DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 282 491 HE 020 318

AUTHOR Chickering, Arthur W.; Gamson, Zelda F.TITLE Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate

Education.INSTITUTION American Association for Higher Education,

Washington, D.C.SPONS AGENCY Education Commission of the States, Denver, Colo.PUB DATE Mar 87NOTE 6p.PUB TYPE Journal Articles (080) -- Viewpoints (120)JOURNAL CIT AAHE Bulletin; p3-7 Mar 1987

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.*College Instruction; *Educational Principles;Expectation; Feedback; Higher Education;*Instructional Improvement; *Learning Activities;Peer Relationship; *Student Participation; TeacherStudent Relationship; Time on Task; *UndergraduateStudy

ABSTRACTSeven principles that can help to improve

undergraduate education are identified. Based on research on collegeteaching and learning, good practice in undergraduate education: (1)encourages contacts between students and faculty; (2) developsreciprocity and cooveration among students; (3) uses active learningtechniques; (4) gives prompt feedback; (5) emphasizes time on task;(6) communicates high expectations; and (7) respects diverse talentsand ways of learning. Examples of approaches that have been used indifferent kinds of college in the last few years are described. Inaddition, the implications of these principles for the way statesfund and govern higher education and for the way institutions are runare briefly discussed. Examples of good approaches include: freshmanseminars on important topics taught by senior faculty; learninggroups of five to seven students who meet regularly during class tosolve problems set by the instructor; active learning usingstructured exercises, diszussions, team projects, and peer critiques,as well as internships and independent study; and mastery learning,contract learning, and computer-assisted instruction approaches,which required adequate time on learning. (SW)

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SEVEN PRINCIPLESFOR

GOOD PRACTICEIN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

atdrhis document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationonginating it.

0 Minor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality

Points of view or opinions stated In this docu-ment do nOt necessanly represent officialOERI position or policy

by Arthur W. Chickering "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL H BEEN GRANTED BY

and Zelda E Gamson*

Apathetic students, illiterategraduates, incompetentteaching, impersonal cam-pusesso rolls the drum-

fire of criticism of higher education.More than two years of reports havespelled out the problems. States havebeen quick to respond by holding outcarrots and beating with sticks.

There are neither enough carrotsnor enough sticks to improve under-graduate education without the com-mitment and action of students andFaculty members. They are the pre-cious resources on whom theimprovement of undergraduate educa-tion depends.

But how can students and Facultymembers improve undeigiaduate edu-cation? Many campuses around thecourray are asking this question. To

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

provide a focus for their work, weoffer seven principles based onresearch on good teaching and learn-ing in colleges and universities.

Good practice in undergraduateeducation:

1. Encourages contacts between stu-dents and faculty.

2. Develops reciprocity and coopera-tion among students.

3. Uses active learning techniques.4. Gives prompt feedback5. Emphasizes time on task6. Communicates high expectations.7. Respects diverse talents and ways of

learning.

We can do it ourselveswith a littlebit of help ....

*Prepared uith the assistance of Aleuznder W.

Agin, Houard Bowen, Carol M. Boyer, KPatricia Cross, Kemzeth Eble, Russell Edgenon,Jary Gaff, Jaseph Katz C Robert Pace, MartinW. Peterson, and Rithard C Richardson,Jr.

This woriz uas co:sponsored by the Ameri-can Association for Higher Education and the

Education Commission of the State& The John-son Foundation sty:forted the preparation ofearly drafts and a meeting for the authors atWMgvread in Racine, Wisconsin WilliamBowl and Henry Halsted of the Johnson Foun-dation made usefid contributions to thegrotp's deliberations and to revisions.

2MHE BULLETIN/MARCH 1987/3

A FOCUS FOR IMPROVEMENT

These seven principles are notten commandments shrunk to a

twentieth century attention span.They are intended as guidelines forfaculty members, students, andadministratorswith support fromstate agencies and trusteestoimprove teaching and learning. Theseprinciples seem like good commonsense, and they arebecause manyteachers and students have experi-enced them and because researchsupports them. They rest on 50 yearsof research on the way teachers teachand students learn, how studentswork and play with one another, andhow students and faculty talk toeach other.

