Putting What Works to Better Use

This news item from insidehighered.com describes a report to be published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, which puts the lie to the charge that institutions have paid too little attention to the academic success of students and failed to develop creative techniques to engage and challenge students, documenting at least 10 practices (learning communities, undergraduate research and the like) that colleges commonly and successfully use to improve the academic outcomes of their students. With this paper, the AACU and the report's author, George D. Kuh, a leading education researcher, keep up their pressure on colleges to bolster their performance in educating students. Yes, colleges and faculty members have, over the past 10 to 15 years, developed numerous successful practices to improve student performance, Kuh and AACU argue in the report, "High-Impact Educational Practices: What Are They, Who Has Access To Them, and Why They Matter." (author)