Preliminary findings from research by the Teachers College of Columbia University and Yeshiva University "raises questions about the value of higher-prestige institutions in terms of their teaching quality. The results suggest that a college degree is not necessary to teach at an elite institution Inside Higher Ed reports the researchers visited nearly 600 classrooms at nine colleges and universities; three considered highly prestigious, two middle rated, and four lower prestige. The team identified five measures; cognitive complexity of the coursework; standards and expectations of the coursework; level of instructor's subject matter knowledge; extent to which instructors "surfaced" students’ prior knowledge; and the extent to which they supported changes in students' views. George S. Kuh, the Indiana University researcher who is a strong advocate for more focus on student learning outcomes, was not at the ASHE meeting (though he was honored with a lifetime achievement award in absentia on Friday). The prestigious institutions only outperform their peers on the first criteria.
Preliminary findings from research by the Teachers College of Columbia University and Yeshiva University "raises questions about the value of higher-prestige institutions in terms of their teaching quality. The results suggest that a college degree is not necessary to teach at an elite institution Inside Higher Ed reports the researchers visited nearly 600 classrooms at nine colleges and universities; three considered highly prestigious, two middle rated, and four lower prestige. The team identified five measures; cognitive complexity of the coursework; standards and expectations of the coursework; level of instructor's subject matter knowledge; extent to which instructors "surfaced" students’ prior knowledge; and the extent to which they supported changes in students' views. The prestigious institutions only outperform their peers on the first criteria.