Inclusive Access and Connect® Provides 100% of the Students Immediate, Easy, and Less Expensive Access to Course Content on the First Day of Class
Students Don't Have to "Go Buy the Book"—Inclusive Access and Connect® Provides 100% of the Students Immediate, Easy, and Less Expensive Access to Course Content on the First Day of Class
Previously, all course materials were provided to students in class as paper resources or through the learning management system (LMS). Margy Wirtz-Henry, Director of Physical Education Activity Program (PEAP), wanted to build consistency among all of the instructors of the various sections of the PEAP course. Her goal was to keep the students' assignments consistent by providing instructors with course material so that the various instructors did not have to create their own. Further, Wirtz-Henry wanted to "legitimize the fact that the PEAP courses are graded college credit" and make sure the content was rigorous and as expected for a college-level course.
Inclusive Access and Connect provides students with access to course content immediately. Because our courses are half a semester long and taught by various instructors, students appreciate the fast and easy access, reasonable cost, and consistent course materials.Margy Wirtz-Henry
Implementation
Course grade is determined by the following:
27.5% — Tests (3) administered within Connect
25% — Attendance
25% — Participation
15% — Skills Test (pre and post)
5% — Quizzes administered within Connect
2.5% — Other assignment
Most sections are seven weeks long because they are half-semester sections. Excluding the first week and the last week, students are assigned their course content in the remaining five weeks. Readings are assigned but are not worth points; instead, tests and quizzes are based on the readings. Skills Tests (pretest and post-test) are to assess initial ability and improvement over the course of the class. The "Other" assignment is usually an outside activity or program design related to the class.
Through Inclusive Access students receive course materials on the first day through the Canvas deep integration with Connect as one location for students to log-in and access materials, assignments, and grades. Lectures are short and a refresher of the readings, so most classes can be used for skill learning and for workouts.
To create consistency, the instructors use Chapters 1 and 2 and test on those chapters. The rest of the assignments and the weight of each of those assignments are also consistent among all of the class sections with Connect. Wirtz-Henry says, "Before McGraw-Hill's Connect, there was no consistency in tests or quizzes, course administration, number and content of assignments, or teaching points. Now there is."
Instructors use the "Assignment Results" report for tests and quizzes and for assessing grades along with the "Student Performance" report for overall grade calculation.
Results Achieved
Wirtz-Henry does not have data regarding access to instructional materials prior to using Connect, but she says, "Due to the increase in consistency and rigor, I would say that grades have gone down somewhat. This is a positive (weirdly) in my eyes, because students are being held to higher standards and expectations and are taking this graded college credit course seriously."
She also believes that because Inclusive Access gives 100% of the students affordable, easy, and instant access to the course materials, the courses are more appealing (Figure 1).
The University of Tennesse bookstore reports that students like Inclusive Access. "They certainly like the reduced price, as compared to normal college textbooks and required materials," says Wirtz-Henry (Figure 2).
Wirtz-Henry adds, "The past three years with McGraw-Hill have been three of my five total as the Director of PEAP and Connect has allowed me to put a lot of the framework and consistency that I really wanted into the program."
Further, she doesn't have to spend as much time training instructors and monitoring the courses, and instructors spend much less time preparing lectures and grading. "Using Connect allows me to bring all my GTA's and instructors up to teaching speed quickly and consistently, no matter what their teaching experience and degree background is," says Wirtz-Henry
Conclusion
Students appreciate the reduced price and accessibility of Inclusive Access compared to traditional college textbooks and other required materials. The online and out-of-class tests and quizzes allow students to complete these assignments on their own time schedule. Class time is better utilized for activities, skill learning, and physical conditioning. Additionally, the various sections of the course are better able to be managed and the academic rigor for those classes is higher and more consistent.
Margy Wirtz-Henry, after years of working in the fitness/wellness field, accepted a newly created position at the University of Tennessee in 2005 as an instructor, advisor, and admissions coordinator for the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies. In July of 2013, she accepted the position as the Director of the Physical Education Activity Program.
Digital Product in Use: Connect® Health and Human Performance – Fitness and Wellness with Inclusive Access
LMS Integration: Canvas Deep Integration
Course Name: PYED 200 – Activities
Course Type: Flipped classroom
Credit Hours: 1 or 2
Program in Use: Connect® Get Active
Instructor Name: Margy Wirtz-Henry
Enrollment: 80+ sections; 25-30 students/section, 3400 students/year (university total)
Instructor's implementation goals:
- Make course content consistent across various instructors and sections
- Increase course rigor
- Provide students with affordable access to course content immediately
- Spend more time devoted to working with students on the content of the course
- Reduce time instructors spend grading assignments
Issues for instructor before using Connect and Inclusive Access:
- Address inconsistent varied course content across many instructors and sections
- Provide consistent and immediate access to all course materials for 100% of enrolled students
- Bringing GTA's and instructors (with different backgrounds) up to teaching speed quickly and consistently
Benefits to instructor after using Connect:
- Rigorous course content consistent among various sections taught by different instructors
- Access to course content provided to 100% of students immediately in a costeffective way
- Better able to focus lectures on skill learning and workouts
- Less time spent grading
Course Description:
PEAP is a comprehensive program of instruction in dance, fitness, and sport activities which provides opportunities for students to develop and improve performance skills.PEAP encourages fitness through the teaching of mechanical, physiological, and nutritional principles along with historical and philosophical foundations, safety, rules, and strategy.
Institution Profile:
University of Tennessee is a public university in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state. UT Knoxville isthe flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system that consists of nine undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges. Almost 28,000 students choose from over 360 undergraduate programs of study and over 530 graduate programs.