About This Guidebook #

This guidebook grew out of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) done during the 2024 – 2025 academic year, focused on designing and implementing high-impact practices. Faculty participants from across disciplines redesigned or examined elements of their courses and documented:

• How their practice aligns with HIP quality markers
• How the activity or course is structured
• What worked (and what they would revise)

The examples included here represent a range of:

• Disciplines (STEM, social sciences, professional programs, business)
• Course levels (first-year to graduate)
• Formats (face-to-face and online)
• Types of HIPs (collaborative learning, undergraduate research, community-based learning, applied projects)

This guidebook shows multiple approaches to help faculty and instructors explore what might work in their own classes.  In addition to highlighting real HIPs happening at UWSP it provides practical guidance for instructors looking to design (or redesign) an HIP in their course.

High-Impact Practices and Quality Markers #

High-impact practices (HIPs) are educational experiences that are associated with many positive benefits for students, including deep learning and personal development, increased retention, and higher persistence and graduation rates.  HIPs challenge students to invest time and effort, engage with others, reflect on their learning, and apply knowledge in meaningful ways.  

For many faculty, the idea of doing a HIP can feel overwhelming:

• What does a HIP actually look like in a course?
• How can I implement a HIP without completely changing my course?
• How do I make sure its effective?
• How do I implement a HIP and keep my workload manageable?

This feeling of overwhelm is compounded by the knowledge that not all “high-impact” activities are equally effective. Research on HIPs shows that impact depends on how the practice is designed and implemented.

This guidebook is grounded nine research-backed HIP quality markers, including:

• Clear and high expectations
• Significant investment of time and effort
• Meaningful interactions with faculty and peers
• Engagement with diverse perspectives
• Frequent, timely, and constructive feedback
• Opportunities for reflection and integration
• Authentic, real-world application

This guide will highlight how these quality markers are implemented in each featured course/experience.  

HIP Example #1: Analyzing Real-World Business Processes Through a Scaffolded Group Project #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

Students work in groups to identify, document, and analyze a real-world business process. The project requires them to:

1. Identify a business contact and develop interview questions
2. Document and analyze a business process
3. Present findings to the class
4. Submit a final written report

By the end of the project, students synthesize course concepts in a realistic, applied context.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Clear and High Expectations #

Expectations are communicated through:

• An instruction packet introduced at the beginning of the course
• Rubrics for each project component
• Ongoing in-class explanations before each project phase

The instructor regularly checks in with students to address questions, and expectations are clarified through examples of past student work.

The instructor also adjusts instructions over time to clarify meaning based on student feedback and how the student submissions turn out.

Significant Investment of Time and Effort #

The project spans the entire semester and requires engagement both in and out of class, with most of the work happening outside of class.  The project is broken down into four parts, with due dates spaced out across the semester.

Students invest time in:

• Coordinating with group members
• Communicating with an external business contact
• Conducting interviews and research
• Conducting and analysis of the business process
• Producing both written reports and group presentations

Breaking the project into distinct parts helps keep the students on track and also gives them feedback at key points in the project.

Interactions with Faculty and Peers #

Interaction is embedded throughout the project:

• Students collaborate with the same group across the semester for both the project and other in-class activities
• In-class workdays provide opportunities for students to become accustomed to collaborating with one another
• The instructor circulates during work times, answering questions and providing guidance
• Students receive instructor feedback on each project stage, which informs subsequent work

The course structure (with dedicated time for project work) supports both in-class and out-of-class collaboration.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Feedback is a central feature of the project design:

• Each project phase is submitted, and feedback is provided before students move to the next phase
• In-class group project workdays provide opportunities for the instructor to answer questions
• Instructor feedback addresses both things that are working well and things that need to be improved
• Common challenges are discussed with each group to provide feedback and guidance

The timeline is intentionally structured to allow the instructor to have more time to provided feedback.

Public Demonstration of Competence #

Students demonstrate their learning through:

• Group presentation on their business process given to the class
• A final written report submitted to their “boss” (AKA the instructor)

Students are provided with an outline and do’s and don’t for their presentation.  These formats mirror professional communication tasks students are likely to encounter in the workplace.

