CBExchange 2022: The Intersection of High Impact Practices and CBE

Sessions have kicked off on the last day of CBExchange 2022. In the main ballroom, Eileen Horn, Senior Instructional Designer at University of Wisconsin Extended Campus (UW), discussed UW’s integration of High Impact Practices in their self-paced CBE courses.

High Impact Practices (HIPs) are teaching and learning practices that have been widely tested and shown to be beneficial for college students from many backgrounds. HIPs function as a lens through which instructors can view course and program design, including assessments, courses, and programs.

HIPs capture a collection of cohesive practices, from collaborative projects and writing-intensive courses to internships and learning communities. Horn shared:

“HIPs also embed experiences with diversity, wherein students are exposed to and must contend with people and circumstances that differ from those with which students are familiar.”

Core competencies, like writing proficiency, are embedded in application-based, real-world tasks, allowing students to grow skills while preparing for their future workplaces. Horn continued:

“It’s not just telling students to learn, for example, APA style. Instead, APA is embedded in authentic tasks connected to students’ future careers. The skill is scaffolded, just as the assessment is, with feedback along the way.”

When it comes to competencies, Horn stressed that communication is key:

“Performance expectations are set at appropriately high levels, but it’s not enough to just set those expectations. Students need to know what competencies they need to master.”

To communicate expectations to students, Horn shared that UW uses comprehensive rubrics and alignment maps that show exactly which competencies are being evaluated in each assessment.

Horn has been developing CBE courses for University of Wisconsin Extended Campus since 2014, including integrating HIPs in two CBE-based programs, the BS of Business Administration and the Project Management certificate.

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