Redesigning a large enrollment course: The impact on academic performance, course completion and student perceptions in Introductory Psychology

Abstract

Increasing college enrollments, and decreased funding have led institutions and instructors to focus on developing courses that can be taught effectively in a large class format. This article presents the effectiveness of a redesigned, blended format of Introductory Psychology taught in large sections. The goals of the project included improving academic performance and student engagement through the use of empirically supported pedagogical methods, increasing course completion rates, reducing course drift, and reducing instructional costs. Student data from traditional sections taught in fall 2011 (n = 284) were compared to data obtained from students in redesigned sections in fall 2012 (n = 1340). Results indicated significant increases in academic performance in the redesigned course compared to the traditional sections. Performance with online course materials predicted overall exam performance and all pedagogical enhancements were, on average, perceived by students as effective. While course completion rates initially remained unchanged, there was greater consistency across sections and a substantial reduction in instructional costs. Implications of these results are discussed and suggestions for other institutions interested in redesigning large courses are presented.