Academic Rigor in the Classroom

1. Academic Rigor in the Classroom

2. Objectives • Assess our current understanding of rigor in the classroom • Develop a set of best mgt practices for promoting academic excellence through rigor in the classroom • Develop strategies for establishing institutional goals for academic excellence and for documenting progress toward these goals

3. Assess our current understanding of rigor in the classroom

4. Rigor - students Assists students in fulfilling predetermined outcomes and competencies by challenging them with high expectations. Essential components for rigor in the classroom: • Content acquisition • Critical thinking • Relevance • Integration • Ability to apply concepts • Long term retention • Responsibility

5. Rigor - faculty • Demanding • Relevant • Engaging • Addressing different learning styles • Self-challenge • Adaptability

6. Develop a set of best mgt practices for promoting academic excellence through rigor in the classroom

7. Best Mgt Practices - students • Writing (journals, varied levels of writing, writing across the curriculum, etc.) • Problem-solving (case studies, group activities, essay exams, etc.) • Oral communication (debates w/expert judges, summary presentations, role playing) • Reading/comprehension (reading and analyzing – ie. in-class discussion, quizzes, summaries, etc) • Collaborative group projects

8. Best Mgt Practices - students • Research (quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, data report, and literature review) • Directed study (with faculty) • Socratic method/interactive discussion • Knowing your students (contact, interaction, praise, showing interest, meeting w/students) • Balanced diversity of methods

9. BMP - faculty • Providing a detailed, clear syllabus with faculty and student objectives; grading rubric, calendar, etc. • Class size - use technology to enhance efficiency of content delivery, engage students, don’t let tech drive faculty • Advance organizers • Technology – talking head projection for large classrooms, clickers • Increase CTL support to faculty • In-class small group discussion and report findings (think-pair-share)

10. BMP - Assessment • Low stakes evaluation • Relevant evaluation • Evaluation of assigned material • Feedback – rapid • More TA support

11. Develop strategies for establishing institutional goals for academic excellence and for documenting progress toward these goals

12. Measuring outcomes (departmental level) - portfolio • Tracking graduates – employer satisfaction, # of students taking GRE and their performance, alumni surveys, certification (professional) • % of graduates accepted into graduate school and professional programs • Peer evaluation of teaching • +/- grading system

13. BMP – Administration • Software to detect plagiarism • Greater commitment to tenure and tenure track faculty • Greater committment to endowed professorships • Shortening the withdrawal period

14. Review • Assessed our current understanding of rigor in the classroom • Developed a set of best mgt practices for promoting academic excellence through rigor in the classroom • Developed strategies for establishing institutional goals for academic excellence and for documenting progress toward these goals

15. The Team • Woody Beck • Keith Herist • Nelson Hilton • John Neiman • Maria Navarro • Naomi Norman • Marisa Pagnattaro • Yoo-Kyong Seock • Maurits van der Veen • Margaret Quesada • Todd Rasmussen • Ron Walcott • Dennis Duncan