Seven Principles at WPI: Technology as a Lever Principle Six: Good Practice Communicates High Expectations
February 5, 2007
In 1987, Chickering and Gamson first published their “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” In 1996, Chickering and Erhmann published a follow-up to this original essay taking into consideration the new and innovative technologies available at that time that would enable the implementation of these principles in the classroom entitled “Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever.”
In this month's and next month's newsletters, we will explore ways faculty at WPI can implement the remaining seven principles into their undergraduate and graduate courses using many of the technologies and resources supported by the Academic Technology Center.
Last month, we explored the fifth principle, “Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task.” This month, we explore the sixth principle, “Good Practice Communicates High Expectations.”
Chickering and Ehrmann wrote: "Expect more and you will get it. High expectations are important for everyone — for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and for the bright and well motivated. Expecting students to perform well becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy” (1996). WPI faculty can take advantage of many technologies to not only communicate their high expectations to their students, but also motivate their students to achieve.
For ideas and tips on using technology to communicate course expectations, visit the following:
- Use myWPI to publish exemplary student work. Knowing that their hard work will be published to the rest of their classmates drives students to want to achieve higher standards.
- Use myWPI to provide examples of past student projects. Having examples of past projects available with suggestions as to why these projects did or did not meet your expectations will help students in preparing their own projects.
- Use rubrics to communicate your high standards prior to an assignment/project being due.
- Develop a learning contract that identifies what students will learn, how they will learn it, and how they will be assessed.
Next month we will explore the seventh principle, “Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning.”
References
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7.