UCITE Fridays: How to Create a High Structure Course to Improve Student Learning

This session is built around a short book chapter (see attachment).
** In order for this session to add value to your teaching practice, it is important for you to have read the chapter beforehand. This is necessary for a rich discussion.
We will use this chapter as a basis for discussing ways in which we can intentionally structure our courses to foster and strengthen student learning. The authors advocate for what they call 'high structure', which "...includes establishing the practice required for learning and recognising that a rich and firm structure helps all students when minimum requirements and expectations are put in place" (p. 29). (If that's an opaque definition, don't worry - the chapter will make it clearer as you read further)
Questions to consider as you read the chapter (and which we will use as a springboard next week):
1. What do Hogan and Sathy consider to be the main differences between high and low structure? Would you add anything to their definitions?
2. On the bottom of page 31, the authors three potential characteristics of a high structure course.
a. If your course already includes similar traits, please jot these down to share with your peers.
b. If your course does not have any of these traits (no judgement!), and you wanted to implement them incrementally, which might you focus on first? Why? And which one would be the final one that you added? Why?
c. Can you think of any other characteristics of high structure that you might add to these three?
3. According to Hogan and Sathy, how does/can structure in your course lead to inclusion? Do you agree with their perspective? (There is no right or wrong answer here - it is deliberately open-ended to encourage discussion)

File Attachments: Hogan_Sathy_The_Value_of_Structure_pp_26_48

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