Program in Course Redesign

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Intermediate Spanish Transition—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 28% 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 Tennessee and the completed course planning tool.

Cost Savings

Enrolling over 1500 students each year, Intermediate Spanish is taught every term. Because of increased demand coupled with a limited number of instructors, many students are unable to register for the course even though the University annually offers 57 sections of 27 students each.

The redesigned course will reduce class time from 3 hours per week to 2 and eliminate the audio lab. In the traditional model, the faculty spend a significant amount of time evaluating student work. In the redesign, grading time will dramatically decrease from 141 hours to 9 hours per section per term. Overall instructor time spent on this course will decrease from 276 hours to 96 per section. Experienced instructors will be paired with TAs, and section size will double from 27 to 54 students, thus reducing the number of sections needed from 57 in the traditional format to 38 in the redesign.

In the traditional course, the cost-per-student is $109, with 1539 students enrolled. In the redesign, about 500 more students will be served for a total enrollment of 2052, decreasing the cost-per-student from $109 to $28, a reduction of 74%. Savings will be reinvested in the course and used to redesign other language courses.

[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—Intermediate Spanish Transition

Faculty Full Time Instructors
     
Annual salary and benefits $61,167 $3,121
% devoted to instruction 13% 100%
% devoted to coordination 35% 100%
$ devoted to this course $29,360 $3,121
     
Contact hours for course 45 45
Out of class hours 820 231
Total hours 865 276
Cost per hour $34 $11
     
TAs/GAs    
     
Salary $2,490  
% devoted to instruction 100%  
% devoted to this course 100%  
$ devoted to this course $2,490  
     
Contact hours for course 45  
Out of class hours 231  
Total hours 276  
Cost per hour $9  
     
Undergraduate TAs/Gas    
Cost per hour    
     
Professional/Support Staff $ per  
Position Hour  
      
#1 Lab Director $20  
#2 Technician $14  

Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course

Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—Intermediate Spanish Transition

  Course Coordinator   Faculty 1 Instructors 16 GAs 6 Professional Staff (2)  
  # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost
  Hourly rate = $34 Hourly rate = $34 Hourly rate = $11 Hourly rate = $9 Hourly rate = $17
I. Course Preparation                    
                     
A. Curriculum Development 45 $1,530                
B. Materials Acquisition 40 $1,360                
C. Materials Development 70 $2,380                
1.Lectures/pres. 30 $1,020                
2. Learning materials/software 25 $850 15 $510 15 $165 15 $135    
3. Diagnostic assessments 15 $510                
4. Assignments 25 $850 15 $510 15 $165 15 $135    
5. Tests/evaluations 80 $2,720 15 $510 15 $165 15 $135    
Sub-Total 330 $11,220 45 $1,530 45 $495 45 $405    
                     
D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training                    
1. Orientation 165 $5,610 25 $850 25 $275 25 $225    
2. Staff meetings/admin. 195 $6,630 10 $340 10 $110 10 $90    
3. Attend lectures 25 $850 10 $340 10 $110 10 $90    
Sub-Total 385 $13,090 45 $1,530 45 $495 45 $405    
Total Preparation for all individuals 715 $24,310 90 $3,060 1440 $15,840 540 $4,860    
                     
II. Course Delivery                    
                     
A. Instruction                    
1. Diagnose skill/knowledge     5 $170 5 $55 5 $45    
2. Presentation     15 $510 15 $165 15 $135    
3. Interaction     10 $340 10 $110 10 $90 150 $2,616
4. Progress monitoring     11 $374 11 $121 11 $99    
Sub-Total     41 $1,394 41 $451 41 $369 150 $2,616
                     
B. Evaluation                    
1. Test proctoring 15 $510 4   4   4      
2. Tests/evaluation     141 $4,794 141 $1,551 141 $1,269    
Sub-Total 15 $510 145 $4,930 145 $1,595 145 $1,305    
Total Delivery for all sections 15 $510 186 $6,324 8742 $96,162 1488 $13,392 150 $2,616
                     
TOTAL for all sections 730 $24,820 276 $9,384 10182 $112,002 2028 $18,252 150 $2,616
# of sections 1   1   47   8      
                     
                     
GRAND TOTAL   $167,074                
Total # of students   1539                  
Cost per student   $109                

Step #3: Determine Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course

Instructional Costs of Second Redesigned Course—Intermediate Spanish Transition

  Course Coordinator   Instructors 13 GAs 19 Professional Staff  
  # of hours Total Cost # of hours Total Cost # of hours Total Cost # of hours Total Cost
  Hourly rate = $34 Hourly rate = $11 Hourly rate = $9 Hourly rate = $17
I. Course Preparation                
                 
A. Curriculum Development 15 $510            
B. Materials Acquisition 6 $204            
C. Materials Development 18 $612            
1. Lectures/presentations 30 $1,020 5 $55

   
2. Learning materials/software 15 $510 10 $110

   
3. Diagnostic assessments 3 $102            
4. Assignments                
5. Tests/evaluations 65 $2,210 5 $55

   
Sub-Total 152 $5,168 20 $220

   
                 
D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training                  
1. Orientation/Training 165 $5,610 20 $220 20 $180    
2. Staff meetings/administration 168 $5,712 10 $110 10 $90    
3. Attend lectures 25 $850 10 $110 10 $90    
Sub-Total 358 $12,172 40 $440 40 $360    
Total Preparation for all individuals 510 $17,340 780 $8,580 760 $6,840    
                 
II. Course Delivery                
                 
A. Instruction                
1. Diagnose skill/knowledge                
2. Presentation     5 $55

   
3. Interaction     15 $165 2 $18 300 $5,100
4. Progress monitoring     6 $66 3 $27    
Sub-Total     26 $286 5 $45 300 $5,100
                 
B. Evaluation                
1. Test proctoring 15 $510 4 $44 2 $18    
2. Tests/evaluation     6 $66 3 $27    
Sub-Total 15 $510 10 $110 5 $45    
Total Delivery for all sections 15 $510 1368 $15,048 380 $3,420 300 $5,100
                 
TOTAL for all sections 525 $17,850 2148 $23,628 1140 $10,260 300 $5,100
# of sections     38   38      
                 
                 
GRAND TOTAL    $56,838            
Total # of students   2052             
Cost per student   $28            

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