The Trinity College Center for Teaching and Learning has sponsored two forums on academic “rigor.” Lively discussion ensued, but sadly attendance was low. So we’d like to move the conversation into the electronic world.
We’ll soon be posting some short position papers or comments on this question. We invite all members of the Trinity Community to participate either by posting comments here or writing short papers which we can post.
Below is the announcement from the CTL to the Trinity Community about this event. It gives a sense of the charge given to the panelists.
The academic world, Trinity included, has been abuzz for many years about academic rigor. In 2002, Alfie Kohn argued in the Chronicle of Higher Education that “[i]t is largely accepted on faith that grade inflation — an upward shift in students’ grade-point averages without a similar rise in achievement — exists, and that it is a bad thing. Meanwhile, the truly substantive issues surrounding grades and motivation have been obscured or ignored.” Almost ten years prior to the Kohn article, Clifford Adelman published a little-known report for the U.S. Department of Education that suggested grades actually declined somewhat between 1975 and 1995. Other commentators claim colleges are less rigorous than in the past, and some studies seem to support this view. Here at Trinity, the question has arisen in conjunction with studies of grades across the disciplines; in reports offered to the faculty; in the recent faculty retreat; and in discussions around assessment.
In the first Talking Teaching session to focus on academic rigor held earlier this semester Jame J. Hughes and Rachael Barlow presented a statistical overview first positioning grade inflation (as a proxy measure for rigor) in its national historical context and next providing a statistical overview and understanding of Trinity’s position both measured against other similar private educational institutions and departmental differences within the college itself. of Trinity College. Graphs outlining Trinity’s position can be found here on our website in addition to several articles discussing grade inflation. A copy of James J. Hughes and Rachael Barlow’s presentation may be found here.
In our next and last session on academic rigor we are asking what constitutes academic rigor and whether or not statistical measures of grade distribution can measure rigor? That is, are grades a good proxy measure for academic rigor? How do we know when we are rigorous? How meaningful are cross-disciplinary comparisons? Where in faculty and student culture does a commitment to rigor arise, and how can it be fostered? What does rigor contribute to desired educational outcomes for our students?
Please join us and our faculty-led panel — Professor Dan Blackburn (Biology), Professor David Reuman (Psychology) and Professor Maurice Wade (Philosophy) — on Thursday March 15, 2012 at Common Hour in the Wean Terrace Rooms BC for an insightful exchange of views and, of course, for pizza!
Contact Dina Anselmi, Jennifer MacDonald, or Gary Reger.