Navigating the process of course re-design is a delicate task. Creating a collaborative environment between faculty members and instructional designers requires intentional planning. This session will be focused upon the use of a Change Matrix as a means to facilitate course re-design that is grounded in data, empathy, and creativity.
Navigating the process of course re-design is a delicate task. Creating a collaborative environment between faculty members and instructional designers requires intentional planning. This session will be focused upon the use of a Change Matrix as a means to facilitate course re-design that is grounded in data, empathy, and creativity.
As courses go through a cycle of use, it is important to systematically evaluate the strategies, content, and overall choices of modality. In many institutions, instructional designers are brought in to assist faculty members with this process. While most instructional designers are familiar with what best practice suggests regarding the selections of strategies, tools, and frameworks, they may not be aware of the nuanced approach that is required to successfully navigate a faculty consultation. Effective course redesign requires a deep understanding of the role of data, empathy, and creativity.
When approaching a faculty member, it helps to have a clear rationale for changes that are being suggested. Data-driven decision making should ground this process. But, how can an instructional designer facilitate a conversation that focuses both on the options for modification along with the supporting data----all within the constraints of limited meeting times? By completing a Change Matrix prior to the course de-briefing, instructional designers enter the meeting with a clear tool to use to guide the redesign conversation. The Change Matrix is a simple table that aligns course components (strategies, resources, tools), data points (student evaluations, faculty feedback, pedagogical content knowledge) with redesign options. In essence, this form provides a menu of redesign options for faculty to choose that have a direct and clear justification linked to data. Examples of how a Change Matrix has been successfully utilized will be included in this presentation.
Along with the data, instructional designers must enter into redesign conversations with an empathetic perspective. For some faculty members, the naked feeling that is associated with course evaluation is uncomfortable and threatening. Vulnerability is required to be open to change. Prior to leading a redesign conversation, instructional designers need to consider how their suggestions might be received, how to navigate sensitive topics related to poor students evaluations, and how to build up the teaching efficacy of the faculty so that they are emboldened to try new approaches. Examples of how to prepare for such conversations will be included in this presentation.
And finally, once the door has been opened for a successful conversation on the redesign process, instructional designers need to provide creative solutions to the issues they have identified. How do you continually fill your creative well? When working in a subject area that is not familiar, how do you find strategies and resources that are rigorous and innovative? In this section, we will showcase a systematic process for searching for creative approaches to redesign. Planning processes have been helpful in standardizing this phase of the redesign. Elements that we have found to be successful include creating a repository of example strategies, conducting a landscape survey of comparable classes at different institutions, digging into pedagogical content knowledge research, and leveraging the strengths of the individual faculty member. Examples of this process will also be included.
Intentionality of process seems to be the key to success in course redesign. Keeping data, empathy, and creativity at the forefront of the process has helped us to move the needle on creating a culture of open improvement. While each faculty consultation and course redesign session is unique, we have found that creating a standard operating procedure to guide the process has helped with faculty buy-in, change management, and increased acceptance of new strategies. The goal of this session is to showcase the pragmatic redesign tools that we have developed to address this specific design challenge.