TILT

Transparency In Learning and Teaching

  1. Testing123
  2. David
  3. TILT draft

IMAGE HERE

Here you'll learn about how an achievable change to your assignment design can significantly improve student success. You will learn both the evidence of impact behind this practice and how to make this change for your own course.

Scroll down to find:

  • A brief overview of Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) as a model for assignment design and evidence of impact
  • The elements of a "TILTed" assignment
  • Step-by-step instructions for how to TILT your course assignments
  • Common questions and critiques of TILT

Consult with us on this topic

CFD colleagues also meet regularly with individuals and with program teams to help write, rewrite, and refine learning outcomes to make sure they're effective, achievable, and follow the latest guidance. 

What is TILT?

Dr. Mary-Ann Winkelmes and her colleagues created the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) framework as an educational approach to demystify academic norms and foster more equitable learning experiences for all students. The framework brings clarity to three core elements of any assignment: its purpose, the task itself, and the criteria for success. By making these expectations explicit and accessible, the framework works to level the playing field for all students to succeed.

39 second video

 

“Transparent teaching and learning strategies aim to give all students a fair chance to succeed.  They make the hows and whys of the learning process more intelligible to all students  and how they will use that learning in their lives after college, because teachers and students discuss the rationale for a course’s teaching and learning strategies explicitly, as part of the course.”

— Mary-Ann Winkelmes, Ph.D

Evidence of Impact

The potential impact of using the TILT framework is backed by a robust literature. Moreover, TILTing assignments has been shown to support student achievement, particularly for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students, with documented improvements across numerous predictors of success, including (Winkelmes et al, 2016):

  • Academic achievement
  • Academic self-confidence
  • Feeling of belonging within the academic community
  • College persistence
  • Higher awareness, and practice, of workplace-relevant skills (e.g., synthesizing ideas across subjects; written communication)

Student challenges addressed by TILT:

  • Lack of preparation
  • Poor time management
  • Low motivation
  • Limited access to support

(Winkelmes et al, 2016; Winkelmes et al, 2015)

What does a TILTed assignment look like?

Students will have a clear understanding of what knowledge and/or skills they will gain from completing the assignment., 44 second video

p

Students know what to do to complete the assignment and how to do it.

, 25 second video

Students have access to a examples of completed assignments (as is possible) and assessment rubrics so that they know what it means to be successful.

, 24 second video

What does a TILTed assignment look like?

Students will have a clear understanding of what knowledge and/or skills they will gain from completing the assignment.

, 44 second video

Students know what to do to complete the assignment and how to do it.

, 25 second video

Students have access to examples of completed assignments (as is possible) and assessment rubrics so that they know what it means to be successful.

- Transparency Framework , 24 second video