Dear ECPs,

There has been a growing trend in higher ed to increase transparency and equity in our courses. The term has already started, but what are some things that I can do now to improve transparency in my courses?

Sincerely,

Overwhelmed, but Want to Make a Difference

What a great question. If you made it to ACT this year, the ECP committee gave a workshop to address some of these issues. But for those who missed it, here is a snapshot of the different ways we can increase transparency and equity by making small changes to our existing syllabi and assignments! Here are three of the major ideas or frameworks that are big right now.

First, is the TILT model, or Transparency in Teaching and Learning. The principle of TILT is to provide students with context for the WHY and HOW of their learning experiences. When writing assignments, the TILT model suggests formatting your instructions to include a discussion of the purpose of the assignment, what the task for the assignment is, and the criteria for grading. The PURPOSE of the assignment can include skills practiced, knowledge gained, relevance to other course components, and long-term relevance to students’ lives. The TASK part is the traditional instructions for an assignment but should also describe how students should complete the requirements (actions to do or avoid). In the CRITERIA section, providing a clear rubric, checklist, and examples to clarify what the end product should look like and how it will be assessed. The main idea of TILT is to learn to see your course assignments and syllabus from the perspective of the student. While you can’t necessarily apply the PURPOSE-TASK-CRITERIA formatting to a syllabus, you can still apply the goals of TILT to your syllabi. For example, provide transparency by providing context to course policies, use student-friendly language, explain how different components of the course work together, and add links and resources your students might benefit from. Using a question-based syllabus is one way to help point students to the right places within the syllabus to find what they need to know.

Second, is the IDEA framework, or a focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. By understanding IDEA concepts, you create a better environment for students to feel as though they belong which facilitates their learning. When crafting your syllabi consider policies that are family-friendly, schedules that consider non-Christian religious holidays (e.g., Diwali, Ramadan), opportunities for communication, readings from diverse researchers, and balancing course assignments to assess different strengths. For example, the Hindu festival of Diwali is normally in October or November each year. Check the date and adjust your schedule to allow appropriate time for students to observe the festival. When assigning readings, consider the author's background and when possible, provide readings from under-represented groups, then briefly share appropriate context when introducing the readings in class. A key resource for implementing IDEA in syllabi can be found here.

Third, is the emphasis on the skills students gain in our courses. The Skillful Psychology Student (APA) is a great resource for identifying the skills psychology students get across our curriculums. You can add an area in your syllabus to acknowledge these skills and discuss how your particular course content and/or assignments contribute to these skills. This section of the syllabus should also encourage students to incorporate these skills into their resumes. You can similarly explicitly identify the skills learned or developed with individual assignments. This provides students with the opportunity to use their coursework as examples they can refer to in interviews, on resumes, or in a portfolio. A course wrap-up assignment can be used allowing students to reflect on the skills they gained during the term and how those skills were refined. By highlighting the skills students are learning in our classes, we are making the relevancy of the courses to future careers clear, which can improve student motivation.

These frameworks have separate focuses, but ultimately the goals are the same, to provide students with a clear understanding of what they are getting out of our classes and a sense of ownership and belonging in their education. While a complete overhaul of a course can better allow us to do this for our students, we can make small changes now to our syllabi and assignments to acknowledge students’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and goals.

Find out more by checking out our resources from this Workshop.

Your STP Early Career Psychologists Committee:

Dina Gohar, Ph.D.

Courtney Gosnell, Ph.D.

Ciara Kidder, Ph.D.

Vishal Thakkar, Ph.D.

Amanda Woodward, Ph.D.