Chapter 5 Monitoring and Refining Changes Underway: 2017–2019
¶While implementing the changes in instruction approved in 2016, the faculty participated in a variety of on-going and new monitoring processes. Many of the changes seemed to be going well. Members of the Paradigms 2.0 committee resumed meeting during the third year of implementation in order to share their impressions of the changes underway and to identify emerging issues that might need to be addressed.
Although many adjustments could be made incrementally, addressing one issue would require changes in the order of the upper-level courses. After developing several options, the members of the Paradigms 2.0 Committee consulted each faculty member who would be affected by these suggestions. They also discussed these options with the group of faculty participating in the Upper Division Curriculum Committee meetings as well as with a focus group of students currently enrolled in the upper-level courses.
Eventually members of the Paradigms 2.0 Committee articulated five options: making a minimal change, a medium change, and three options for making a large change in the order of the paradigms in physics courses. In preparing for a faculty vote, they first provided information about these five options in the first Upper Division Curriculum Committee meeting during spring term. Then they presented the five options formally for a vote during the first regular faculty meeting two days later. The faculty voted for one of the options for a large change in the order of the upper division courses, with the new schedule to be implemented during the next academic year.
The four Paradigms 2.0 Committee members reflected upon their experiences during audio-recorded interviews shortly after this faculty vote. Their insights are reported here as recommendations for others interested in monitoring and refining similar curricular reforms.
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Monitor the Changes in Instruction Underway
- monitor student learning and morale by using active engagement strategies in one’s own courses
- listen to multiple perspectives during planning meetings for the course sessions with graduate teaching assistants (TAs), undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) and others such as postdocs, graduate student researchers, and visitors
- participate in curriculum committee meetings
- interact informally with faculty and students by designing and teaching a course that is closely associated with another course in the program
- interact directly with faculty and students by teaching a small segment, such as the mathematics needed, in a series of courses during the academic year
- communicate with faculty elsewhere piloting your own or similar curriculum
- use index cards to help align learning goals and course activities when redesigning a course
- cooperate with university-level assessment processes
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Reflect upon successes fostered by the changes in instruction underway
- seek student impressions of changes that seem to have gone well
- recognize aspects that increase one’s own sense of enjoyment
- document long term outcomes through student interviews
- design a small way for one faculty member to participate in a series of courses to provide continuity for students and insight into how things are going overall
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Reflect upon challenges encountered
- realign conceptual, mathematical, and computational content as needed
- respond to needs due to increased enrollment
- recognize needs and constraints in assigning faculty to teach particular courses
- address the needs of different populations of students
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Form a small committee to brainstorm emerging issues and develop options
- identify issues that need to be addressed
- discuss possible refinements to address the most important issues
- consult individual faculty who would be affected by the refinements under consideration
- come to agreement on possible options and plan next steps
- Discuss refinements during curriculum meetings with faculty involved in the courses under consideration
- Seek student input by conducting a focus group
- Revise proposed options in light of input from faculty and students
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Prepare for a faculty vote by calling a preliminary meeting and providing detailed information about the proposed options
- summarize the rationale for refining the changes in instruction underway
- provide a handout and project a slide with the problems identified, trade-offs in new proposals, questions, and a transition plan
- present the current status of the focus of the proposed refinement
- present and discuss a proposal for a minimal change
- present and discuss a proposal for a medium change
- present and discuss a proposal or proposals for a large change
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Schedule a vote for a regular faculty meeting soon after the preliminary meeting
- summarize the problems identified
- present the options developed
- welcome discussion
- when and if it seems appropriate, call for a vote.
- Figure out who will do what to implement the approved refinement to the changes underway