Course Redesign KCTCS Partners with Pearson to Improve Reading, Writing and Math Completion Rates

Kentucky Community & Technical College System Online

O V E R V I E WThe Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) is the largest higher education provider in Kentucky, offering associate’s degrees, certificates, diplomas, workforce development training and seminars. In 2008, KCTCS Online Learn on Demand began as an effort to provide more Kentuckians with an affordable, flexible education. KCTCS Online Learn on Demand prepares adults for high-demand, high-wage careers through its competency-based, modularized, accelerated online system, in which students can quickly acquire the skills and knowledge they need to earn a promotion, professional certification, or an associate’s degree. Students experience personalized, accelerated learning by testing out of modules in which they have previously mastered the competencies. Each module and instruction facilitator is Quality Assurance (QA) certified to follow best practices in developmental education, learning theory, and online teaching and learning. KCTCS Online Learn on Demand offers fully accredited learning that transfers to other colleges and universities. Eligible students receive financial aid for the modules. Tuition at KCTCS is among the lowest in the nation.

S O L U T I O N

In March 2009, Kentucky legislators passed Senate Bill 1, which required higher education institutions to accelerate the progress of students in developmental programs for reading, writing, and math, in order to quickly prepare them for college-level courses needed to complete degrees, certificates, or training to quickly move them into the workforce and careers. Legislators were concerned that developmental programs were taking too long to complete (16 weeks per course) which led to high drop-out rates, and ultimately low program completion rates. Moreover, legislators set a goal for Kentucky to enroll 50 percent fewer students in developmental classes for reading, writing, and math by 2014.

In addition, legislators requested the governing body for Kentucky colleges and universities, the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), to design and implement performance funding for developmental education in 2014, which will only fund developmental programs where students complete degrees or certificates.

To create accelerated developmental reading, writing, and math modules that effectively address college readiness challenges, KCTCS turned to Pearson. Due to Professor Cantrell’s previous experience using Pearson’s MyReadingLab eLearning and assessment technology, coupled with a Pearson textbook in her face-to-face courses, she chose to continue the successful partnership with Pearson. Online developmental courses were proposed for the new Learn on Demand College Readiness component of KCTCS Online. The proposals were funded in 2009.

Through partnering with Pearson and using the award-winning MyLab / Mastering technology series, the modules provide students with experience in authentic, interactive, assignments, activities and assessments related to college, work, and life. Students learn metacognitive skills to track their own progress and self-correct, thereby shortening the process of completing their developmental learning and moving forward with their college-level courses required to complete their degrees.

By incorporating MyWritingLab, MyMathLab and MyReadingLab into its developmental courses, the Learn on Demand College Readiness program provides customized, media-rich, digital courses delivered as modules that collectively comprise one developmental course. Modules are chunks of a single course in which students enroll one module at a time. They can choose their own start date, and measure their progress along the way. Students complete assignments and activities anytime and anywhere through this personalized learning environment. They can test out of a module through the pre-assessment, or they can work through the module to master specific competencies necessary for college-level course or degree completion. This program offers a truly on-demand education.

C H A L L E N G E

The newly redesigned courses at KCTCS Online include:

•Integrated MyLab technologies across reading, writing and math;

•Pre- and post-test modules;

•Common Core College Readiness Standards;

•Self-paced and media-rich digital content;

•On-demand delivery model;

•Modular options; and

•Seamless integration with KCTCS Online’s LMS.

“In order to accelerate completion of developmental courses and to meet legislative requirements, these college readiness courses had to be redesigned for an online learning environment. First, I led the KCTCS reading curriculum committee in aligning the reading competencies for each course with the new Kentucky Common Core Standards for College Readiness. Kentucky was the first state in the nation to approve these standards for K-12. Next, with best practices and learning theory based upon the most recent research on brain-based learning, I designed self-paced modules for adults to study anytime, anywhere, and complete degrees and certificates.”

— Professor Etta Cantrell Director, KCTCS Online Learn on Demand; Project Team Leader, Reading and KCTCS Online; College Readiness Advisor, Big Sandy Community and Technical College

“This KCTCS Online Learn on Demand College Readiness program is unique. There is no other accelerated, personalized, Common Core Standards, competency-based, learning-centered, college readiness program in the nation, structured on cognitive-constructivist learning theory and best practices for online education, using content literacy strategies that I have used for many years in my face-to-face developmental courses. We designed the reading, writing, and math developmental modules and handed them over to the incredible Pearson technology team. They crafted a software platform that provided individualized modules where students anytime, anywhere, take responsibility for using prior knowledge to learn new content and master competencies for college and work.”

— Professor Etta Cantrell

© Pearson 2012. All rights reserved.

B E N E F I T SUsing the personalized KCTCS Online Learn on Demand program, working adults with Internet access who cannot attend face-to-face classes, due to work and family responsibilities, have the flexibility to pursue and complete an accredited 2-year degree with the option to continue their education and earn a bachelor’s degree. As a result, KCTCS is well positioned to further reduce the number of students enrolled in developmental courses, and receive performance funding based upon demonstrated successes of its innovative, nationally recognized, and award-winning KCTCS Online Learn on Demand program.

KCTCS Online students receive many benefits through the Learn on Demand program.

These include:

•Quality teaching and learning for student success with virtual flipped classroom, learning-centered modules, authentic activities and assessments;

•Affordable education for all adults through Pearson eBooks and materials, zero travel expenses, and personalized, quality learning where students enroll in only the modules they need, paying one of the lowest tuition rates in the nation;

•Flexible schedules where adults can work any shift or take care of family and successfully complete coursework with 24/7/365 days of feedback or assistance with questions and assignments;

•Accelerated course and degree achievement where students often complete a three-course developmental math course in 16 weeks, unlike the traditional, time-based, 16-weeks per developmental courses (48 consecutive weeks); and

•KCTCS Online Learn on Demand Virtual Advising Network of College Readiness Coaches who monitor and mentor developmental students from the time they file an online application for admission until they transfer or graduate. This resulted from Professor Cantrell’s original proposal submitted in 2008 that requested a cyber advisor for the Learn on Demand College Readiness students.

“An increasing number of degree-seeking students in accelerated Learn on Demand and face-to-face modules or courses using Pearson’s MyLab eLearning and assessment technologies are mastering college readiness competencies and completing college level courses, particularly in math. As a result, more students are receiving degrees and certificates to pursue their dreams.”

— Professor Etta Cantrell

To learn more about how you can partner with Pearson to redesign courses that drive student success, visit www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com