One of the hallmarks of curricular approaches to student learning outside the classroom is that learning is scaffolded and sequenced to follow a student's journey through their time in college. After educators identify their learning objectives (cascading from Educational Priority, to Learning Goals, Narratives, Rubrics, and Outcomes), the next step in the process is to... Continue Reading →
Why the Frequency of Residence Hall Programs Matters More Than the Overall Number of Them
Many traditional programs models within residence life are designed such that staff members must complete x number of events or programs a semester. Relying on an overall number of programs, however, ignores an important variable in the educational equation: frequency. Rather than focus on the total number of programs to be completed, it is perhaps even... Continue Reading →
5 Strategies for Promoting Student Learning
For the past two decades, important documents such as the Student Learning Imperative and Learning Reconsidered have advocated for placing student learning at the core of our work in student affairs and residence life. Although on its surface this may seem to be a relatively easy task to accomplish, it actually represents a process that... Continue Reading →
Residential Curriculum Element #7: Learning is Scaffolded and Sequenced To Follow Time-Based Development
Learning does not take place in a vacuum. It takes place in time and space. A well-designed curriculum recognizes that learning is most often a cumulative process. Individuals learn and grow over time. Sometimes they regress and sometimes they make large leaps forward, but the broad arc of learning is progressive over time. To this... Continue Reading →