Connection to Real-World Application #

Students are asked to use concepts learned in class and apply them to a real-world business process:

• They interact directly with professionals through interviews
• Students document and analyze actual business processes

The experience helps students understand how course concepts translate into workplace responsibilities and decision-making.

Students also develop skills in:

• Professional communication
• Teamwork
• Presenting and reporting findings

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Use real-world connections to deepen learning. Interacting with professionals increases relevance and student engagement.
• Break large projects into stages. Structured checkpoints keep students on track and make feedback more impactful.
• Provide examples and refine instructions over time. Iteration based on student work improves clarity and outcomes.
• Build feedback into the timeline. Strategic scheduling (e.g., grading during breaks) supports instructor workload.
• Support group work with both time and structure. Providing in-class work time helps groups coordinate and make progress.
• Expect logistical challenges, and plan for them. Helping students secure external contacts ensures all groups can succeed.

HIP Example #2: Authentic Clinical Learning Through Community-Based Hearing Screenings #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

 Students participate in a full-day, off-site clinical experience in which they conduct hearing screenings for Special Olympics athletes. Working under the supervision of licensed audiologists, students apply their clinical skills in a real-world setting.

The experience includes:

• Conducting hearing screenings with athletes
• Collaborating with professionals in other health disciplines
• Participation in other Healthy Athlete screenings such as Fun Fitness
• Observing and participating in follow-up evaluations through a Mobile Audiology Clinic

After the event, students complete a guided reflection to process their experience and connect it to their professional development.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Clear and High Expectations #

Expectations were shared with students several weeks before the event through the course syllabus and emails. These expectations addressed logistics like the time frame for the event,  appropriate attire, and what materials) to bring.  

The instructor was present throughout the experience to answer questions and make sure the students were completing the screenings correctly. 

Significant Investment of Time and Effort

Students commit to participating in the full-day experience, including travel to Oshkosh, and spent the whole day engaged in clinical activities. After, students completed a reflection of the event.

Interactions with Faculty and Peers #

Students work closely with:

• Faculty and licensed audiologists, who provide supervision and guidance
• Peers in their program during screenings
• Professionals and students from other health disciplines

The structure mirrors real-world health care environments where audiologists regularly engage with other health care practitioners. 

Engagement with Diversity and Inclusion #

A strength of this practice is that it allows for direct engagement with a diverse patient population. Students work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, gaining experience in:

• Strengthening communication strategies
• Creating a comfortable and supportive environment
• Getting results in a timely manner

Students are provided with a brief training before beginning the screenings, which covers how to talk to the athletes, make them comfortable, and when to seek additional help, if needed.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Verbal feedback is delivered immediately during the screenings. Faculty and supervising audiologists are present throughout the event, allowing them to:

• Observe student performance
• Provide real-time guidance and correction
• Support students as challenges arise

Opportunities for Reflection and Integration #

Students are provided with guided reflection in advance of the event, and were encouraged to think about them during the event.

Questions asked students to reflect on:

• Aspects of the experiences that they did (and didn’t) enjoy
• Skills they developed and how they apply to their future career
• Expectations vs. actual experience
• What participants learned about themselves by participating

This reflection helps students to make sense of their experience.

Connection to Real-World Applications #

This experience is a direct reflection of what students are being trained to do in their profession It provides:

• Clinical practice in a real setting
• Experience working with other health care professionals
• Experience working with diverse patients

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Use authentic settings when possible. Real-world environments provide learning opportunities that are difficult to replicate in classroom settings.
• Pair practice with supervision. Having experts present allows students to apply skills with confidence and receive immediate feedback.
• Prepare students for the context, not just the task. Providing training on communication and expectations is important when working with diverse populations.
• Provide reflection prompts in advance. Giving students questions beforehand encourages deeper engagement during the experience.
• Plan for logistics early. Transportation, scheduling, and coordination with external partners are important for a smooth experience.

HIP Example #3: Building Foundational Skills Through Structured Practice and Reflection #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

This course uses a variety of structured out-of-class activities to help students build study skills and foundational math and chemistry skills. In addition to the out of class assignments, each week in class students engage in group activities during which students work together to solve chemistry problems and explain their reasoning.

Each group is guided by a Task Card explaining the topic and activity and describing the tasks the students must complete.  Each student completes and submits a Note Sheet documenting their thinking. This design ensures that collaboration is paired with individual accountability.