While each practice can stand onits own, when all are present theireffects multiply. Together, they employsix powerful forces in education:10. ActivityP. CooperationO. Diversity10. Expectations110. Interaction10. Responsibility

Good practices hold as muchmeaning for professional programs asfor tht liberal arts. They work formany different kinds of studentswhite, black, Hispanic, Asian, rich,poor, older, younger, male, female,well-prepared, underprepared.

But the ways different institutionsimplement good practice dependsvery much on their students and theircircumstances. In what follows, wedescribe several different approachesto good practice that have been usedin different kinds of settings in thelast few years. In addition, the power-ful implications of these principlesfor the way states fund and governhigher education and for the wayinstitutions are run are discussedbriefly at the end.

As faculty members, academicadministrators, and srudent personnelstaff, we have spent most of ourworking lives trying to understandour students, our colleagues, ourinstitutions, and ourselves. We haveconducted research on higher educa-tion with dedicated colleagues in a

wide range of schooLs in this countty.We draw the implications of thisresearch for practice, hoping to helpus all do better.

We address the teacher's how, notthe subject-matter what, of good prac-tice in undergraduate education. Werecognize that content and pedagogyinteract in complex ways. We are alsoaware that there is much healthyferment within and among the disci-

What is taught, after all, is atleast as important as how it is taught.In contrast to the long history ofresearch in teaching and learning,there is little research on the collegecurriculum. We cannot, therefore,make responsible recommendationsabout the content of a good under-graduate education. That work is yetto be done.

This much we can say: An under-graduate education should preparesrudents to understand and deal intel-ligently with modern life. What betterplace to start but in the classroomand on our campuses? What bettertime than now?

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACIICE

1. Encourages ContactsBetween Students andFacultyFrequent student-faculty contact inand out of classes is the most impor-tant factor in student motivation andinvolvgittent. Faculty concern helpsstudents get through rough times andkeep on working. Knowing a few fac-ulty members well enhances srudents'intellectual commitment and encour-ages them to think about their ownvalues and future plans.

Some examples: Freshman seminarson important topics, taught by seniorfaculty members, establish an .arlyconnection between students and fac-ulty in many colleges and universities.

In the Saint Joseph's College corecurriculum, facuhy members wholead discussion groups in coursesoutside their fields of specializationmodel for students what it means to

4/AAHE BULLETIN/MARCH 1987

be a learner. In the UndergraduateResearch Opportunities Program atthe Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology, three out of four undergradu-ates have joined three-quarters of thefaculty in recent years as juniorresearch colleagues. At Sinclair Com-munity College, srudents in the Col-lege Without Walls program havepursued studies through learningcontracts. Each student has created a"resource group," which includes afaculty member, a student peer, andtwo "community resource" facultymembers. This group then providessupport and assures quality.

2. Develops Reciprocityand Cooperation AmongStudentsLearning is enhanced when it is morelike a team effort than a solo race.Good learning, like good work, iscollaborative and social, not competi-

3

tive and isolated Working with othersoften increases involvement in learn-ing. Sharing one's own ideas andresponding to others' reactions sharp-ens thinking and deepens under-standing.

Some examples: Even in large lectureclasses, students can learn from oneanother. Learning groups are a com-mon practice. Students are assignedto a group of five to seven other stu-dents, who meet regularly duringclass throughout the term to solveproblems set by the instructor. Manycolleges use peer tutors for srudentswho need special help.

Learning communities are anotht:.popular way of getting students towork together. Students involved inSUNY at Stony BrOok's FederatedLearning Communitits can take sev-eral courses together. The courses,on topics related to a common themelike sdence, technology, and humanvalues, are from different disciplines.

Faculty teaching the courses coordi-nate their activities while anotherfaculty member, called a "masterlearner," takes the courses with thestudent& Under the direction of themaster learner, students run a semi-nar which helps them integrate ideasfrom the separate courses.

3. Uses Active LearningTechniquesLearning is not a spectator sport. Stu-dents do not learn much just by sit-ting in classes listening to teachers,memorizing pre-packaged assign-ments, and spitting out answers. Theymust talk about what they are learn-ing, write about it, relate it to pastexperiences, apply it to their dailylives. They must make what theylearn part of themselves.

