Quality Teaching (QT) Framework

Examples of ways OSU faculty support each Sub-Principle

1. Champion a culture of Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Learning

• 1.1 Recognizes how their own identity influences the learning environment and intersects with broader cultural, social, and political contexts.
• Understanding oneself and others as socialized and cultural beings, including the examination of attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and biases.
• Exploring one’s own positionality, especially in relation to historical and contemporary experiences of power, privilege, and oppression for different communities of people.
• Modeling and promoting inclusivity by recognizing, validating, and attending to the full diversity of backgrounds, ages, cultures, thinking, proficiencies, and experiences, including educational models.
• Maintaining curiosity about one’s learners, including their names, strengths, experiences, and learning goals.
• Recognizing the power differential in learning environments, and acting with integrity and empathy.

1.2 Mitigates barriers and provides pathways for learners to achieve full participation.

• Maintaining systemic and macro perspectives, and examining disparities associated with social and cultural capital.
• Providing materials in formats that are accessible by all learners, including curricular materials designed with recommended fonts and colors.
• Consulting with experts to improve access to course materials, including DAS, Ecampus, CTL, and Valley Library Course Reserves.
• Encouraging learners to take advantage of campus support and resources, including Workshops, Writing Centers, HSRC food pantry, and emotional and mental health resources (CAPS).

1.3 Builds a sense of belonging and enables collaboration across difference.

• Creating a safe learning environment that protects students from social and structural inequities stemming from stigmatization, including racism, sexism, and ageism.
• Modeling accountability for shared mission, vision, and values by naming and confronting biases, as well as explicitly discussing expectations and mechanisms for conflict resolution.
• Recognizing and honoring that learners may share knowledge in ways that appear to conflict with traditional models of demonstrating and communicating knowledge.
• Fostering community outside of the classroom.
• Using inclusive and affirming language, and exercising generosity and curiosity before judgment.
• Providing materials, cases, or assignments that examine diverse experiences, perspectives, or populations.

1.4 Ensures each learner has the resources and experiences needed to achieve shared goals.

• Attending to the dynamic needs, strengths, and abilities of diverse learners by preparing and including a variety of assignments and assessments.
• Applying principles of Universal Design for Learning.
• Facilitating dialogue with learners to discern learning goals and priorities for the group.
• Giving learners choices for communicating knowledge in a variety of ways with equitable rigor, such as through written essays, qualitative inquiry, and creative reflection.
• Using active learning strategies that enable learners to apply their learning to real-world problems and practice professional skills, such as through case studies and group work.
• Fostering learner reflection on present work and its connections to learners’ lives and future careers.
• Incorporating service learning projects (e.g., a project that restores local historical ruins as a course based project).

2. Practices teaching as a discipline.

2.1. Demonstrates intentional and effective course design.

• Using evidence-based design principles (e.g., Backwards Design, accessibility, UDL principles).
• Using measurable course learning outcomes.
• Aligning learning outcomes with learning activities and assessments.
• Stating and implementing clear course policies and expectations.
• Using relevant and current curricular materials and resources.

2.2 Demonstrates evidence-based and disciplinary facilitation.

• Working with students to create a safe learning environment (e.g., co-creating expectations for civility, fostering community, providing encouragement and support).
• Planning effective content delivery (e.g., well-organized, chunked content, appropriately paced with wait time).
• Incorporating effective instructional methods and strategies (e.g., active lectures, interdependence and group work, metacognition, contemplative teaching, sequenced questioning, use of visuals, discussions, critical thinking).
• Planning and enacting effective interactions (e.g., learner-to-learner, learner-to-instructor, and learner-to-content).
• Implementing opportunities to motivate students (e.g., developing appreciation for the discipline, cultivating growth mindsets).
• Teaching students how to learn within the discipline (e.g., taking notes, reading, writing, retrieval and spacing practices).
• Encouraging real-world connections among and between the classroom, learners’ lives, and future careers.

2.3 Demonstrates intentional and effective assessment.

• Setting and communicating clear grading policies (e.g. late work, extra credit, grading practices)
• Using formative and summative approaches to monitor progress (e.g. pre/post assessments, un-graded, Muddiest Point)
• Using a variety of assessments that reaches learners’ varied strengths, abilities, readiness, and interests.
• Providing clear and concise directions and sharing examples .
• Embedding academic support in tasks (e.g., creating study groups, requiring consultations with writing studio, librarians, or learning support centers).
• Measuring, documenting, and using achievement data to inform instruction
• Providing meaningful, targeted, and timely feedback (e.g., progress reviews, rubrics aligned to assessments, annotations, video).
• Incorporating opportunities for revisions and learner reflection on growth (e.g., reflective essays, process memos, posttest reflections).

2.4 Learns from and contributes to professional development of teaching.

• Participating in department-level, institutional, discipline-based, interdisciplinary, or modality driven teaching communities
• Maintaining currency in discipline/content area teaching and general evidence-based teaching in higher-ed (e.g. standards, methods)
• Consulting and/or mentoring with other teaching practitioners and experts
• Seeking and/or contributing to teaching resources and support (e.g. current literature, workshops, SoTL, scholarly conferences, seminars)
• Using varied approaches to examine and inform one’s teaching (e.g. regular self-reflective activities, peer reviews, collegial observations, consultations with faculty development specialists, video reflections, mid- and end-of term student feedback).

2.5 Maintains currency in disciplinary practices and content.

• Reviewing current disciplinary standards or methods
• Reading, discussing current literature
• Attending scholarly conferences, workshops, seminars
• Performing research in these areas

3. Mentors and advises learners. 

3.1 Supports learners in their personal growth.

• Fostering trust, mutual understanding, and connection
• Listening mindfully and without judgement (e.g., words, tone, attitudes, and body language)
• Providing care (e.g., providing moral, emotional, and social support related to being in college)
• Expressing encouragement and contributing to learners’ sense of place
• Providing support during “transition” periods (e.g., undergraduate to graduate, graduate to professional)
• Helping learners identify their unique competencies and challenges to define short and long-term social goals
• Encouraging use of available resources (e.g., HSRC food pantry, mental health resources).

3.2 Supports learners in their professional growth.

• Examining degree options in relation to different careers
• Helping learners identify their unique competencies and challenges to define short and long-term research and career goals
• Connecting learners to resources, professionals, and opportunities to advance their professional skills (e.g., grant writing, networking publishing, presenting scholarship, leading projects)
• Writing letters of reference, recommendation

3.3. Supports learners in their academic growth.

• Helping learners identify their unique competencies and challenges to define short and long-term coursework and academic goals.
• Teaching learners how to take ownership of their own learning process (e.g., developing work plans, reflecting on learning outcomes from lectures or exams).
• Providing guidance on finding, interpreting, and applying scholarly works.
• Guiding learners in developing research projects with achievable outcomes.
• Supporting learners’ scholarship skills (e.g., research, writing, and verbal communication skills).
• Motivating learners to engage and persist in their studies to the best of their abilities.
• Serving as a model by sharing challenges that were overcome to accomplish academic goals.
• Providing ongoing support to assist learners in improving their performance and achieving their academic aspirations.
• Meeting regularly to communicate progress and provide purposeful feedback with undergraduate, graduate, and research learners.
• Referring learners to the appropriate technology, academic, or learner support services in response to articulated or observed needs