Transparency in a University Introductory Course Made Simple: A Bonus for Students and Professors

Introduction

The importance of student success has been emphasized in higher education for decades. There is a disconnect between how students define “success” and how educators define success. The definition of student success varies, but many definitions include the successful completion of course criteria to advance toward a desired academic credential, and this view on student success is a “completion” perspective (Nazerian 2018). Higher Education institutions with funding tied to student success completion metrics rely on the completion data to inform policies and procedures. Some have argued that a more holistic approach should be considered when defining student success framework including personal satisfaction, job placement, civic and life skills, social and economic well-being, and commitment to lifelong learning (Higher Learning Commission, 2018).

For professors, having students exit a class with a new skill set is the objective. If the student acquires the skill being taught, then the teaching of the skill set is labeled as successful. How do educators communicate the importance of an assignment as it relates to skill acquisition, particularly those skills which are valued by employers? As professors, clarifying the task or the skill that the students need to acquire, as well as the purpose of the assignment, and the criteria upon which the student will be assessed in the completion of the assignment can be daunting (Berrett, 2015). In fact, it may be one of the more challenging aspects of student-focused learning.

Students can feel overwhelmed when handed an assignment with nomenclature they do not understand due to a lack of exposure to academia. They may not understand the basic aspects of academic language including how to address instructors, professors, graduate teaching assistants, Deans, Provosts, or the University President. They may not have experience using academic tools, such as the syllabus, software programs, online content, and/or assigned textbooks in the classroom. Unfortunately, new student orientation often does not cover these topics. The acquisition of academic language and knowledge can also conflict with the students' cultural identities, whereby the students may feel that they are being “forced” to write in a way that does not reflect their learning prior to college.

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) can assist the student as well as educators in acquiring needed academic knowledge. Transparency is a key component to alleviate the frustration. As instructional strategies in higher education continue to evolve, the focus on equitable student learning emerges and techniques that consider the student learning process are paramount. Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) is an initiative to provide clear and concise instructions for assignments including the purpose of the work, the tasks required, and the assessment criteria (Winkelmes et.al., 2019). TILT has gained broad interest due to the relative ease of implementation. When evaluating the implementation obstacles of an instructional strategy, it is important to weigh the value of the implementation against the perceived complexity. Considering the value-complexity matrix, it is evident that the ease with which assignments can be TILTed in relation to the improvements in student success makes TILT an instructional imperative.

Lave and Wenger are theorists and practitioners in situated learning, a community of practice, and adult learning principles (1991). Lave and Wenger Lave and Wenger provide an understanding of the need for transparent academic expectations through the legitimate peripheral participation framework, which asserts that the mastery of skills requires novices to become experienced members of a community through the acquisition of knowledge (1991). They further note that the context of learning is often unintentional and impacted by culture and external factors (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Further, a person’s precognitive understanding of the learning process and the relevance and meaning of learning are imperative components of the acquisition of knowledge (Lave & Wenger, 1991). This holistic approach to the learning process places careful consideration on the why and how questions that often are overlooked but serve as useful precursors to the learning experience.