Some examples: Active learning isencouraged in classes that use struc-tured exercises, challenging discus-sions, team projects, and peercritiques. Active learning can alsooccur outside the classroom. Thereare thousands of intemships, indepen-dent study, and cooperative job pro-grams across the country in all kindsof colleges and universities, in allkinds of fields, for all kinds of stu-dents. Students also can heIp designand teach courses or parts of courses.At Brown University, facuky membersand students have designed newcourses on contemporary issues anduniversal themes; the students thenhelp the professors as tching assis-tants. At the State University of NewYork at Cortland, beginning studemsin a general chemistry lab haveworked in small groups to design labprocedures rather than repeat pre-structured exercises. At the Universityof Michigan's Residential College,teams of students periodically workwith faculty members on a long-termoriginal research project in the socialscience&

4. Gives Prompt Feedla tckKnowing what you know and don'tImow focuses learning. Students needappropriate feedback on performanceto benefit from courses. When getting

started, students need help in as,sess-ing existing knowledge and compe-tence. In cla&ses, students needfrequent opportunities to performand receive suggestions for improve-ment. At various points during col-lege, and at the end, students needchances to reflect on what they havelearned, what they still need to know,and how to assess themselves.

Some examples: No feedback canoccur without assessment. But asse&s-ment without timely feedback con-tributes little to learning.

Colleges a&sess students as theyenter in order to guide them in plan-ning their stuaits. In addition to thefeedback they receive from courseinstructors, students in many collegesand universities receive counselingperiodically on their progress andfuture plans. At Bronx CommunityCollege, students with poor academicpreparation have been carefullytesAed and given special tutorials toprepare them to take introductorycourses. They are then advised aboutthe introductory courses take,given the level of their aci, 'emicskills.

Adults can receive assessment oftheir work and other life experiencesat many colleges and ur.iversitiesthrough portfolios of their work orthrough standardized tests; these pro-vide the basis for sessions withadvisors.

Alverno College requires that stu-dents develop high levels of perfor-mance in eight general abilities suchas analytic and communication skills.Performance is assessed and then dis-cussed with students at each level foreach ability in a variety of ways andby a variety of assessors.

In writing courses across the coun-try, students are learning, throughdetailed feedback from instructorsand fellow students, to revise andrewrite draf...s. They learn, in the pro-cess, that feedback is central to learn-ing and improving performance.

5. Emphasizes Timeon TaskTime plus energy equals learning.There is no substitute for time on

4

task Learning to use one's time wellis critical for students and profe&sion-als alike. Students need help in learn-ing effective time management.Allocating realistic amounts of timemeans effective learning for studentsand effective teaching for faculty.How an institution defines timeexpectations for students, faculty,administrators, and other profe&sionalstaff can establish the basis for highperformance for all

Some examples: Mastry learning,contract learning, and computerassisted instruction require that stu-dents spend adequate amounts oftime on learning. Extended periodsof preparation for college also givestudents more time on task MatteoRicci College is known for its effortsto guide high school students fromthe ninth grade to a BA in six yearsthrough a curriculum taught jointlyby faculty at Seattle PreparatorySchool and Seattle University. Provid-ing students with opportunities tointegrate their studies into the rest oftheir lives helps them use time well.

Workshops, intensive residentialprograms, combinations of televisedinstruction, correspondence study,and learning centers are all beingused in a variety of institutions, espe-cially those with many part-time stu-dents. Weekend colleges and summerresidential programs, courses offeredat work sites and community centus,clusters of courses on related topicstaught in the same time block, anddouble-credit courses make moretime for learning. At Empire StateCollege, for example, students designdegree programs organized in man-ageable time blocks; students maytake courses at nearby institutions,pursue independent study, or workwith faculty and other students atEmpire State learning centers.

6. Communicates HighExpectationsExpect more and you will get more.High expectations are important foreveryonefor the poorly prepared,for those unwilling to exert them-selves, and for the bright and wellmotivated Expecting students to per-

AAHE BLIIIIIIN/MARCH 1987/5

form well becomes a self-fulfillingprophecy when teachers and institu-tions hold high expectations of them-selves and make extra efforts.

