Information for Course Instructors

Supporting our Students

Despite their incredible preparation for Caltech, some students may struggle in your course. The CTLO provides resources for students and faculty to help students succeed in every course at Caltech.

Course Design for Student Success

Students are more successful in courses when:

The course helps students link to accurate and sufficient prior knowledge.
- Communicate clearly to students about what skills they need to have mastered before beginning the course. Assess those skills early on so students have an accurate vision of their abilities. Provide resources to fill gaps in this necessary knowledge.
The organization of the course is clear and concepts are explicitly connected to each other.
- Give students a map to the course organization by having clear learning objectives and a well-organized course site. Encourage students to create a concept map throughout the course to encourage them to make connections between key ideas in the course. Experts (you) and novices (your students) organize knowledge differently - make explicit connections among concepts during class. Monitor students' work for problems in their knowledge organization.
Students are motivated - they value the material and have an expectancy of success.
- Connect the material to students' interests and provide real-world, authentic tasks. Connect the course material to previous and future courses. Ensure that assessments are appropriate and transparent - they are at an appropriate level of challenge, have clear guidelines and grading rubrics, and provide fair and effective feedback fro improvement. Provide students with early success opportunities and low-stakes practice so they can learn from their mistakes.
The course provides opportunities to develop mastery.
- Break down complex tasks into smaller sets of component skills and give students the chance to develop and improve those skills throughout the course. Give students opportunities to apply skills or knowledge in diverse contexts - to practice transferring skills from one area to another.
The course provides plenty of practice and feedback.
- Give students low-stakes (little to no points attached) practice opportunities with immediate feedback so they can identify errors early on. Provide feedback on strengths as well as weaknesses. Ask students to specify how they used feedback in subsequent work.
The course promotes student growth and a productive climate.
- Embrace uncertainty and resist a single right answer. Model a growth mindset, inclusive language, and active listening. Give feedback that promotes future growth rather than a fixed level of ability.
The course helps students develop into self-directed learners.
- Encourage students to assess their understanding on a regular basis. Prompt students to analyze the effectiveness of their study skills. Present multiple strategies for approaching course material and course assignments.

Teach Students How to Learn

Not all students have an understanding of how learning works and may be stuck in "study" mode rather than "learn" mode. Help students understand the importance of the following strategies by explicitly mentioning them in your course:

Peer Academic Coaching

The Deans' Office provides Peer Academic Coaching at no cost to students. PACs are students who have taken the course before and have also received training in how to lead effective tutoring sessions that focus on study skills and problem-solving. If a student is struggling in your course, please consider recommending to them that they find a Peer Academic Coach at the PAC Scheduling Site.