Assessing course redesign: the case of developmental math

Higher education institutions have taken to redesigning high-enrollment, introductory courses to improve student learning outcomes, student success, and degree completion. This paper presents findings from the assessment of course redesign by focusing on the case of developmental math at a large community college. The college adopted modularization, a common course redesign method in which concepts are disaggregated into modules and delivered through computer software. Preliminary results from the quantitative analysis of student performance in redesigned courses have been mixed. The study discusses faculty and student views and experiences with modular math redesign in order to complement and help illuminate the results from the quantitative analysis. Using evidence from five focus groups, one with faculty and four with students, the paper provides insights on how to help faculty and students ease into their new roles and reshape those roles for an enhanced, more engaging, and more effective teaching and learning experience.