Research & Best Practices

Academic Rigor White Paper 2: Contextualizing Academic Rigor

Our in-depth look at academic rigor continues in this second white paper from author Andria F. Schwegler. After establishing a comprehensive definition for academic rigor in her first paper, Andria advances the conversation in this second piece by examining the contexts needed to operationalize it — to put academic rigor into practice. Explore how elements such as course design, course delivery and the real world affect academic rigor, including how those elements support academic rigor and higher-level learning.

Academic Rigor White Paper 1: A Comprehensive Definition

In light of today’s higher education environment — an environment where the value of higher education is being questioned and a focus on degree completion is paramount — it is imperative to improve the quality of the courses and programs being offered. Academic rigor is often a signal for the kind of education that is desirable, but the lack of a clear definition of it can actually erode academic expectations and impede student learning. To begin to address these issues, a comprehensive definition of academic rigor is needed.

2019 CHLOE 3 Report

See the results from the third survey conducted by QM and Eduventures as part of The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) project. The results provide relevant and actionable information on a wide range of topics, including enrollment trends, the structure of online courses, institutional governance practices, and online quality assurance.

The Effect of Cultural Awareness in Online Instruction: An International Perspective

2018 Research Colleague Stella Porto and her Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) colleagues Carolina Suarez and Miriam Campos share the challenges they faced and the solutions they found to make their courses culturally inclusive for all. The co-authored paper provides a discussion of specific examples of cultural differences in the courses offered by IDB and how the authors addressed them in course design.