Academic Rigor in the Classroom

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Academic Rigor in the Classroom

• Dennis Duncan
• University of Georgia

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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

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Assess our current understanding of rigor in the
classroom
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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

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Rigor - faculty

• Demanding
• Relevant
• Engaging
• Addressing different learning styles
• Self-challenge
• Adaptability

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

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Best Mgt Practices - students

• Directed study (with faculty)
• Socratic method/interactive discussion
• Knowing your students (contact, interaction,
  praise, showing interest, meeting w/students)
• Balanced diversity of methods

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BMP - Assessment

• Low stakes evaluation
• Relevant evaluation
• Evaluation of assigned material
• Feedback rapid

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