Some examples: In many collegesand universities, students with poorpast records or test scores do extraor-dinaty work Sometimes they outper-form students with good preparation.The University of Wisconsin-Parksidehas communicated high expectationsfor underprepared high school stu-dents by bringing them to the univer-sity for workshops in academicsubjeccs, study skills, test taking, andtime management. In order to rein-force high expectations, the programinvolves parents and high schoolcounselors.

The University of California, Berke-ley introduced an honors program inthe sciences for underpreparedminority students; a growing numberof community colleges are establish-ing general honors programs forminorities. Special programs likethese help. But most important arethe day-to-day, week-in and week-outexpectations students and faculty holdfor themselves and for each other inall their classes.

7. Respects DiverseTalents and Ways ofLearningThere are many roads to learning.People bring different talents andstyles of learning to college. Brilliantstudents in the seminar room may beali thumbs in the lab or art studio.Students rich in hands-on experiencemay not do so well with theory. Stu-dents need the opportunity to showtheir talents and leirn in ways thatwork for them. Then they can bepushed to learning in new ways thatdo not come so easily.

Some examples: Individualizeddegree programs recognize differentinterests. Personalized systems ofinstruction and mastery learning letstudents work at their own pace. Con-tract learning helps students definetheir own objectives, determine theirleiming activities, and define thecriteria and methods of evaluation. At

the College of Public and CommunityService, a college for older workingadults at the University of Massachu-setts-Boston, incoming students havetaken an orientation course thatencourages them to reflect on theirlearning styles. Rocldand CommunityCollege has offered a life-career-educational planned course. At theUniversity of California, Irvine, intro-

ductory phrics students may choosebetween a lecture-and-textbookcourse, a computer-based version ofthe lecture-and-textbook course, or acomputer-based course based onnotes developed by the faculty thatallow students to program the com-puter. In both computer-basedcourses, students work on their ownand must pass mastery exams.

WHOSE RESPONSIBILITYIS IT?

Teachers and students hold themain responsibility for improvingundergraduate education. But theyneed a lot of help. College and uni-versity leaders, state and federal offi-cials, and accrediting associationshave the power to Alpe an environ-ment that is favorable to good prac-tice in higher education.

Wilat qualities must this environ-ment have?110. A strong sense of sharedpurposes.Pl. Concrete support from adminis-trators and faculty leaders for thosepurposes.

110. Adequate funding appropriate forthe purposes.110. Policies and procedures consist-ent with the purposes.PP Continuing examination of howwell the purposes are being achieved.

There is good evidence that suchan environment can be created.`Then this happens, faculty membersand administrators think of them-selves as eduotors. Adequateresources are put into creatingopportunities for faculty members,administrators, and students to cele-brate and reflect on their shared pur-poses. Faculty members receivesupport and telease time for appro-priate professional developmentactivities. Criteria for hiring and pro-moting faculty members, administra-tors, and staff support the institution'spurposes. Advising is consideredimportant. Departments, programs,and classes are small enough to allowfaculty members and students to havea sense of community, to experience

the value of their contributions, andto confront the consequences of their

State;, the federal government, andaccrediting associations affect thekind of environment that can developon campuses in a variety of ways. Themost important is through the alloca-tion of financial support. States alsoinfluence good practice by encourag-ing sound planning, setting priorities,mandating standards, and reviewingand approving programs. Regionaland professional accrediting associa-tions require self-study and peerreview in making their judgmentsabout programs and institutions.

These souices of support and influ-ence can encourage environments forgood practice in undergraduate edu-cation by:

IP. Setting policies that are consistentwith good practice in undergraduateeducation.110. Holding high expectations forinstitutional performance.Pr. Keeping bureaucratic regulationsto a minimum that is compatible withpublic accountability.111. Allocating adequate funds for newundergraduate programs and theprofessional development of facultymembers, administrators, and staff.IP. Encouraging employment ofunder-represented groups amongadministrators, faculty members, andstudent services professionals.No Providing the support for pro-grams, facilities, and financial aid nec-essary for good practice in under-graduate education.

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