What is Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)?

The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) project is one that aims to advance teaching and learning practices to reduce inequities by promoting students’ understanding of how they learn and by encouraging faculty to gather data on students’ learning to improve the ways they engage in teaching course materials.

How can you use TILT in your course?

Many aspects of TILT (e.g. students participating in planning the agenda for the class, etc.) can present difficulties in large gateway courses such as the one you’re teaching; however, there are various ways to incorporate TILT into your course for the better. Some ideas on how to encourage transparency in the name of student equity:

• Upon assigning your students a task, make sure to state clearly the goals and rationale behind the task. Make sure your students understand: why are we doing this assignment? What is the purpose for it? Define the learning benefits behind the task and the criteria for succeeding at it.
• Take time during each large lecture to gauge students’ understanding. This could be through quick discussion with peers, flash assessment using a clicker or zoom chat, etc.
• Give examples of what you’re looking for from your students – share criteria for success and ask them to apply that criteria to their work as they complete their assignments.
• Engage in multiple methods of learning to help students benefit from many different forms of learning, e.g. visual learners, kinetic learners where possible, etc.

What results can you expect from incorporating TILT into your course?

By incorporating TILT principles into your large lecture course, you can assure your students that you are putting them first and foremost. It can be hard to quantify how TILT is changing your course, but in a national study conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities they found that this type of transparency enhances students success at statistically significant levels, with the greater benefits going towards students who are historically underserved. The three areas these improvements are most demonstrable are:

• Academic confidence
• Sense of belonging
• Mastery of skills

Who can help if you’re interested in incorporating TILT into your course?

For more information on how to use TILT principles in your large gateway course, please reach out to the Center for Teaching for assistance and guidance on how best to implement these activities.

For further reading, please consult the TILT Higher Ed website here: https://tilthighered.com/