scholarly journals “Is This Class Hard?” Defining and Analyzing Academic Rigor from a Learner’s Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. ar59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Wyse ◽  
Paula A. G. Soneral
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Academic Rigor ◽  
Faculty Support ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Course Work ◽  
High Workload ◽  
Education Academic ◽  
Active Pedagogy

Despite its value in higher education, academic rigor is a challenging construct to define for instructor and students alike. How do students perceive academic rigor in their biology course work? Using qualitative surveys, we asked students to identify “easy” or “hard” courses and define which aspects of these learning experiences contributed to their perceptions of academic rigor. The 100-level students defined hard courses primarily in affective terms, responding to stressors such as fast pacing, high workload, unclear relevance to their life or careers, and low faculty support. In contrast, 300-level students identified cognitive complexity as a contributor to course rigor, but course design elements—alignment between instruction and assessments, faculty support, active pedagogy—contributed to the ease of the learning process. Overwhelmingly, all students identified high faculty support, learner-centered course design, adequate prior knowledge, and active, well-scaffolded pedagogy as significant contributors to a course feeling easy. Active-learning courses in this study were identified as both easy and hard for the very reasons they are effective: they simultaneously challenge and support student learning. Implications for the design and instruction of rigorous active-learning college biology experiences are discussed.

Reconsidering Academic Rigor: Posing and Supporting Rigorous Course Practices at Two Research Institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-42
Author(s):  
Corbin M. Campbell ◽  
Deniece Dortch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Academic Rigor ◽  
Responsive Teaching ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Urban Institution

Background/Context U.S. institutions of higher education have been criticized for providing limited learning gains and lacking rigor. Most understandings of academic rigor in higher education focus on how rigor manifests in students in terms of amount of work or approach to learning. Purpose/Objective This study examines rigor as posed by course practices. We define rigorous course practices as teaching practices and coursework that challenge learners to sustain a deep connection to the subject matter and to think in increasingly complex ways about the course content and its applications. The study sought to further the discourse on college academic rigor by describing rigor in coursework at two selective research institutions and examining which course contexts and teaching practices were associated with higher levels of rigor. Setting We studied two highly ranked, highly residential, selective, very highly research-oriented institutions on the East Coast of the United States: a mid-sized (< 5,000 undergraduates) private, urban institution and a large (∼15,000 undergraduates) public institution. Population/Participants We sampled 400 courses at each institution. Of the faculty who taught these courses, 31.4% agreed to participate. We conducted 150 class observations: 99 at Site 1 and 51 at Site 2. Research Design This study used a quantitative observational protocol. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected during a week-long site visit, with observers using a structured rubric. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and OLS regression in blocks, partitioning the variance in academic rigor that can be explained by course characteristics (e.g., class size and discipline) and teaching practices (active learning, cognitively responsive teaching). Findings/Results Most courses in our sample focused on applying, and 85% of the courses achieved a higher-order level of cognitive complexity (analyzing, evaluating, or creating) at some point during the class session. Active learning and cognitively responsive teaching practices were associated with higher cognitive complexity and greater standards and expectations in the courses. Conclusions/Recommendations The discourse on academic rigor in higher education warrants further scrutiny and, could be balanced by studies that provide greater depth in the educational practices in classrooms. This study suggests that institutions and faculty may have a significant role in scaffolding rigor. Academic rigor is not simply about having bright, dedicated, and hard-working students but is also determined by classroom environments and processes that can be cultivated.

scholarly journals Creating blended learning experiences requires more than digital skills

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Bettina Kathrin Schwenger
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Digital Literacies ◽  
Tertiary Institutions

With growing diversity and larger numbers of enrolled students in classes, online learning can open up new possibilities in New Zealand’s tertiary institutions to improve teaching and enhance students’ learning. Tertiary institutions have reacted with changed expectations about pedagogical approaches and practices, by, for example, integrating more online learning technologies, and by reconsidering the course design and learning environment (Conole, 2016; Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada & Freeman, 2015). Consequently, teachers increasingly teach online as part of a course and need to engage large number of students with a broad range of skills and knowledge, including many who are first in their family to learn formally at tertiary level.   Teachers may work with certain areas of online technologies and digital literacies, for example deposit information online for students to read, but they often do not feel confident to facilitate active learning (Ako & Synapsys, 2018; Boelens, de Wever & Voet, 2017) and to offer tasks that aim to engage students collaboratively online. Kirkwood (2014) points out that teachers question how an online tool can be used but may consider less the rationale for the use of a certain pedagogical strategy for which a tool could be used. Digital literacies are more than gaining isolated technological skills (Johnson et al., 2015) as this presentation will share, based on the findings of a collaboration with two teachers in a first-year undergraduate course in Education. In the presentation, we will discuss recommendations for sustainable teacher development that enable blended learning design with opportunities for students to actively create instead of consuming information and that is likely to enhance their experiences of blended learning. The recommendations include underpinning skills and areas such as supporting learning for Māori and non-Māori students by using online affordances for pedagogical practices to, for example, integrate formative feedback, self-assessment, foster active learning online and independent learning.   References   Ako Aotearoa & Synapsys (2018). Technology in learning: Benchmarking and developing sector capability. Wellington, New Zealand: Ako Aotearoa Boelens, R., De Wever, B., & Voet, M. (2017). Four key challenges to the design of blended learning: A systematic literature review. Educational Research Review, 22, 1–18. doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2017.06.001 Conole, G. (2016). Theoretical underpinnings of learning design. In J. Dalziel (Ed.), Learning design: Conceptualizing a framework for teaching and learning online (pp. 42–62). New York, NY: Routledge. Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon report: 2015 Higher education edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from https://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-horizon-report-2015-higher-education-edition/ Kirkwood, A. (2014). Teaching and learning with technology in higher education: Blended and distance education needs ‘joined-up thinking’ rather than technological determinism. Open Learning, 29(3), 206–221.