Outside of class, students engage in consistent weekly practice through:

• Study skills assignments
• Chemistry practice activities
• Timed, low-stakes quizzes to increase fluency with basic math and chemistry topics

Together, these elements create a structured environment that emphasizes practice, reflection, and skill development.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Clear and High Expectations #

Expectations are communicated through detailed assignment descriptions in Canvas, using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework that clearly outlines purpose, tasks, and criteria for success. Students are expected to participate actively in group work and complete all weekly assignments.

Most assignments are evaluated as complete/incomplete, with opportunities for revision if the standards are not met.  This approach emphasizes persistence and improvement rather than point accumulation and does not allow students to accumulate points for incomplete or low-quality work.

Significant Investment of Time and Effort #

Students engage with course material consistently by completing four small assignments per week, requiring approximately 3–4 hours total. A suggested day-by-day schedule ensure that work is distributed throughout the week and helps students develop regular study habits.

A major goal of the course is to help students understand how much practice and study is required to be successful in college-level course.  This course structure helps to ​reinforce this key message.

Interactions with Faculty and Peers #

Students work in small groups (3–4 students) during in-class sessions, and often have to share sets of materials to foster collaboration. Activities are designed so that students must explain their reasoning and arrive at solutions together.

The instructor walks around during group work, providing guidance, answering questions, and checking progress. Outside of class, additional interaction happens through Canvas feedback and email.

Engagement with Diversity and Inclusion #

Group work exposes students to peers with different academic backgrounds and levels of preparation. While collaboration is encouraged, students retain some flexibility to work alone when needed.  This supports various comfort levels and learning preferences.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Feedback is provided regularly through Canvas comments left on individual assignments, typically within the same week of submission.

The course design helps manage instructor workload by:

• using auto-graded to quizzes provide immediate results when appropriate
• using practice assignments include self-checking and reflection
• limiting instructor feedback to higher-impact items like study skill assignments and group work. 

Opportunities for Reflection and Integration #

Reflection is embedded into the course in a few ways:

• Students self-evaluate their ease, speed, and fluency on practice tasks
• Group activities include structured reflection prompts
• Students identify areas where they need additional support

These reflections help students monitor their learning and guide future practice, reinforcing metacognitive development.

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Make practice visible and routine. A consistent weekly structure helps students understand how much effort is required to be successful and builds stronger study habits.
• Pair collaboration with accountability. Requiring individual submissions alongside group work ensures all students remain engaged and benefit from group activities.
• Use low-stakes grading to encourage persistence. Complete/incomplete grading with revision opportunities shifts the focus from performance to learning while keeping standards high.
• Build reflection into existing tasks. Embedding reflection questions into assignments, rather than as standalone assignments, helps students to make students make the most of reflection.
• Think about instructor workload. Combining auto-graded quizzes, self-assessment, and targeted instructor feedback makes providing frequent feedback manageable.

HIP Example #4: Developing Critical Thinking Through Structured Academic Controversy #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

In this collaborative learning project, students work in small teams to research and debate controversial, real-world issues. Each team is divided into pairs, with each pair assigned an opposing position.

The process unfolds over several stages:

1. Research and develop evidence-based arguments for their position
2. Engage in structured discussion
3. Switch positions and present the opposing viewpoint
4. Collaborate to find common ground and reach consensus
5. Present findings and reflect on learning

This structure enhances content knowledge about complex issues while developing critical thinking and argumentation skills.  The experience is meant to promote appreciation and respect for diverse viewpoints, resulting in improved student ability to build consensus.  A primary objective is to move students beyond simplistic pro/con debates to more complex and nuanced exchanges allowing for deeper understanding.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Significant Investment of Time and Effort #

The SAC project unfolds over 10 weeks, requiring ongoing participation both in and out of class.

Students participate in:

• Topic selection and research
• Argument development
• Structured debates 
• Position switching
• Consensus-building and writing
• Final presentations and reflection

This extended, scaffolded process promotes deep learning and ongoing skill development.

