackboard, not any other software
• Removing obstacles is better than explaining how to get around them
• Measure, monitor and correct course
• It is always a work in progress

26. Questions