University of Massachusetts Amherst
Introductory Biology—Course Planning Tool
The Course Planning Tool is a formatted spreadsheet that provides a 3-step process enabling institutions to establish and compare the instructional costs before redesign (the traditional course format) and the instructional costs after the redesign (the redesigned course).
Step #1 shows the calculation of all personnel costs associated with preparing and delivering the course expressed as an hourly rate. Annual salary for faculty listed is the average of all faculty teaching the course and includes a 31% benefits rate. Step #2 uses this initial calculation in the cost evaluation of preparing and delivering the traditional course and Step #3 determines these costs for the redesigned course. More specific Course Planning Tool instructions are available.
Below is a summary of the cost savings anticipated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the completed course planning tool.
Cost Savings
In fall 1999 the University of Massachusetts Amherst redesigned Introductory Biology, moving from a traditional lecture format to an active learning environment incorporating ClassTalk. While the redesign improved the quality of student learning, it also increased costs ($174 per student in the traditional course compared to $199 per student in the ClassTalk course). The new redesign will retain the quality improvements while reducing the per-student cost.
UMass's course-planning tool depicts the cost of the course in its original lecture format, the cost the first redesign incorporating ClassTalk, and the cost of the new redesign. The cost-per-student is projected to decrease from $199 using ClassTalk in the first redesign to $117 in the second redesign, a decline of 41%, while keeping the number of students enrolled unchanged. Because laboratory sessions are unchanged in the new redesign, they are not included in the course planning tool.
In the new redesign, class meetings will decrease from three to two per week and exams from four to three. The number of faculty teaching each section of the course will drop from two to one, and faculty time for preparation will drop 41% from 644 hours to 380 hours annually. The online system will track individual students needing assistance and identify topics causing difficulty. Faculty will focus class time on these problem topics. Total delivery time is reduced by 100 hours. The university will use the savings to provide greater time for faculty research and to offer additional graduate seminars.
[For more detailed information regarding their initial academic redesign, consult the project plan description.]
Step #1: Determine Instructional Costs per Hour
Instructional Costs per Hour—Introductory Biology
| Faculty | |
| Salary | $89,828 |
| % devoted to instruction | 50% |
| % devoted to this course | 50% |
| $ devoted to this course | $22,457 |
| Contact hours for course | 73 |
| Out of class hours | 140 |
| Total hours | 213 |
| Cost per hour | $105 |
| TAs/GAs | |
| Salary | $22,000 |
| % devoted to instruction | 100% |
| % devoted to this course | 10% |
| $ devoted to this course | $2,200 |
| Contact hours for course | 22 |
| Out of class hours | 42 |
| Total hours | 64 |
| Cost per hour | $34 |
| Professional/Support Staff | |
| Position | $ per |
| Hour | |
| #1 BCRC Director | $48 |
| #2 Assessment Coordinator | $33 |
| #3 Support Staff | $19 |
Step #2A: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course
Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—Introductory Biology
| Faculty | TAs/GAs | Director BCRC | Assess. Coord. | Support Staff | ||||||
| # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | |
| Hrly rate | $105 | Hrly rate | $34 | Hrly rate | $48 | Hrly rate | $33 | Hrly rate | $19 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 16 | $1,687 | 4 | $194 | ||||||
| B. Materials Acquistion | 20 | $2,109 | ||||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||||
| 1.Lectures/presentations | 336 | $35,425 | 14 | $677 | ||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 32 | $3,374 | 14 | $677 | ||||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | ||||||||||
| 4. Assignments | ||||||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 72 | $7,591 | ||||||||
| Sub-Total | 476 | $50,186 | 32 | $1,548 | ||||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||||
| 1. Orientation | |
|
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| 2. Staff meetings | ||||||||||
| 3. Attend lectures | 84 | $8,856 | 504 | $17,325 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 84 | $8,856 | 504 | $17,325 | ||||||
