The Problem

Since I arrived at CCU back in January I’ve had to deal with a nagging problem: small course sizes. Our courses are especially small because we increased the number of available courses. Our student population is spread out in this wide offering of courses.

Having a small course should not keep a person from learning, but it can be discouraging if your homework includes interaction with other students. That student might post on the discussion board and hear nothing back because they are the only one in the course. It is like trying to have a social life in a ghost town.

We have had a few calls from students who are discouraged or frustrated by this issue.

So we began to consider what we could do. We took a look at other programs and asked some other colleges how they deal with this problem.

One of the core issues is expectations. If a student or professor is participating in a small course (3 or fewer students), but they have expectations that the learning process will involve pier-to-pier interaction, they can become discouraged or frustrated when those expectations are not realized. Again, expectations are important.

So to help guide our students expectations we have developed a key distinction between courses: Directed Independent Study, and Peer-to-Peer Dynamic Study. Here is a brief overview of this distinction.

Directed Independent Study

Course Enrollment: Fewer than four students

A Directed Independent Study course at CCU includes:

• A syllabus
• A required text
• Homework Assignments
• Weekly Lesson Notes
• Audio or Video Lecture (Optional)

The Directed Independent Study courses are distinct from the Peer-to-Peer Dynamic Courses in that the course requirements do not included the use of a discussion board. The learning process is taking place independent of other students and overseeing faculty.

The student’s grasp of the subject is determined by the homework submitted throughout the module.

Peer-to-Peer Dynamic Study

Course Enrollment: 4-25 students

A Directed Independent Study course at CCU includes:

• A syllabus
• A required text
• Homework Assignments
• Weekly Lesson Notes
• Weekly Discussions on the Discussion Boards
• Audio or Video Lecture (Optional)

Peer-to-Peer Dynamic Courses require the use of a discussion board. The learning process is taking place in cooperation with other students and the overseeing faculty.

The student’s grasp of the subject is determined by the homework submitted throughout the module and their interaction on the discussion board.

Concluding thoughts…

During the first week of the module an email will be sent out to students indicating what type of course they are enrolled in. It will also explain how to get the most out of the course depending on its format.

We are hoping that this adjustment will assist the student and faculty is setting their expectations for the course.

This is a new thing for CCU and we would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to post a comment or question below.