High Impact Practices (HIP) in Teaching College-Level Mathematics

 Mathematics is a subject that many students find challenging and intimidating. However, mathematics is also a subject that can foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. How can we teach mathematics in a way that engages students and helps them achieve their learning goals?

One possible answer is to use High Impact Practices (HIP) in teaching mathematics. HIP are instructional strategies that have been shown to increase student learning, retention, engagement, and success. According to the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), HIP share some common features:

• They demand considerable time and effort from students
• They involve interactions with faculty and peers
• They provide frequent and substantive feedback
• They connect learning to real-world contexts
• They require reflection on learning outcomes and processes

Some examples of HIP are:

• Learning communities: Students take two or more courses together as a cohort, creating a sense of belonging and collaboration.
• Undergraduate research: Students participate in original inquiry or creative work under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
• Capstone projects: Students integrate and apply their learning in a culminating experience that showcases their skills and knowledge.
• Community-based learning: Students engage in service or experiential learning activities that address community needs or issues.

These practices can be adapted and implemented in mathematics courses at various levels. For instance, students can work on mathematical modeling projects that involve real-world data and scenarios; they can conduct research on historical or contemporary topics in mathematics; they can present their findings or solutions to authentic audiences; they can tutor or mentor younger students or peers in mathematics.

Research suggests that HIP can have positive effects on student outcomes such as academic performance, retention rates, graduation rates, satisfaction, motivation, self-efficacy, identity development, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and career readiness (Kuh et al., 2010). Moreover, HIP can help reduce achievement gaps among students from different backgrounds and groups (Finley & McNair 2013).

However, HIPs are not magic bullets that work automatically for every student. They require careful design, implementation, and assessment to ensure their quality and effectiveness. Some factors that influence the impact of the HIP are:

• The alignment of HIP with course goals and outcomes
• The level of challenge and support provided to students
• The degree of integration and coherence among different HIP
• The extent of student involvement and ownership of their learning
• The frequency and duration of HIP experiences

Therefore, teachers who want to use HIP in their mathematics courses need to consider these factors when planning, facilitating and evaluating their instruction. They also need to collaborate with other faculty, staff, and community partners who can support them in implementing HIP.

In conclusion, HIPs are promising practices that can enhance mathematics teaching and learning at the college level. They can help students develop mathematical skills as well as other competencies that are essential for life-long learning. However, HIPs require intentional design, implementation, and assessment to ensure their quality and effectiveness.

References:

Finley A., & McNair T. (2013). Assessing underserved students’ engagement in high-impact practices.Washington DC: Association of American Colleges & Universities.

 Kuh G.D., Kinzie J., Schuh J.H., Whitt E.J., & Associates (2010). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter.San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass.