The Good Practices of Teaching

Some things endure over time, and the good practices of teaching are one of those things. The nature of human beings is social, and so is the essence of these Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education compiled from a review of 50 years of research on students, teachers and learning and reported to the Higher Learning Commission in 2001 by Winona State University. Below is a brief outline of these principles with quotes from the original report. 

# 1  Frequent student-faculty contact – Relationships between students and faculty enhance the transfer of information. Furthermore, students feel a sense of belonging to a learning community when they have strong intellectual ties to teachers. “Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement.”

# 2  Learning is enhanced through cooperation among students – Learning is collaborative and social, and sharing and responding to others deepens understanding. “Learning is enhanced when it’s more like a team effort than a solo race.”

# 3  Learning is an active process – New information must be examined and applied to translate that information into acquired knowledge and learned skills. “They [students] must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives.”

# 4  Students need prompt and specific feedback to learn – Understanding what we know and don’t know focuses our attention on areas to learn. Reflecting on what was learned aids in perspective and self-assessment.  “In classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement.”

# 5  Time on task equates to learning – Like anything we learn, students must spend a considerable quantity of time studying to achieve mastery. This time needs to be well spent, and acquiring the skills of organization and time management help students throughout life. “There is no substitute for time on task.”

# 6  High expectations deliver more learning – The research on learning shows that teachers get what they expect. We know this through the theory of self-fulfilling prophecy as well. “High expectations are important for everyone — for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and for the bright and well-motivated.”

# 7  Respect for individual differences and diverse talents – Different talents, styles of learning and perspectives benefit the class experience and must be cultivated for a richer learning experience. “Students need the opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them. Then they can be pushed to learn in new ways that do not come so easily.”

Read a synopsis of these principles in Enhancing Student Learning: Seven Principles for Good Practice on the University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning & Teaching website.

Examine the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Walker Center for Teaching and Learning website for ideas about how to apply these principles to the in-person and online classrooms. 

“I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

― Albert Einstein