Gateway Course Redesign

Faculty involved in the Gateway Course Redesign process receive on-going support through a network of faculty, from across the country, Gardner Institute staff, faculty development colleagues from their institution, and nationally recognized teaching and learning experts (Teaching and Learning Academy Fellows), through meetings, webinars,  online discussions, and a large community of practice.

By revising your course curriculum and approach to teaching, you can create a more inclusive learning environment with the potential to increase student learning and performance. This has the power to significantly affect the outcome of learning, while also resulting in greater retention and completion rates for all students.

With a focus on high-enrollment courses that historically have high rates of D, Fail, Withdraw, or Incomplete grades, and using an integrated, evidence-based, multi-year approach, this process has the potential to impact the learning and success of a large number of undergraduate students who enroll in these courses, and over time, all undergraduate students have the potential to be positively affected.

Our team is dedicated to supporting institutions in developing and implementing plans that support student success in the institution’s unique context. We provide guidance on establishing a task force, offer feedback throughout the self-study process, and support implementation to promote sustained student success. Our focus is on developing high-quality student support and academic programs to help guarantee that students are well-prepared to progress beyond their gateway courses.

An experienced and dedicated Gardner Institute advisor assigned to your institution from the onset will guide and monitor the entire Gateways to Completion Course Redesign Process

The following indicators of success have been collected from institution-specific analyses that examine outcomes associated with “G2C transformed” courses to date. Outcomes to date include:

• Higher retention rates for students in redesigned courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion
• Lower rates of academic probation for students in redesigned courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion
• Higher levels of resiliency (defined as being on academic probation but still returning to the institution) for students in redesigned courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion
• Higher course passing rates (rates of A, B, and C grades) and lower rates of D, F, W, and I grades (DFWI rates) for students in transformed courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion
•  Higher grade point averages for students in redesigned courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion
•  Better exam scores for students in transformed courses compared to students in sections of the courses not transformed by Gateways to Completion

Some examples of these outcomes are discussed in this report.