scholarly journals Are the Sequential Interactive Effects of Two Active Learning Strategies Synergistic? The Use of the Socratic Method of Questioning and Ability Based Learning Techniques to Enhance Student Learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
La Shun L. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Gainful Employment ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Active Learning Strategies ◽  
Enhance Student Learning

If students do not fully apply themselves, then they may be considered responsible for the result of being inadequately prepared. +- Nevertheless, student outcomes are more likely to reflect a combination of both effort and systematic problems with overall course architecture. Deficiencies in course design result in inadequate preparation that adversely and directly impacts students&rsquo; productivity upon entering the workforce.&nbsp; Such an impact negatively influences students' ability to maintain gainful employment and provide for their families, which inevitably contributes to the development of issues concerning their psychological well-being.&nbsp; It is well-documented that incorporating active learning strategies in course design and delivery can enhance student learning outcomes. &nbsp;Despite the benefit of implementing active learning techniques, rarely in the real world will it be possible for techniques to be used in isolation of one another.&nbsp; Therefore, the purpose of this proposed study is to determine the interactive effects of two active learning strategies because, at a minimum, technique-pairs more accurately represent the application of active learning in the natural educational setting.&nbsp; There is a paucity of evidence in the literature directed toward investigating the interactive effects of multiple active learning techniques that this study is aimed at filling.&nbsp; The significance of this research is that, by determining the interactive effects of paired active learning strategies, other research studies on the beneficial effects of using particular active learning technique-pairs will be documented contributing to the literature so that ultimately classroom instruction may be customized according to the determination of optimal sequencing of strategy-pairs for particular courses, subjects, and desired outcomes that maximize student learning.

scholarly journals Using project-based learning to teach project-based learning: lessons learned ,

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Alberto Arantes do Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Project Design ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
The University

Abstract This article reports the lessons learned using a project-based learning (PBL) approach for teaching the project-based learning methodology itself. This study was conducted with 33 graduate students from the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. This paper explains the course goals, design, and curriculum. Data were collected by means of focus group activities, electronic surveys, and students’ project websites, and analyzed to determine recurrent themes. The main findings were the following: (1) The course design, which followed the seven essential project design elements proposed by Larmer, Mergendoller, and Boss (2015), was very effective; (2) Centering learning around a meaningful project – the creation of a book about PBL experience – motivated students to do their best. However, the hard work came at a price: students reported experiencing fatigue and stress; and (3) The learning dynamics provided students with the experience of combining theory and practice, interviewing subjects, reflecting about the learning process, and sharing knowledge.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Course Design for Active Learning: Evaluation of a Blended Learning Approach to Enable Academic Faculty Development

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Olugbenga King
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research University ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Learning Technology

This article describes two blended learning (technology-rich) professional development workshops on course design for active learning to enable faculty development at a research university in the Southeastern United States. Specifically, the workshops were designed to address gaps in the international academic development literature, and so this article highlights one way to address related requirements, such as the need for systematic evaluation, provision of thick descriptions of academic development practices, and evaluation of the effect of different learning environments (physical classroom spaces) on teaching and learning outcomes. Hence, the workshops model evidence-based approaches for designing faculty development, including the systematic alignment of the workshops’ goals with qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the workshops’ effectiveness.

scholarly journals Active Tasks to Change the Use of Class Time within an Outcomes Based Approach to Curriculum Design

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Diane Salter ◽  
◽  
Marco Y.C. Pang ◽  
Piyush Sharma ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Learning Tasks

This paper describes how new roles for instructors and learners can be integrated into course design and delivery by rethinking course design as part of a process-based staff development program. The goal of incorporating online learning tasks was to engage students with course resources prior to class time through active learning. The staff development program guided faculty to consider ways to ‘rethink’ the use of student and teacher time to engage students in learning tasks to prepare for class time. In this way, students were able to use class time for active discussion rather than listening to a traditional lecture in the classroom. This paper reports on the overall results of this project and provides specific suggestions on how teachers can consider technology options within an outcomes-based approach to curriculum design.

Expanding Learning Opportunities for Graduate Students with HyFlex Course Design

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariam Mouse Matta Abdelmalak ◽  
Julia Lynn Parra
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Adult Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Student Attendance ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Class Meetings

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perspectives regarding HyFlex course design. The main feature of HyFlex is blending synchronous online student attendance and face-to-face student attendance (hybrid) in a single course and allowing students to choose when and how they attend (flexible). The course in this study implemented HyFlex principles to expand learning opportunities of adult graduate students in a higher education setting. The data collection sources included interviews of six graduate students, class observations, recordings of class meetings, students' course work, and relevant online course artifacts. Results indicated that participants perceived HyFlex to be a good way to accommodate student needs and their life circumstances, increase student access to course content and instruction, differentiate instruction to meet adult students' different learning styles and strategies, and give students a sense of control over their learning.

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