Interactions with Faculty and Peers #

Interaction is central to the design:

• Students work in teams and pairs throughout the project
• Structured debates require active engagement with peers’ ideas
• Peer review sessions are held, with students being trained to provide substantive, constructive feedback
• Dedicated in-class work time (60–75 minutes per week) supports collaboration between peers and allows the instructor to circulate, answer questions, and provide feedback
• Weekly check-ins with the instructor (≈15 minutes per group) allow time to discuss progress, challenges, and insights, as well as opportunities to provide guidance and feedback

Engagement with Diversity and Inclusion #

The SAC model is designed to engage students with diverse perspectives:

• Students must research and argue positions that may not reflect their own beliefs
• Position-switching fosters empathy and understanding of diverse perspectives
• Teams must reach a consensus, encouraging negotiation and appreciation of diversity within a group
• Topics are intentionally chosen to reflect social, cultural, and global complexity
• Students are encouraged to explore how issues are perceived and addressed in different cultural or national contexts.

Preparatory activities such as discussions of cultural awareness and respectful dialogue support creation of an inclusive environment.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Feedback is built into each stage of the project through a variety of structured mechanisms:

• Written feedback on research and argument development
• Immediate oral feedback during debates and class activities
• Rubric-based feedback following major milestones
• In-Class debriefing sessions to highlight strengths and weaknesses and provide clarification
• One-on-one meetings to provide individual feedback
• Peer review workshops for drafts and presentations

This combination of feedback helps students refine their work and deepen their learning throughout the process.

Opportunities for Reflection and Integration #

Students are encouraged to reflect on and integrate their learning several times throughout the project:

• Students are prompted throughout the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) project to reflect on their research process, the evolution of their perspectives, and the skills they are developing.
• After switching positions in the debate, students reflect on how their understanding has changed and what it felt like to advocate for an opposing viewpoint.
• During and after the process of reaching consensus, students reflect on how their team synthesized differing perspectives and what strategies facilitated agreement.
• At the end of the project, each student submits an individual reflection essay that integrates their learning from the entire SAC experience, including research, debate, collaboration, and personal growth.

These opportunities allow students to regularly reflect on their progress and learning.

Public Demonstration of Competence #

Students demonstrate their learning through:

• Formal debates
• Consensus-building presentations
• Written position papers
• Final group presentations

These public, performance-based elements reinforce accountability and provide authentic opportunities to apply learning.

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Break down complex work into phases. Structuring a large project into several smaller, clearly defined stages helps students manage workload and stay engaged.
• Require perspective-taking. Having students argue multiple sides of an issue promotes deeper understanding and reduces surface-level thinking.
• Build interaction into the design. Regular peer collaboration and scheduled faculty check-ins support both accountability and learning.
• Use milestones to anchor feedback. Embedding feedback at key points ensures it is timely and actionable.
• Scaffold difficult conversations. Providing norms, prompts, and preparatory activities helps students navigate complex or sensitive topics productively.
• Connect to real-world issues. Using relevant, contemporary topics increases engagement and strengthens transfer of learning

HIP Example #5: Preparing Child Welfare Professionals Through Applied, Reflective, and Case-Based Learning #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

This course uses a combination of case-based learning, applied skill development, structured reflection, and collaborative projects to prepare students for real-world child welfare work.

Across the semester, students engage in:

• Reflection and assessment of how their personal values could collide with the values of child welfare practice
• Attend and reflect on a webinar associated with supporting the needs of children and/or adults involved with the child welfare system.
• A culminating group case analysis project requiring them to represent a lens of child welfare practice (medical, legal, criminal justice, treatment, CPS, education)

The course design emphasizes applying knowledge in realistic scenarios while developing critical thinking, professional judgment, and self-awareness.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Clear and High Expectations #

Expectations were communicated through:

• Detailed rubrics pasted into each assignment and discussion, and in the syllabus
• Short presentations outlining the week’s assignment and reviewing the rubric

Instructor feedback references rubric criteria to reinforce expectations.

Engagement with Diversity and Inclusion #

Diversity is a central, intentionally embedded feature of the course. Each week includes attention to multiple forms of diversity, including:

• Socioeconomic, cultural, religious, and political contexts
• Family structures and lived experiences
• Representation of physical indicators (e.g., injuries across skin tones)

Students engage in activities such as virtual walkthroughs of home environments and critical reflection on how their assumptions influence professional judgment.

