Albany State uses high-impact practices for student success
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Apr. 19—ALBANY — Albany State University has integrated high-impact practices (HIPS) into its curriculum, resulting in continued student success.
"High-impact practices promote deep learning through student engagement," ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick said in a news release. "Students who participate experience an increased sense of belonging, greater civic involvement, higher grades in the first year of an academic program, and improved retention and graduation rates. These practices are important to Albany State University's continued commitment to academic excellence and student success."
Some of the HIPS the university provides include first-year seminars, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative assignments, undergraduate research, global learning, volunteer service, internships and capstone projects.
One example of HIPS in the classroom is ASU's music appreciation course. Students are able to describe musical selections critically, written and orally, by the end of the course. Faculty begin by using popular music with the students and teaching terms to describe what they enjoy and dislike. Each week, students practice writing using new terms in groups and individually.
By mid-term, the students practice using a template as a guide to write a concert review of a piece they have never heard before. Finally, students create a new concert critique for their final project. This example includes both writing-intensive courses and collaborative assignments.
Another example comes from the Darton College of Health Professions. Health sciences and nursing students must complete a clinical internship to fulfill graduation requirements. These internships require a significant amount of time and effort. They connect academic instruction to fieldwork and periodic and structured opportunities for reflection. The discussion among peers and faculty prompts further engagement with course materials.
"There are eight characteristics of HIPS that are important for faculty to know when implementing these practices," Dorene Medlin, teacher education chair and interim director for the Center for Faculty Excellence, said. "A few of those include frequent, timely, and constructive feedback; structured reflection opportunities; and the chance to discover relevance through real-world application."
Other HIPS at the university include New Student Orientation, the First Year Experience ASU Introductory course, Summer Success Academy, University College, and many more.
