Center for Teaching and Learning
Brandeis’ distinctive leadership role in higher education requires that we apply the principles of access and social justice upon which Brandeis was founded in the present educational context that is partially or completely online.
Members of our Brandeis teaching community can provide equitable opportunities for all our students to engage by adopting evidence-based practices that reduce equity gaps in a partially or completely online educational context.
Ablesar, J. and Moore, C. (2018). Universal Design for Learning and Digital Accessibility: Compatible Partners or a Conflicted Marriage? Educause Review.
Universal design for learning (UDL) and digital accessibility both seek to increase learning access and reduce barriers for students. As such, their primary goals are compatible and are widely acknowledged as crucial to ensuring equity in education.
Ambrose, S.A., Bridges, M.W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M.C., & Norman, M.K. (2010). The Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series. How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. Jossey-Bass. (ch. 5, Feedback; Appdx E)
Uncover and connect to students’ prior understanding/knowledge.
Structure students’ learning in a sequence: lesson followed by application followed by feedback followed by revision.
Incorporate small tests/quizzes/activities where students frequently retrieve and review knowledge.
Scaffold into a sequence of activities the learning exercises to help students develop not only the component skills and knowledge necessary to perform complex tasks, they must also practice combining and integrating them to develop greater fluency.
Explain the value of each learning activity before students engage in it.
Students’ motivation and persistence depends upon their clear recognition of the value of each learning activity, their awareness of what and how they are learning, their understanding of how to usefully apply their learning.
Teach students to regularly monitor and adjust their approaches to learning.
Anderson, L, Krathwohl, D. (2000). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. [Bloom. B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: David McKay.]
Structure students’ learning to build their intellectual skills in a sequence. Include lower-order learning opportunities (understand, analyze, synthesize) as well as higher-order learning (evaluate, create).
Babb, S. ; Stewart, C. ; Johnson, R. (2018). Applying the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education to blended learning environments. Online Course Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, Vol. 3, pp.1102-1124. [Chickering, Arthur W.; Gamson, Zelda F. Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. AAHE Journal (March 1987): 3-7.]
… these principles have been repeatedly tested in online and traditional courses, and shown to be effective at meeting learning outcomes. In order to apply the seven principles to hybrid courses, instructors should: 1) encourage contact and communication between themselves and the students; 2) provide multiple opportunities for interactions between students; 3) create well-designed student-presented projects and assignments that require participation, engagement, and feedback; 4) provide prompt feedback on both assignments and inquiries; 5) establish both deadlines and expectations for time spent on learning assessments; 6) communicate high expectations for the course through a well-designed syllabus, challenging assignments, and praise for excellent performance; and 7) allow students autonomy in assignment topics.