Continuing Education Post-Natural Disasters – A Course Redesign Story

Between September 2010 and June 2011 three devastating earthquakes shook Christchurch, New Zealand into ruin. At the University of Canterbury, facilities were destroyed and students were left to focus on putting their lives back together rather then their education. For Biology students, labs were rendered unusable and it seemed impossible for traditional, face-to-face classes to continue.

Enter MasteringBiology and some very quick and resourceful thinking from Biology faculty like Dr. David Collings.

As a result of the destruction on campus, it was nearly impossible for students and faculty to come together for class so lectures were transformed into audio clips students (as they gained Internet access while the town was being repaired) could watch to continue on in the course. These audio clips were supported by tutorials, some of which were assigned through MasteringBiology. The added bonus for faculty with the inclusion of MasteringBiology was the assessment tools. No matter where the students were, their success with the content could be documented and reviewed.

After a student adjustment period plus repairs to the school, the Majors Biology course was forever changed. Faculty started introducing hybrid courses and taping all their lectures just as a back-up. They also systemically restructured their departmental policies, adding in a failsafe should nature decide to throw them a curve ball again.

Beyond all the permanent changes that took place as a result of the course redesign, the immediate implications were most important. Students were able, in the face of so much devastation, to get back on track with their education quickly.

See the full case study here and learn more about the results this course redesign produced.