Fall 2024 Cohort - Tech4 Teaching & Learning MiniGrant - Culminating Portfolio

Course HIST 51: World History II: From 1500

Global, Critical, Interactive

Course Description

HIST 51 is a large (120 student), lower-division survey that fulfills the General Education Area 3B (Humanities) requirement. It is also a required class for history majors.

Reflection on Tech4 Teaching & Learning MiniGrant Deliverables:

Self Review of Course - Using QM Rubric

In this complete revision of my online course, in addition to building new content (like recording lectures), I focused on alignment across the board. This meant nailing down measurable course-level learning objectives, matching them to module-level learning objectives, and linking them to each activity and assessment (QM 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5). I also focused an accessibility and usability, improving course navigation, readability, and the accessibility of Canvas pages, documents, and video content (QM 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6).

I worked on these improvements over spring semester 2025, summer 2026, and fall 2026. In the summer, I benefited from funding from the Tech4Equity grant to hire a graduate assistant, whose primary task was to fix all the errors in the auto-generated captions to my recorded lectures.

I have now met all of my objectives, and my course has passed preparatory review and is undergoing final review.

Analyzed the DFW Rates and Developed a Plan

Here are the DFW rates that I supplied during the Tech4Equity grant. They are for all sections of HIST 51, not just my own:

F19 - 18%

F20 - 13.6%

F21 - 19.3%

F22 - 18.2%

F 23 - 13.6%

In order to try to improve outcomes, I decided to:

1. Substantially cut down on the reading required. I replaced all the textbook reading with recorded lectures, documentaries, and podcasts. I also cut 1 of the 3 required novels and replaced it with a movie assignment.
2. Limit the discussion of events in the early modern period and focus more in the past 100 years of history, the relevance of which is more often apparent to general education students.
3. In terms of helping struggling students, I made plans to more actively use the "Message students who...." abilities in Canvas early in the semester, both to praise students who were meeting deadlines and to gently urge those who were not.

Created a Course Map to Demonstrate Alignment

HIST 51 Course Map

I repeatedly returned to this course map as I was choosing documentaries and podcasts to assign and as I was writing and reworking lectures to record, making sure that every activity and assignment tied back to module and course learning objectives.

Professional Development Selected to Strengthen Skills and Knowledge -- Improve Your Online Class

I found this segment of the experience frustrating. Although I think there was valuable material covered in IYOC, much of it mirrored what we were already doing as a Tech4Equity cohort in Fall 2024. Had I only had the IYOC experience to rely on, it would have been more useful. In this case, it was largely redundant, and it had a lot of busy work attached to it.

Course Redesign Process and Experience

I worked in course redesign in two stages once I had my course map nailed down.

- - First, I created the new structure for the class: Modules, Headings, Course Overview Pages (which included MLOs as well as description of the history content), and Wrap Ups.
  - Then, I slowly began adding the new history content. This was a many-months-long process because I was writing lectures, creating PowerPoints, and recording lectures from scratch. I had not given any of these lectures in any format since Covid, and so all involved either substantial revision or starting from scratch. I also spent considerable time finding documentaries and podcasts that are engaging and accessible but also directly linked to my learning objectives.

The feedback I got from my mentor (Debra) during internal review was very helpful in addressing lingering problems (pages with accessibility issues, formatting of my course map, etc.). I passed QM preparatory review quickly and without any problems, and only made minor changes (for example, providing a vendor accessibility statement) before sending it forward for formal review.

Evidence of Online Course Re-Design

*HIST 51* Re-Design
*Change 1 - Provide a clear statement of Weekly Module Learning Objectives*	*Change 2 - Shift from packaged textbook reading and activities for content delivery to more engaging lectures, documentaries, and podcasts.*
New Course Overview Pages In these samples of the course overview page from Week 2 of the semester (pre- and post-revision), in addition to improved formatting and new text, one can see the clear statement in the revised page of Weekly Learning Objectives. Old Week 2 Overview Page (above) New Week 2 Overview Page (above)	Move Away from Textbook (Passive) Reading Virtually all of my lessons changed for HIST 51 to get away from textbook reading and to emphasize more lively and interactive lectures, documentaries, and podcasts for teaching content. Below is an example of a lesson from Week 2 of the semester, using a podcast from the British Museum called "A History of the World in 100 Objects" to teach about how pieces of eight from the Spanish empire became the world's first global currency.

Changes in Course Syllabus and Schedules:

Syllabus

**Faculty Biography**
Your Name	About me:
	Hello HIST 51 Students! I am pleased to introduce myself as your professor for your world history course this semester. I am a full-time faculty member in the Sac State History Department, where I have been teaching since 2003. I am a specialist in modern European history as well as the history of women and feminism all over the world. When I'm not in the archives or in the classroom, I spend lots of time out in nature, hiking and camping. I also love to travel. Recent trips have taken me to Tanzania in Africa, Vancouver Island in Canada, and Portugal and Spain in Europe. I also have lived in France at many different points in my life, and I speak French relatively fluently. I am always happy to answer any questions via email (msiegel@csus.edu).

**Program Sponsors**
	This work was supported by: US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project TECH4Equity US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.