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I Can
Learn Implementation Meeting
Distance Learning Labs
July 13, 2004, 2:30 p.m.
Present: Nathan Brackeen, Hazel Jackson, Eric McLain, Wanda
Billingsley, Glenda Bland, Corinne Wood, Ronnie Harkins, Janice
Stephens, Elizabeth Mitchell, Rick Wilmarth, Linda McGuirt,
Sarah Scott, Mary Lee Radney, Amelia Pearson, James Blair,
Kathleen Thompson, Jimmy Nix, Mike Howard, Paul Kornman, Cindy
Entrekin, Lynn Spraggins, Linda Williams, Ralph Cline, Barbara
Anne Spears, and from I Can Learn – Steve Pace, Tammy Hovland
Dr. Pearson introduced Steve Pace. He began by emphasizing the
importance of a strong foundation in implementing the I Can
Learn program.
Cost of software license and book = $100 per student per course.
CACC will sell in Bookstore with a markup; cost to student will
be $130. License for a course is good for one year. Book is not
returnable as it is a text/workbook. Books will be warehoused at
Bookstore. Students will actually buy the license and be given a
book at that time.
Courses to be taught on I Can Learn software include 091, 092,
098, 100, and 116. Pace recommends that students pay tuition
each semester whether they have finished the course or not.
Hovland said that at the college where she previously worked, a
student received an “I” (incomplete) if 75% of the course had
been successfully completed or a grade of “In Progress” if less
than 75% had been successfully completed. The “In Progress”
grade is not an officially sanctioned grade in the Alabama
College System. Pace suggested that a student receive an “I” if
80% of the course had been successfully completed and that the
student be allowed to register and pay for the next course.
Financial Aid representatives expressed concern about allowing
students to enroll in a course that requires a prerequisite if
the prerequisite has not been completed.
The I Can Learn program is a mastery-based program. Homework
assignments will appear in the book but actual progress can only
be made on the computer.
Pace said 20 to 25% of students can be expected to drop the
class; therefore, more than four stations will be available to
students who want to work on the computer during other classes.
Tech support is provided by I Can Learn through a 24-hour Help
Desk; however, for tech problems, parts will be shipped to
CACC’s technical support people to install or tech support
people at I Can Learn will coach CACC’s tech support through any
software problems. The question was posed: Will there be a phone
in each I Can Learn lab? Pace answered that there should be.
Pace said that some students can finish two or three courses in
a semester while paying only one tuition, which is a great
incentive for students. Attendees noted that this practice would
likely violate State Board policy. Open entry/open exit,
tuition, and other matters must be resolved in a separate
meeting to involve the Business Office, Financial Aid Office,
Student Services personnel, and the Dean of Instruction.
Classes will meet on a regular class schedule; attendance should
be taken as it is in all classes.
All grades are recorded on the instructor’s computer, which is
networked to all student computers. Instructors must have access
to each other’s grades in order to assist students who are
completing extra work during class time with other instructors.
Brackeen said Childersburg campus has scheduled two Math 100
classes as TBA in order to handle those students who complete
098 mid-term and wish to register for Math 100.
Students who fail the mastery exam twice on a given section
cannot progress and must seek help from the instructor.
Kornman asked whether instructors would be expected to assist
those students not enrolled in his class who are using the
computer during the time when his class meets. Hovland replied
that when teaching in this environment, she traditionally gave
priority to her own students but tried to help all students.
Pearson said that it may be possible to offer a Directed Studies
option so that students who have successfully completed the
course or who are outstanding math students may be able to work
as instructor assistants in the lab.
Hovland noted that during class hours, instructors will be
extremely busy assisting students. Pace pointed out, however,
that this is a trade-off since instructors will no longer create
exams, prepare lesson plans, or grade exams. There is little
out-of-class time and no preparation time.
Instructors questioned whether those who are not attending
should receive a U or an I. This, too, will be decided in the
meeting among Business Office, Financial Aid, Student Services,
and the Dean of Instruction.
COMPASS test will still be used for placement. Students can also
be post-tested with COMPASS to determine improvement.
Software includes mastery tests, cumulative reviews, and
cumulative tests. Pace said most instructors do not require the
cumulative reviews, but they are available if desired.
Hovland said that student notebooks should be considered.
Students maintain a notebook with lecture notes (from instructor
onscreen), problems worked, definitions, etc. Student receive a
grade for the notebooks, which are graded each time student is
testing. Students use notebooks during mastery tests but not
during cumulative tests. Notebooks are graded using a rubric;
Hovland agreed to email a copy to Brown.
Instructors must decide whether they wish to give a final exam.
Quiz (mastery test) is available for each objective. Hovland
suggests open book-open notebook for quizzes. Cumulative tests
should be closed-book.
Standard for evaluation of program must be established. Spears
said Dr. Bolton is working on evaluation plan and process.
Baseline data is needed. Brackeen is chairing a subcommittee to
coordinate, but since approaches in developmental courses are
not currently standardized, baseline data is questionable. Pace
asked, “How the College measure success now?” One measure is
performance in subsequent classes; success of I Can Learn could
be measured by performance in subsequent classes not using I Can
Learn.
First semester often presents PR problems because students feel
lost or abandoned. Instructors must emphasize to students that
students are responsible for their own learning and for their
own progress. One selling point may be that if students finish
in 8 weeks, they could sleep late or pursue other activities
during the following 8 weeks.
Students should be reminded that the course is uniform across
instructors; there is no place to hide. Grading is the same.
Therefore, they may as well get focused and do the work.
Training options for faculty were then discussed. One option
included a trip to Birmingham. It was finally decided that
instructors from both campuses will meet Aug. 13 in Childersburg
and Aug. 16 in Alex City. Since Aug. 13 is not a faculty duty
day, instructors will receive an exchange day. Hovland is
willing to meet with adjuncts at night. Wood said she can attend
the 13th but not the 16th. Hovland agreed to work with her on
the 13th to ensure she is fully trained.
Faculty were assigned the task of making decisions to ensure
course standardization. One lead teacher on each campus will
work together to plan and will also train any new faculty. Brown
suggested that these individuals be Mitchell in Childersburg and
Blair in Alex City since they are most familiar with the
program. Mitchell and Blair agreed and will meet Monday, July
19, at 1:30 in Blair’s office to plan.
Questions arose about overlap of objectives for courses. Hovland
noted that this is an institutional decision; instructors must
decide which objectives must be met in order to meet course
objectives as outlined by the state.
Objectives on computer can be re-ordered if needed; however,
they are defaulted to appear in the same order as they appear in
the book. More objectives can be added for a specific course or
objectives can be removed from a course. Any objective can be
used in any course taught from a specific book. Basic College
Math is found in the blue book; Algebra is found in the green
book.
A list of all lessons can be found at www.ICanLearn.com.
With no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 4:25
p.m.
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