In 2004, on a quest to make learning better in large enrollment undergraduate courses, the UNT Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Course Redesign embarked upon a bold journey to transform the student learning experience. The tagline – “making bigger classes better.” The journey began as the Blended Learning Project with a group of faculty who showed a strong desire to transform the learning experience in their courses by designing, applying, and assessing innovative instructional techniques.

Since then, the program has achieved national recognition for its engagement of faculty in transforming the student learning experience. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) cited NextGen outcomes-based approach to measuring learning outcomes as an exemplary model for other universities to follow. To date, UNT has created more than 400 NextGen sections to meet the needs of over 30,000 students in a variety of disciplines. Further, NextGen is no longer limited to large enrollment courses and face-to-face courses, but now consists of a range of undergraduate courses across size, medium, and discipline. Regardless of these changes, the primary mission of the NextGen Course Redesign Program remains true to its beginnings:

To improve student learning in order to meet UNT's bold goal to provide the best undergraduate educational experience in Texas by providing faculty development and training in course design based on the NextGen model of course redesign.

As we enter our ninth year with a growing team of quality instructors continuing to teach and create more courses, NextGen is doing its part to meet UNT’s goal of providing the best undergraduate educational experience in Texas.

For a list of former and current NextGen courses and participants, click here.

For an overview of the NextGen program, click here.