In 2019, Quality Matters published the Academic Rigor white paper series that provided an observable definition of rigor, distinguishing teachers’ and learners’ responsibilities, disentangling academic rigor from the curriculum and from student learning, and leveraging objective evidence to document rigor so it can be improved upon.
Five years later, it’s time to welcome newcomers to the conversation, check in on the impact the discussion has had on higher education, invite critical review and revision, and offer applications to promote continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
This session will review the research underlying the definition of academic rigor and situate it in the broader educational context. It will sample and summarize conversations the definition of academic rigor has prompted since its publication. And it will provide examples of how the definition of academic rigor has been leveraged to refine institutional processes.
No longer is academic rigor assumed to exist without evidence to document it. Session attendees will leave with research-based resources to host conversations about academic rigor at their home institutions and with suggestions for implementation to facilitate teaching and learning.
