By Shanise Walker

As we begin to prepare for the start of the next academic year, many of us are thinking about changes we have made to our courses prior to the pandemic or during the pandemic and deciding which changes to keep. We are also thinking about other ways we can enhance our course design and how it will positively impact our students’ success. Here are a few course design considerations that I have tried that may lead to more student success.

1. Office hour rebranding

   Though office hours and their purpose are often discussed on the first day of class, do you find yourself answering questions later in the semester about the purpose of office hours or logistical questions in general? Is your office over-crowded with students? Are there students that should be attending, but are not? If so, rebranding office hours could prove to be a benefit to both you and the students. Rebranding office hours to something more student focused, say Student Hours, may be the way to go. Including in the syllabus the purpose of Student Hours, all logistical information like dates and times, as well as what to do if students need assistance outside of Student Hours could shape the way that students view that time. For over-crowded Student Hours, one option would be to hold them in a larger space or even hold them in common areas that students visit frequently. During the pandemic, many of us held time for students to seek assistance on course material in a virtual format. In some ways, the virtual hours allowed for students unable to physically be on campus to get their questions answered and successfully complete assignments. There were other reasons, too, that students appreciated virtual hours. Did your students thrive with online office hours? Will you continue with virtual student meetings or are they a thing of the past?

2. Importance of deadlines: building in flexibility

   When setting up a course calendar, we find ourselves pondering assignment due dates, exam dates, large project dates, and late assignment or extension policies. We know that students have exams, projects, and papers for different classes due around the same time, so they need this information to plan. But students are also trying to juggle other life events (like attending a family wedding or planning a day of self-care after a particularly stressful week). In creating a class environment where all students can succeed, regardless of the demands on their time outside of class, one option is to be more flexible with assignment due dates. We routinely grant extensions on assignments when the missed assignment is due to a university-authorized absence. However, what about instances where the missed assignment does not fall within the university absence policy? What if a student is having some difficulty in their personal life and would prefer to not discuss their reasons for missing an assignment due date?

   To allow for continued learning and success for all students, late submission of assignments with no penalty or a small percentage point penalty can be implemented. Allowing students to submit late work gives students an opportunity to have their work assessed and to receive feedback before larger assessments are due. Students are also more likely to submit better quality work rather than rushing to get assignments completed. A con for allowing students to submit late work with a small penalty is the penalty itself. Since the penalty does not reflect an assessment of the students understanding of the material, should a late penalty be attached to assignments submitted after the due date?

   Traditionally, students in my courses have always been granted opportunities to submit late work with a small penalty. In reflecting more on course design and best teaching and learning practices, the late work submission policy has changed in my courses and there are now two options for submitting late assignments. In teaching my calculus course online this summer, a late penalty was implemented to allow all online homework assignments to be submitted late for a 10% grade penalty. This is something that is automatically granted to every student and is detailed in the syllabus as the late policy for online homework. Students are also able to submit a specified number of assignments (homework and quizzes) late with no penalty and no reasoning needed. Students can request an extension by sending an email and stating which assignments they would like extended. All extensions are honored if a student has not reached the number of assignments that can be submitted with no late penalty. One can think of this policy as a No Questions Asked Pass. One important thing to note is that the policy does not replace the standard university policy that students are allowed to make up assignments if they have a university-authorized absence. The late policies are added to cover scenarios beyond what is covered by university policies. As I continue to make course changes, I will continue to change these policies as often as needed.

   Another possibility to allow flexibility of assignments is to drop a few lower-scoring or missed assignments. This could also relieve students of the pressure of having their grades negatively impacted by a few hiccups during the semester.

3. Accessibility to course content

When reflecting on how we plan to present concepts to our class, we should ensure that the course material is accessible for all students. This often means going above and beyond the standard university-mandated accommodations for students. Not every student will have university-authorized accommodations, but some will need additional accommodations to have full access to the course and be able to succeed. One way to make the course accessible for all students is to provide typed notes for each lesson. The notes are a guide for the course content and include definitions, theorems, example questions, and space for students to take notes as new concepts are presented. By doing so, the following can be accomplished: 1) students are able to focus more on learning the concepts, 2) students are able to gain more in-class practice of the mathematical concepts, since examples are typed and there is no need to write down the example questions, and 3) students are presented with more (and a bigger variety of) examples for each concept, and 4) students are more engaged in class discussion and focused less on writing down all the notes on the board.

Another important part of accessibility is being sure that all class notes are accessible to everyone. This means being aware of font sizes, color choices for markers/pens, and even student seating in the classroom. At the beginning of each semester, we should encourage students to let us know what logistical details, teaching techniques, or review of prerequisite skills will help them be successful in the course. If we can provide these things to students, we can provide them with better access to the course, its content, and an opportunity to enhance their understanding of the material with minimal effort on their part.

In all, these course design considerations are not meant to be comprehensive, but they are meant to prompt reflection about ways to enhance our courses and the learning experiences of our students.

Shanise Walker is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. In her time away from math, Shanise enjoys spending time with family.