scholarly journals Understanding the University and Faculty Investment in Implementing High-Impact Educational Practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison White

A variety of assessment options utilizing high-impact educational practices have emerged to assist faculty in higher education with college student learning outcomes. High-impact practices are defined as teaching and learning designs which have been demonstrated to increase student engagement and persistence. Practices such as first-year seminars, tech-rich learning communities, collaborative projects, undergrad research, global/diversity learning, service learning, practicums, and internships are educational tools making it possible to assess the practices’ contribution to students’ cumulative learning. However, utilization of these practices is unsystematic due in part to the required investment of time, training, and money. This paper describes high-impact practices that support course and program level learning outcomes in conjunction with the investments for implementation. Exploration into why these types of practices are effective and which students have access to them emphasizes the need for this investment to meet accreditation standards and the mandates of our government’s “completion agenda” geared towards preparing America’s future workforce.

2012 ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Divjak

Learning outcomes are considered to be a key tool for student-centered teaching and learning. They can be successfully implemented in teaching and learning mathematics on higher educational level and together with appropriate level of technology enhanced learning can provide the framework for successful learning process even for students that have not been primarily interested in mathematics. The aim is to present the case study of implementation of learning outcomes and e-learning in several mathematical courses at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics of the University of Zagreb. First of all, there are examples of mathematical courses in the first year since the first study year is crucial for retaining students. Further, there are mathematical courses taught at higher years of undergraduate study and the first year of graduate study. Again, educational process is appropriately supported by ICT and executed through blended e-learning, as well as the use of social software.


Author(s):  
Hisham Saad Zaghloul ◽  
Jehan Abd-Alwahab Alandejani ◽  
Yousef Khader Sanajlawe

Although first-year seminars and experiences have been widely considered as a high-impact educational practice, which is used to enhance academic performance, retention, and acquisition of critical 21st Century outcomes, first-year seminars and experiences tend to be loosely defined and assessed in prior studies to highlight its importance in improving the education process as a whole; therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of highimpact educational practices (HIEPs) in preparatory years in Saudi Arabia and international universities, then proposing a plan for efficiently implementing HIEPs in higher education institutions. To achieve that, case-based analysis and the survey analysis method were used wherein qualitative examination of practices in University of California and Indiana University and quantitative assessment of (130) faculty members and students’ perception of Northern Border University was conducted. Case analysis revealed that international universities implement practices suited for their institution and not the stated one i.e., Health Professional Advising Center, undergraduate research programs, or Capital academic internship program in University California, while undergraduate research, service-learning practices, or learning community in Indiana University. Survey analysis on the other hand stated that consisting of the above (20_ years respondents, implementation of core competencies and HIEPs helps in exploring relevant issues and controversies, linking of knowledge and skills, and better students and faculty bond which raise teaching and learning experience. Results revealed that core competencies and HIEPs have a significant influence on the teaching and learning outcomes. As result, an efficient implementation the plan is proposed to activate HIEPs and core competencies in the preparatory year at Saudi universities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-279
Author(s):  
Heather Smith ◽  
Tracy Summerville

AbstractOver the last 20 years of our careers, we have witnessed a significant decline in the respect for the liberal arts and social sciences. This decline forces us to regularly respond to questions about the relevance, value and future of our discipline. We know that political science provides fundamental skills for our students to succeed in the 21st century. Yet we also believe that as teachers and scholars we can do a better job of connecting to the realities of our students, articulating the skills and attitudes that our students will develop, and adapting our teaching methods to include high impact practices (Kuh, 2008) that focus on student learning. Here we argue that there are four important conversations that we need to have that can strengthen the appeal and interest in our discipline: the articulation of learning outcomes, the inclusion of high impact practices, attention to information literacy that recognizes the significant change in the delivery and access of research materials and a deep integration of indigenous ways of knowing in our teaching.


