The Economic System: 1st Year-Course Redesign

Economics & Finance Dept; Buffalo State College: SUNY:

A General Ed Course- primarily for non-majors300+ students per semester; hybrid courseRedesign Goal: move from traditional lecture to

a multi- learning mode course, with on-line materials, including text with embedded videos; undergraduate learning assistants,who meet once a week for games, exercises & reviews.

The Redesign Team

Dr. Karen O’Quin, Project Director; Associate Dean, Natural & Social Sciences;

Dr. William Ganley, Professor of Economics & Finance

Meghan Pereira, Director ANGEL, Instructional Resources;

Ginger DeMita, Research Associate, Undergraduate; Additional Faculty: Dr. Ted Schmidt and Dr. Curtis

Haynes Chair Department of Economics & Finance: Dr. Ted Byrley

Initial Planning

The Buffalo State Redesign project was planned from the top downward: the College Provost, Dennis Ponton solicited interest from academic departments in response to a SUNY-wide call for course redesign proposals. Criteria for proposals were developed.

Various departments expressed interest; however only the Economics & Finance Dept submitted draft proposal.

Ted Schmidt, Bill Ganley, Meghan Pereira & Associate Dean O’Quin went to an NCAT workshop to develop a complete proposal; each wrote various components of an implementation strategy with assistance from NCAT staff.

There were numerous iterations and the Provost was given regular updates on the details of the process.

Administrative Support

The Provost took the initiative Appointment of a primary administrator, an

associate dean, as project head with direct reporting & accountability to the Provost

Funding support to cover gaps before SUNY funding kicked in: travel funds to grant application workshop; student stipends in Fall 2008.

Previous department chair was on board

Administrative support

The Administration allowed the process to get underway before asking for communication to the broader campus community.

Cooperation from 2 academic departments to recruit ULAs.

Amazing support, training & direction from the ANGEL administration & staff: trainings students to use the technology- embedding videos, editing on-line text, monitoring student participation and to use activities like on-line the on-line Jeopardy game

Course Materials

1st step: consensus of teaching faculty as to core materials.

2nd step: adding existing materials to on-line access- quizzes, study guides

Development on-line text readingsResearching and embedding videos

to support the text

How Far Can We Go?

New issues to deal with: Will the course have flexibility for

new instructors to teach the courseUpdating the materialsOn-going recruitment of ULAsExpansion of the concept to other

departments