| Total Preparation | 560 | $59,042 | 504 | $17,325 | 32 | $1,548 | ||||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 4 | $422 | ||||||||
| 2. Presentation | 80 | $8,435 | ||||||||
| 3. Interaction | 140 | $14,761 | 168 | $5,775 | ||||||
| 4. Progress monitoring | ||||||||||
| Sub-Total | 224 | $23,617 | 168 | $5,775 | ||||||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 20 | $2,109 | 96 | $3,300 | 96 | $1,849 | ||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 48 | $5,061 | 64 | $2,095 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 68 | $7,169 | 96 | $3,300 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 | ||
| Total Delivery | 292 | $30,786 | 264 | $9,075 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 | ||
| TOTAL | 852 | $89,828 | 768 | $26,400 | 32 | $1,548 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $121,721 | |||||||||
| Total # of students | 700 | |||||||||
| Cost per student | $174 |
Step #2B: Determine Instructional Costs of First Redesign
Instructional Costs of First Redesign—Introductory Biology
| Faculty | TAs/GAs | Director BCRC | Assess. Coord. | Support Staff | ||||||
| # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | |
| Hrly rate | $105 | Hrly rate | $34 | Hrly rate | $48 | Hrly rate | $33 | Hrly rate | $19 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 16 | $1,687 | 4 | $194 | ||||||
| B. Materials Acquistion | 20 | $2,109 | ||||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||||
| 1.Lectures/presentations | 252 | $26,569 | 35 | $1,694 | ||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 32 | $3,374 | 28 | $1,355 | ||||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 168 | $17,713 | ||||||||
| 4. Assignments | 84 | $2,888 | ||||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 72 | $7,591 | ||||||||
| Sub-Total | 560 | $59,042 | 84 | $2,888 | 67 | $3,242 | ||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||||
| 1. Orientation | ||||||||||
| 2. Staff meetings | ||||||||||
| 3. Attend lectures | 84 | $8,856 | 504 | $17,325 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 84 | $8,856 | 504 | $17,325 | ||||||
| Total Preparation | 644 | $67,898 | 588 | $20,213 | 67 | $3,242 | ||||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 16 | $1,687 | 84 | $4,065 | ||||||
| 2. Presentation | 48 | $5,061 | ||||||||
| 3. Interaction | 160 | $16,869 | 168 | $5,775 | ||||||
| 4. Progress monitoring | ||||||||||
| Sub-Total | 224 | $23,617 | 168 | $5,775 | 84 | $4,065 | ||||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 20 | $2,109 | 96 | $3,300 | 96 | $1,849 | ||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 48 | $5,061 | 64 | $2,095 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 68 | $7,169 | 96 | $3,300 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 | ||
| Total Delivery | 292 | $30,786 | 264 | $9,075 | 84 | $4,065 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 |
| TOTAL | 936 | $98,685 | 852 | $29,288 | 151 | $7,307 | 64 | $2,095 | 96 | $1,849 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $139,224 | |||||||||
| Total # of students | 700 | |||||||||
| Cost per student | $199 |
Step #3: Determine Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course
Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—Introductory Biology
| Faculty | TAs/ GAs |
Dir. BCRC | Tech. Support Staff | Asses. Coord. | Support Staff | |||||||
| # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | # of Hrs | Total Cost | |
| Hrly rate | $105 | Hrly rate | $34 | Hrly rate | $48 | Hrly rate | $19 | Hrly rate | $33 | Hrly rate | $19 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 8 | $843 | 4 | $194 | ||||||||
| B. Materials Acquistion | 10 | $1,054 | ||||||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||||||
1.Lectures/ presentations |
112 | $11,808 | 14 | $677 | ||||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 56 | $5,904 | 14 | $677 | 14 | $270 | ||||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 112 | $11,808 | 28 | $539 | ||||||||
| 4. Assignments | 28 | $2,952 | 56 | $1,925 | ||||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 54 | $5,693 | ||||||||||
| Sub-Total | 380 | $40,064 | 56 | $1,925 | 32 | $1,548 | 42 | $809 | ||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||||||
| 1. Orientation | ||||||||||||
| 2. Staff meetings | ||||||||||||
| 3. Attend lectures | 84 | $2,888 | ||||||||||
| Sub-Total | 84 | $2,888 | ||||||||||
| Total Preparation | 380 | $40,064 | 140 | $4,813 | 32 | $1,548 | 42 | $809 | ||||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 14 | $1,476 | 70 | $2,406 | 70 | $1,349 |