The course emphasizes the importance of seeing and honoring the unique context of every family.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Feedback is delivered through a combination of:

• Auto-graded quizzes with immediate, targeted feedback
• Rubric-based feedback on assignments
• Instructor comments referencing specific criteria

While immediate feedback was only present for quiz-based activities, rubrics help streamline feedback for more complex assignments.

Public Demonstration of Competence #

Students demonstrate their learning through a collaborative final project:

• Teams analyze a case study
• Each student selected a different professional lens
• Groups develop a  case plan to best meet the needs of the family, while also honoring the values and perspectives of their chosen profession
• Final presentations are shared asynchronously through recorded presentations

This assignment allows students to apply and share their knowledge in a public-facing format, despite the online environment.

Opportunities for Reflection and Integration #

Reflection is an important component of the course design, and is intentionally structured to help students think about child welfare practice from a deeper level and help them grow through self-reflection and peer review.

Four reflection prompts are spaced throughout the semester, asking students to:

• Take notes about their thoughts, feelings, and concerns before they complete the activity
• Take notes about their thoughts, feelings, and concerns as soon as they complete the activity
• Walk away from the task for a day, come back and reread or rewatch it, and then write a response

This structured approach deepens learning and helps students get a feel for the complexity of various tasks.

Connection to Real-World Application #

The course is explicitly designed around real-world practice:

• Weekly activities (e.g., case studies, forensic interviews) that capture a real-world aspect of child welfare practice
• Students engage with live data (e.g., state dashboards) to understand the data of child welfare
• Interviews with experience in inter-professional collaboration in child welfare
• Skill-based activities simulate authentic tasks (e.g., forensic interviewing, virtual walk throughs)

This helps students develop practical skills as well as an awareness of the complexity, ethical considerations, and collaboration required in child welfare careers.

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Ground learning in authentic cases. Real-world scenarios help students apply knowledge and develop professional judgment.

• Embed diversity throughout, not as a standalone unit. Integrating multiple dimensions of diversity regularly into student work leads to a deeper understanding.
• Use structured reflection to deepen skill development. Asking students to reflect before, during, and after activities promotes meaningful learning.
• Simulate professional tasks. Activities like interviews or case analysis help students experience the complexity of real work.
• Support collaboration intentionally. Group work in online environments requires explicit guidance on both process and technology.
• Balance feedback types. Tools like quiz banks can provide immediate feedback while freeing time for more detailed instructor feedback on other tasks.

HIP Example #6: Scaffolded Undergraduate Research on Teaching and Learning in a Digital Age #

Course Information #

The Practice (Overview) #

 Students conduct a scaffolded research project that guides them from topic exploration to creation of a research paper.  Using a curated LibGuide, students identify and evaluate sources while developing their own perspective on the course’s essential question, based on the grade level(s) and content area(s) they intend to teach upon graduation.

The project unfolds through structured checkpoints:

• LibGuide preview
• Proposal
• Annotated bibliography
• Outline
• Rough drafts  
• Final paper (three-paragraph research summary format)

Students engage in peer review and have the option to publish their final work in a combined research report document.

How This Practice Aligns with HIP Quality Markers #

Clear and High Expectations #

A document containing a description of the purpose, instructions, and checkpoints for this assignment is linked in the syllabus as well as on Canvas. Rubrics are provided for each component of the assignment.

Expectations are reinforced through:

• In-class explanation of each checkpoint
• Feedback is provided during in-class worktime
• Examples of past student work, citations, verbiage, etc.

This approach ensures students understand what high-quality work looks like at each stage.

Significant Investment of Time and Effort #

The project is intentionally distributed across the second half of the semester, providing time for engaging in this work, providing feedback, implementing revisions, and crafting the final written product

The use of staggered checkpoints for the project promotes sustained engagement rather than one-time submission.

Frequent, Timely, and Constructive Feedback #

Feedback is provided at each stage of the project using:

• Rubric-based grading for all checkpoints
• Written and verbal feedback as needed
• In-the-moment support during class work sessions

The instructor sets aside specific times each day to manage workload and support a quick turnaround (approximately 48 hours), so that feedback is timely enough to inform revision.

Public Demonstration of Competence #

Students have the opportunity to share their work beyond the classroom:

• Publication in a student journal published on @UWMind
• Potential presentation at public-facing events (e.g., library panels)

This allows student work to contribute to an ongoing body of knowledge created across course sections and semesters.

