The core concepts in Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)^[1] Project

The Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) project is an educational initiative designed to enhance student success through the implementation of transparent teaching methods. The core concepts of TILT revolve around making the process of learning and teaching more transparent, particularly in terms of purpose, tasks, and criteria for success. This approach aims to demystify the learning process for students, thereby improving their academic confidence, sense of belonging, and overall performance. Here are the core concepts in the TILT project:

1. Transparent Design of Assignments and Activities: This involves clearly explaining the purpose, required tasks, and success criteria for each assignment or activity. By doing so, instructors help students understand not just what they are supposed to do, but also why they are doing it and how it will be evaluated. This clarity helps students to engage more deeply with the material and to develop a better understanding of the learning objectives.

2. Purpose: The TILT framework emphasizes the importance of explaining the purpose behind assignments and activities. This includes discussing how the task contributes to the learning goals of the course, how it connects to other course content, and how it might be relevant to students’ academic, personal, or professional development. Understanding the “why” behind their work can motivate students and make the learning experience more meaningful.

3. Task: Clarity about the task involves providing detailed instructions and expectations for assignments and activities. This includes outlining the steps students need to take to complete the work, the resources they might need, and any specific requirements or formats they should follow. Clear guidance on what is expected helps students focus their efforts and reduces confusion and anxiety.

4. Criteria for Success: The TILT project advocates for transparency in how students’ work will be evaluated. This means providing detailed rubrics or criteria for success upfront, so students understand how their work will be assessed. Knowing the evaluation criteria can help students self-monitor their progress and work more effectively toward meeting the learning objectives.

5. Equitable Access to Learning: By implementing transparent teaching practices, instructors can help ensure that all students, regardless of background or prior educational experiences, have an equal opportunity to succeed. Transparency helps to level the playing field by making the implicit expectations of academic work explicit to everyone.

6. Fostering Academic Confidence and Sense of Belonging: Transparent teaching practices contribute to students’ academic confidence by providing clear pathways to success. When students understand what is expected of them and how they can achieve it, they are more likely to feel capable and motivated. Additionally, transparency can foster a sense of belonging in the classroom by creating a shared understanding and mutual respect between instructors and students.

7. Feedback and Reflection: The TILT project encourages the use of transparent feedback mechanisms and opportunities for reflection. This includes not only providing feedback on students’ work but also inviting students to reflect on their learning processes and outcomes. Such practices can enhance students’ metacognitive skills, helping them to become more self-directed and effective learners.

In summary, the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) project focuses on making the learning process clear and understandable for students through transparent teaching methods. By clearly articulating the purpose, tasks, and criteria for success of academic activities, instructors can enhance student engagement, performance, and equity in education.

The application of Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Project to HyFlex course design

The application of the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Project to HyFlex course design significantly enhances the learning experience by making the educational process more accessible, inclusive, and effective for students across different learning modalities. By integrating TILT principles, such as providing clear learning objectives, tasks, and assessment criteria, educators can offer a more structured and transparent learning environment. This approach not only supports students in understanding what is expected of them regardless of whether they participate in-person, online synchronously, or online asynchronously, but also promotes equity by ensuring all students, regardless of their chosen mode of engagement, have equal access to the information and resources they need to succeed. Consequently, the application of TILT to HyFlex courses fosters a more engaging, flexible, and student-centered learning experience that accommodates diverse learning preferences and needs.

Two Interventions for Transparent Learning Design

Supplemental to the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Project, HyFlex designers, and instructors can create course maps and course templated sites that strengthen course alignment.

For example, to help students find their way as learners, courses use predictable structures and meaningful naming conventions in course documents and the course site. Predictable structures are important to students because:

• patterns of shared information build trust between students and instructors
• students can spend their time learning rather than hunting for definitions or struggling to understand expectations

Alignment between learning objectives, activities, and assessments is critical to equity-minded learning design.

Alignment ensures that student efforts and activities relate to the ultimate goals of the course. When you design with alignment in mind, every learning element directly supports students in practicing and achieving the learning objectives necessary to meet desired outcomes.

In the Targeted Pathways project, course assignments are designed with the transparent design template from the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Project. This framework defines the purpose, tasks, and criteria for success in all assignments.

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