Overview

Being transparent about why you’re assigning certain things in your class, or why you have certain course structures, can clarify to students that you support them in pursuing goals beyond getting good grades in the course. In particular, explain your logic for how this will help them develop skills that they can use to achieve their own goals or contribute to society.

What does it look like?

In syllabi, or within lectures on the first day of the term, explicitly state why you have made pedagogical decisions. For example, syllabus wording might look like this:

"I have designed this course in order to maximize the extent to which students’ effort (in reading, participating, and completing assignments) directly serves the goal of developing your expertise and preparation for a role as a working professional." (Adapted from Dr. David Yeager).
"Throughout the semester, we will be doing 5-minute quizzes at the beginning or end of class. These are designed to help you connect the topics covered to things you care about and an opportunity for me to get to know a little bit about you." (Adapted from Dr. Eric Smith)
"Drop-in hours (or student hours) are an incredibly important resource in college, and I want to encourage all of you to come as frequently as you can. They are designed to be helpful to your success in the class, in your broader academic career, and your future goals." (Adapted from Dr. Eric Smith)

Tips for Implementation

Here are a few more considerations that will promote success with this practice.

Frame your decisions as a support for both meeting course demands and for future goals and purposes.
If you can’t think of a clear purpose for a particular element of your course, consider changing it to reflect your values and what you want students to get out of the course.
This can also be done part-way through the course in response to mid-term surveys; e.g. “Based on student feedback, we have made two changes to the course…”

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