The major thrust of this THECB funded course redesign initiative was to provide students with an accelerated student-centered learning experience that promotes active learning through interactive technology, individualized learning plans, and collaborative activities. DWRI 0091 is a course where students learn to use the writing process to develop short to medium length essays. The focus is on paragraph and essay-level revision and applying the writing process in a variety of academic contexts. DWRI 0093 is a course where students who are familiar with academic writing are provided with the skills to draft, revise, edit, and publish acceptable academic discourse. Sentence-level revision and applying the writing process in a variety of academic contexts are emphasized. DWRI 0093 students are required to take and pass a departmental writing exam and grammar test at the conclusion of the course. Annually, 1,020 students enroll in DWRI 0091 and DWRI 0093 (440 in DWRI 0091 and 580 in DWRI 0093).
This course redesign project was structured to boost student success and decrease the amount of time students spent in Developmental Writing. This was accomplished by combining DWRI 091 and DWRI 0093 into two, “flex term” courses each eight weeks in length. Writing tutors assigned to each section provide supplemental instruction. The course redesign “integrates” student support services such as supplemental writing instruction, student success workshops, and human development counseling through a learning community with Center for Tutoring and Learning Connections. This course redesign makes writing instruction and acquisition of skills more efficient because of the seamless continuation of study between the successive courses and intensive immersion in the course content. Commercially available software (Eduspace) tailors or “differentiates” instruction based on the needs of individual students while delivering automated and prompt feedback on student writings and assessments (Criterion and Eduspace). Online tutoring from SMARTHINKING is also utilized. Assessments are integral to course redesign and include the addition of Accuplacer as the course exit examination for redesign students; results have been compared with Accuplacer scores for DWRI placement, creating a “before” and after “snapshot” of student performance. The Institutional Research Office is tracking students longitudinally via ID numbers as they progress through Freshman English. There is a cost savings to the institution because the redesign increases the classroom enrollment cap from 20 to 25-27 students. This means DWRI can serve more students while at the same time reducing the number of sections it offers.
“Brain-friendly” instructional improvements introduced include changing the color of the classroom, instituting new fluorescent lighting in the space, and incorporating music – all which research proves enhances learning for diverse learners. By shifting to technology, many basic instructional activities that can be readily individualized, the classroom portion of the class were redesigned so that students and faculty alike could focus on the writing process and enhance the quality of the learning experience. In summary, the redesigned course implemented the following changes: (1) Increased the consistency among the sections using technology supported diagnostics, web lessons and other online supports; (2) Individualized programs for students learning through Differentiated Instruction; (3) Improved quality by increasing time on task; (4) Increased access by providing online any time/any place options, (5) Provided more timely feedback for students, (6) Decreased faculty time spent developing and evaluating diagnostics, (7) Decreased faculty time spent in preparing and delivering lectures, (8) Increased time for one-to-one and small group peer activity, and (9) Outsourced evaluation of draft papers to Richland Writing Center and SMARTHINKING.
The learning materials for the course include:
Professional development activities for instructors teaching the redesigned sections include workshops/training in:
For additional information contact Professor Doug Wilson, DWRI Course Redesign Project Leader at Doug.Wilson@dcccd.edu.