Strategies to Apply in Your Course #

• Break research into meaningful stages. Scaffolded checkpoints help students manage workload for large assignments and improve the quality of their work.
• Provide models of successful work. Sharing past examples helps to clarify expectations.
• Use class time strategically. Built-in work sessions can create space for support, feedback, and progress.
• Design assignments with a broader audience in mind. Opportunities for publication or presentation increase student motivation and investment.
• Anchor projects in big questions. Building a project around big, shared questions can help support diverse student interests.
• Support revision as a part of the learning process. Iterative feedback and opportunities to resubmit can strengthen skills and understanding.

What We Learned Across These Cases: Designing High-Impact Learning Experiences #

Across disciplines, course levels, and formats (in-person, hybrid, and fully online), these examples reveal a consistent set of design principles that support high-impact learning. While each instructor implemented different types of practices, several common patterns emerged that can guide faculty in adapting or developing their own high-impact approaches.

Takeway #1 – High-Impact Experiences Are Carefully Designed #

Across all cases, impactful learning did not happen from adding a single activity, it was the result of intentional, structured design.

Instructors consistently:

• Broke complex work into manageable stages or checkpoints (e.g., scaffolded research, multi-phase projects)
• Embedded clear expectations and rubrics at each stage
• Designed scaffolds that built toward a final product or performance

Key Idea: High-impact practices are most effective when they are scaffolded over time, not added as one-time assignments.

Takeaway #2 – Accountability Helps With Engagement (Especially in Group Work) #

A common challenge, especially in group work, was making sure that all students stayed engaged. Across cases, instructors addressed this by combining:

• Individual + group accountability (e.g., individual note sheets, pre-labs, reflections)
• Defined roles or responsibilities within groups
• Peer and/or self-evaluation

These strategies were most effective when built into the structure of the activity rather than added as afterthoughts.

Key Idea: Designing for accountability (especially in group contexts) helps ensure equitable participation and deeper learning.

Takeaway #3 – Reflection Is Most Effective When Embedded, Not Added On #

Reflection appeared across many examples, and shared key features:

• Reflection was integrated into existing assignments (not optional or separate)
• Students were prompted to reflect at multiple points in time (before, during, after)
• Prompts focused on process, growth, and application, not just content

In some cases, reflection also supported metacognition, helping students understand how they learn and where they need to improve.

Key idea: Embedding structured reflection within activities strengthens learning by helping students make meaning of their experiences.

Takeaway #4 – Frequent, Strategic Feedback Is More Important than Extensive Feedback #

Instructors emphasized the importance of feedback, but didn’t necessarily provide large amounts of it.

Effective approaches included:

• Providing feedback at key checkpoints, when students could still revise
• Using rubrics and templates to streamline the process
• Leveraging peer feedback and self-assessment
• Incorporating automated tools (e.g., quizzes) for immediate feedback

Balanced efficiency and impact is essential given the realities of faculty workload.

Key Idea: Well-timed, targeted feedback is more impactful (and sustainable) than trying to provide extensive feedback on every assignment.

Take Away # 5 – Real-World Contexts Increase Motivation and Transfer #

Several examples (e.g., business process analysis, clinical screenings, child welfare case work) highlighted the power of real-world learning experiences.

Common features included:

• Engagement with external partners, clients, or professionals
• Use of real data, real problems, or real cases
• Opportunities to practice professional skills in context

Even in courses without direct external engagement, instructors simulated real-world conditions through:

• Case-based learning
• Role-playing and simulations
• Applied problem-solving

Key Idea: Connecting coursework to real-world contexts helps students see relevance, increases motivation, and supports transfer of learning beyond the classroom.

Takeaway # 6 – Interaction Must Be Designed, Not Assumed #

Across modalities, especially in online and group-based courses, interaction was most effective when it was intentionally structured.

Helpful strategies included:

• Built-in collaboration time 
• Clearly defined discussion or peer review expectations
• Instructor presence through in-class check-ins or out-of-class meetings
• Structured  formats (e.g., debates, rotating roles, guided peer review)

Where interaction was less structured, instructors noted challenges with engagement or group dynamics.

Key Idea: Meaningful interaction does not happen automatically; it requires clear expectations, structure, and facilitation.

