Program in Course Redesign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Economic Statistics—Course Planning Tool

The Course Planning Tool is a formatted spreadsheet that facilitates a three-step process for institutions to establish and compare the instructional costs before redesign (the traditional course) and the instructional costs after the redesign (the redesigned course).

Step #1 shows the calculation of all personnel costs associated with preparing and delivering the course expressed as an hourly rate. Annual salary for faculty listed is the average of all faculty teaching the course and includes a 22% benefits rate. Step #2 uses this initial calculation to determine the cost of preparing and delivering the traditional course. Step #3 calculates these costs for the redesigned course. More specific Course Planning Tool instructions are available.

Below are a summary of the cost savings anticipated at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and the completed course planning tool.

Cost Savings

Economic Statistics II has already been through substantial revision as a SCALE efficiency project, reducing the cost-per-student from $237 in the traditional format to $169 and creating overall savings of roughly $108,800. The savings were generated primarily as a reduction in the number of TAs required from 13 to 9. In the redesign, the cost of training 1,600 students each year in Excel—training formerly provided by the staff of the Office of Information Management in the College of Commerce and Business Administration—is eliminated. Excel training will be incorporated into classwork and led by TAs for an additional saving of $16,000, reducing the cost-per-student to $159, for a total savings of $124,800.

When the two-stage redesign is complete, faculty hours for course delivery will decrease from 760 to 637, a decline of 16%, and TA hours will decline 38%. TAs no longer prepare and present lectures to individual sections; their time shifts to interacting with students and working on skill diagnosis. The course-planning tool shows the savings generated in Economic Statistics II. UIUC will also extend the redesign to Economic Statistics I, producing an annual cost reduction of approximately $249,600.

[For more detailed information regarding their initial academic redesign, consult the project plan description.]

Step #1: Determine Instructional Costs per Hour

Instructional Costs per Hour—Economic Statistics

Faculty  
   
Annual salary and benefits $65,101
% devoted to instruction 90%
% devoted to this course 17%
$ devoted to this course $9,765
   
Contact hours for course 45
Out of class hours 145
Total hours 190
Cost per hour $51
   
TAs/GAs  
    
Salary $25,570
% devoted to instruction 100%
% devoted to this course 33%
$ devoted to this course $8,523
   
Contact hours for course 45
Out of class hours 155
Total hours 200
Cost per hour $43
   
Undergraduate TAs  
Cost per hour  
   
Professional Staff $ per
Position Hour

Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course

Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—Economic Statistics

Color Faculty   TAs/GAs  
Color # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost
Color Hourly rate = $51 Hourly rate = $43
I. Course Preparation        
         
A. Curriculum Development 40 $2,056    
B. Materials Acquisition 142 $7,298    
C. Materials Development        
1. Lectures/presentations 75 $3,872 1755 $74,789
2. Learning materials/software 6 $308    
3. Diagnostic assessments        
4. Assignments 33 $1,696    
5. Tests/evaluations 12 $617 117 $4,986
Sub-Total 308 $15,847 1872 $79,775
         
D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training        
1. Orientation 9 $445 169 $7,202
2. Staff meetings 20 $1,028 390 $16,620
3. Attend lectures        
Sub-Total 29 $1,473 559 $23,822
Total Preparation 337 $17,320 2431 $103,597
         
II. Course Delivery        
         
A. Instruction        
1. Diagnose skill/knowledge        
2. Presentation 180 $9,251 1755 $74,789
3. Interaction 74 $3,803 1560 $66,479
4. Progress monitoring     39 $1,662
Sub-Total 254 $13,054 3354 $142,931
         
B. Evaluation        
1. Test proctoring 9 $480 182 $7,756
2. Tests/evaluation 160 $8,223 1820 $77,559
Sub-Total 169 $8,703 2002 $85,315
Total Delivery 423 $21,757 5356 $228,246
         
TOTAL 760 $39,077 7787 $331,843
         
Excel Training   $8,000    
         
GRAND TOTAL   $378,920    
Total # of students   1600    
Cost per student   $237    

Step #3: Determine Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course

Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—Economic Statistics

  FACULTY   TAs/GAs  
  # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost
  Hourly rate = $51 Hourly rate = $43
I. Course Preparation        
         
A. Curriculum Development 60 $3,084    
B. Materials Acquisition 60 $3,084    
C. Materials Development        
1. Lectures/presentations 75 $3,855    
2. Learning materials/software 9 $463 8 $341
3. Diagnostic assessments        
4. Assignments 60 $3,084    
5. Tests/evaluations 20 $1,028 118 $5,029
Sub-Total 284 $14,596 126 $5,369
         
D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training        
1. Orientation 8 $411 64 $2,727
2. Staff meetings 38 $1,954 352 $15,003
3. Attend lectures     240 $10,228
Sub-Total 46 $2,365 656 $27,958
Total Preparation 330 $16,961 782 $33,327
         
II. Course Delivery        
         
A. Instruction        
1. Diagnose skill/knowledge     225 $9,588
2. Presentation 180 $9,251    
3. Interaction 433 $22,254 3189 $135,899
4. Progress monitoring 10 $514 44 $1,875
Sub-Total 623 $32,019 3458 $147,363
         
B. Evaluation        
1. Test proctoring 14 $720 70 $2,983
2. Tests/evaluation     490 $20,881
Sub-Total 14 $720 560 $23,864
Total Delivery 637 $32,738 4018 $171,227
         
TOTAL 967 $49,699 4800 $204,554
         
         
         
GRAND TOTAL   $254,253    
Total # of students   1600    
Cost per student   $159    

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