SUNY Canton

Course Title: Basic Communication
Redesign Coordinator: Christopher Sweeney

Status: This project originated as part of the SUNY Course Redesign Initiative, 2007 – 2010. Due to a variety of factors, this project was not completed. The project plan serves as a good example of how to think about redesigning a large-enrollment course.

Project Abstract

SUNY Canton plans to redesign its basic communication sequence, two general education courses, Expository Writing and Oral and Written Expression. All students must take at least one of the two courses. The traditional courses enroll ~1100 students annually in 44 sections, each capped at 25 students. One or two online sections are also offered each semester.

The traditional courses face two academic problems: low success rates and inconsistency across sections. First, the DFW rate ranges from 30-35% in the fall semester to 45-50% in the spring semester. The majority of the course sections run in the fall semester, thereby reducing the number of courses in the arts, media, and literature that the department can offer. Although a greater variety of the department’s courses are available in the spring, they all require the basic communication course as a prerequisite. The high DFW rate means that many students cannot enroll in them. Second, inconsistency of assignments across sections creates course drift, which means that students do not proceed to subsequent offerings with the same level of preparation. Since assessment criteria are not standardized, there are no valid and reliable measures of student learning outcomes.

The course redesign will use the Buffet Model, offering students the choice of enrolling in a traditional format, a fully online format or a hybrid format combining online and face-to-face study. The course will be broken up into six modules: three four-week online modules (1) Grammar, Sentence, and Paragraph Skills, 2) Critical Thinking Concepts, 3) Citation and Documentation Skills); two four-week face-to-face modules (1) Oral Presentation Skills and Visual Design, 2) Small Group Discussion and Textual Analysis; and one six-week capstone research seminar offered in both face-to-face and fully online formats. Students may work through one or more modules at a time and at their own pace. Students who begin in the traditional mode will have the option of enrolling in online modules as a supplement to their traditional course. Instructors will identify students in the traditional course who may benefit by the concentrated attention in an area covered by an online module.

To enhance the quality of the course, SUNY Canton will offer a variety of formats that matches the large array of student learning styles. An early identification system will monitor student progress and identify students who require tutoring. Students will receive individual assistance through extensive feedback on their papers and in individualized conferences. By working through the modules sequentially, students will be better prepared to successfully complete the more advanced modules, all of which must be passed prior to enrolling in the research seminar. They will gain the prerequisite skills to complete their research papers, a traditional stumbling block for many students that contributes to the low success rate.

The impact of the course redesign on student learning will be assessed using two methods to compare student performance in traditional and redesigned sections. The ACT CAAP exam will be used to test sentence and revisions skills, two of five SUNY general education learning objectives for Basic Communication. Course embedded assignments will measure the other three objectives using department-based rubrics.

The traditional course uses 13 adjunct faculty; the redesigned course will require only six adjuncts who will teach the online modules in sections of 75 students each. The redesign will use 12 full-time faculty members to teach the face-to-face and research modules in sections of 25 students each; nine sections taught in traditional three-credit sections will also be part of the buffet. The cost-per-student will decline from $180 to $95, a 47% savings. These savings will be used to enhance the department’s release time and renovation budgets.

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