Takeaway #7 – Inclusion Requires Intentional Design Choices #

Several instructors explicitly highlighted inclusion, not just as something that was important to them, but as a design principle.

Effective strategies included:

• Integrating diverse perspectives and materials throughout the course
• Structuring participation (e.g., roles, individual prep time) to support all voices
• Providing multiple ways to engage and demonstrate learning
• Encouraging students to examine bias, assumptions, and positionality

Inclusion was most effective when it was woven into the course, not addressed in a single unit or activity.

Key Idea: Inclusive teaching in high-impact practices is not just about content, it is about how students are asked to participate, contribute, and engage.

Takeaway #8 – High-Impact Practices Work in Any Modality (with Adaptation) #

These projects demonstrate that high-impact practices can succeed in:

• Face-to-face settings
• Hybrid formats
• Fully online courses

However, modality influenced design choices:

• Online courses required more explicit structure and communication
• In-person settings allowed for real-time feedback and interaction
• Hybrid formats benefited from intentional use of both synchronous and asynchronous time

Key Idea: High-impact practices are adaptable across course modalities, but require thoughtful adjustment to maintain interaction and promote clarity and engagement.

Takeaway #8 – High-Impact Practices Work in Any Modality (with Adaptation) #

These projects demonstrate that high-impact practices can succeed in:

• Face-to-face settings
• Hybrid formats
• Fully online courses

However, modality influenced design choices:

• Online courses required more explicit structure and communication
• In-person settings allowed for real-time feedback and interaction
• Hybrid formats benefited from intentional use of both synchronous and asynchronous time

Key Idea: High-impact practices are adaptable across course modalities, but require thoughtful adjustment to maintain interaction and promote clarity and engagement.

Getting Started With High-Impact Practices #

You do not need to redesign an entire course to begin using high-impact practices. Small, intentional changes, especially those aligned with quality markers, can significantly improve student engagement and learning.

Use the steps below to get started.

Step 1: Start with One Assignment or Activity #

 Choose a part of your course that:

• Already matters (e.g., a major assignment, group project, lab, or discussion), or
• Students typically struggle with or disengage from

Focus on improving one thing, not everything.

Step 2: Add One or Two Quality Markers #

Select 1–2 elements to intentionally strengthen. For example:

• Structure & Expectations
  Add a clear rubric, example, or staged checkpoints
• Interaction
  Include structured peer discussion, feedback, or collaboration
• Reflection
  Add a short prompt asking students to evaluate their learning or process
• Feedback
  Build in an early, low-stakes submission with feedback

Start small.  One meaningful addition is enough.

Step 3: Build in a Checkpoint #

Break the activity into at least two stages:

• Early step (draft, plan, proposal, practice attempt)
• Final product

Use the early stage to:

• Give feedback
• Prevent last-minute work
• Help students stay on track

Step 4: Make Expectations Explicit #

Ensure students clearly understand what success looks like:

• Share a rubric or checklist
• Show an example of past student work
• Walk through expectations briefly in class or video

Transparency reduces confusion and improves student learning and confidence.

Step 5: Include a Quick Reflection #

Add a short reflection (5–10 minutes is enough):

• What was challenging about this task?
• What did you learn?
• What would you do differently next time?

Reflection helps students connect effort to learning.

Step 6: Use Feedback Strategically #

Instead of trying to provide feedback on everything:

• Focus on 2 or 3 key areas for improvement
• Highlight strengths, not just weaknesses
• Use a rubric to streamline grading
• Consider peer or self-feedback where appropriate
• Use automatic or group-level feedback to help balance workload

Timely, focused feedback has the greatest impact.

Step 7: Try It, Then Revise It #

After the assignment:

• Note what worked and what didn’t
• Ask students for brief feedback
• Adjust one element for next time

Remember, high-impact teaching is an iterative process.  You won’t get it all right the first time.

Quick Start Options #

If you’re short on time, try one of these:

• Add a single checkpoint and feedback to an existing assignment
• Add a reflection question to an activity you already use
• Add structured roles or accountability to group work
• Connect an assignment to a real-world example or case

A Final Thought #

High-impact practices are not about adding more work, they are about designing more intentional learning experiences.

Even small changes in your course can:

• Increase engagement
• Improve equity in participation
• Help students learn more deeply