Author(s):  
Krista M. Soria ◽  
Shane M. Lueck

The purpose of this chapter was to investigate whether international students' participation in high-impact educational practices was associated with students' development of academic skills and academic engagement. Data from a multi-institutional survey of international students enrolled at 13 large, public research universities in 2013 were analyzed utilizing hierarchical multiple regression. Results suggest that participation in first-year seminars, learning communities, service-learning and community engagement, and common book reading programs are positively associated with international students' academic engagement and academic skills development. Enrollment in diversity-related courses was also associated with students' academic skills development while engagement in creative forms of scholarship was positively associated with academic engagement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3049-3072
Author(s):  
Lori Simons ◽  
Charlotte Marshall ◽  
Nancy Blank ◽  
Natalie Weaver

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 4-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Savage ◽  
◽  
Jillian Healy ◽  

In Australia, a significant number of students enrol in first-year university biology without the benefit of high school biology. In order to help students support each other, the authors of this paper (a central unit academic developer and a biology coordinator of first-year biology) created a classroom activity that facilitated the distribution of the more experienced students of biology throughout the practical work groups. An important feature of this creative design for forming groups, called the GLO Activity in this paper, was the embedding of two of the University’s key teaching and learning priorities within the activity. These were the University’s eight graduate learning outcomes (GLOs) and, inclusive education practice. We discuss creative pedagogies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and their link to supporting students in their first year of university study. We explain our scholarly thinking behind the GLO Activity and evaluate its impact. Finally, we reflect on how we, the educators, found satisfaction in thinking deeply to create a new learning structure for a biology practical class that solved one teaching challenge but also met a number of the University’s curriculum principles.


Author(s):  
Lucía Herrera Torres ◽  
Laila Mohamed Mohand

Abstract.The university is known for its complexity and continuous change. Junior faculty should be incorporated and adjusted to the university structure and functioning. In addition, they have to implement a set of teaching competencies to promote an effective process of teaching and learning, and the student achievement of specific learning outcomes. For this reason, this paper advocates the need to implement mentoring programs between senior and junior faculty as a process that involves learning, support and mutual enrichment. Thus, two mentoring projects developed at the University of Granada are described. It is shown to be effective in strengthening efforts towards faculty achieving goals and its well-being.Keywords: higher education, faculty, mentorship, teaching competenciesResumen.La institución universitaria se caracteriza por su complejidad y continuo cambio. El profesorado universitario junior ha de incorporarse y ajustarse a la estructura y funcionamiento de la universidad, a lo que se suma que ha de poner en práctica una serie de competencias docentes para favorecer un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje eficaz y la consecución de determinados resultados de aprendizaje en el alumnado. Es por ello por lo que en el presente trabajo se defiende la necesidad de implementar programas de mentorizacion entre el profesorado senior y junior como un proceso que implica el aprendizaje, apoyo y enriquecimiento mutuo. En este sentido, se describen dos proyectos de mentorización desarrollados en la universidad de Granada. Se pone de manifiesto su eficacia para fortalecer los esfuerzos dirigidos hacia la consecución de una meta y el bienestar del profesorado.Palabras clave: educación superior, profesorado, mentorización, competencias docentes


Author(s):  
Niki Weller ◽  
Julie Saam

Experiential-learning provides opportunities for students that feature a variety of high-impact practices including first-year seminars, internships, community learning, collaborative projects, and capstone seminars. To offer these high-impact practices for students, faculty from across disciplines and majors must be willing to incorporate these opportunities within their courses and degrees. Indiana University Kokomo has offered two successful programs to support these high-impact practices. One program, the Kokomo Experience and You (KEY), supports faculty in the development and implementation of events and activities to support student learning. The other, the Student Success Academy Faculty Fellows Program, provided faculty members the opportunity to examine research and concepts so that they can better promote student success in their classrooms. Building on the success of these two programs, a third initiative, the Experiential Learning Academy (ELA), was launched in 2018, funded by a Reimagining the First Years mini-grant from AASCU.


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