Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1101) Course Redesign at Middle Georgia State University
Ervin Briones, Laurie C. Walters, David Biek, Paul R. Gladden
Middle Georgia State University
A course redesign of PSYC 1101 to decrease the DFW rate was implemented by two instructors. Traditional lecture format was deemphasized through in-class activities and using an active learning web-based program to provide students with individualized assistance on practice questions and immediate automatic feedback. Results suggested that, although the overall DFW rate was lower after the course redesign, the difference was not statistically significant. Further, students with low high school GPAs and/or lower SAT math scores had lower course grades in redesigned sections. Inspired by this redesign attempt and communication about it, alternative redesign approaches are being developed to deepen student learning.
