Module 1: Chickering and Gamson's 7 Principles

Chickering and Gamson’s 7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

(1987) 

The seven principles for good practice are:

1. Encouraging student-faculty contact

2. Encouraging cooperation among students

3. Encouraging active learning

4. Giving prompt feedback

5. Emphasizing time on task

6. Communicating high expectations

7. Respecting diverse talents and ways of learning

Classroom Techniques Using the Seven Principles:

• E-mail your students or use Blackboard Announcements• Use Discussion Boards or in-class/EV discussions• Use Blackboard teams or EV Breakout rooms or group

projects• Use Blackboard in grading and offering quick feedback • Offer in-class feedback on discussions or classwork• Use the ERAU template to help students navigate the course

and spend more time on task• Communicate high expectations through the course syllabus

and in every interaction with students• Provide multiple resources and activities for your students

For more information on the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, please scroll through the following

resources.

Abstract: Seven principles that can help to improve undergraduate education are identified. Based on research on college teaching and learning, good practice in undergraduate education: (1) encourages contacts between students and faculty; (2) develops reciprocity and cooperation among students; (3) uses active learning techniques; (4) gives prompt feedback; (5) emphasizes time on task; (6) communicates high expectations; and (7) respects diverse talents and ways of learning. Examples of approaches that have been used in different kinds of college in the last few years are described. In addition, the implications of these principles for the way states fund and govern higher education and for the way institutions are run are briefly discussed. Examples of good approaches include: freshman seminars on important topics taught by senior faculty; learning groups of five to seven students who meet regularly during class to solve problems set by the instructor; active learning using structured exercises, discussions, team projects, and peer critiques, as well as internships and independent study; and mastery learning, contract learning, and computer-assisted instruction approaches, which required adequate time on learning. (SW)

• This is the original article where Chickering and Gamson describe each of the Principles. This the reference that is used whenever the seven principles are referenced.

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, (March), 3-7.  

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1999). Development and adaptations of the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 89(Winter), 75-81.

Abstract: The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education were a huge success when they were first issued in the mid-1980s, and they have continued to be refined and used in a variety of ways since then.

• This article discusses the adoption of the seven principles for the first 10 years after they were introduced. It offers additional information of how the principles were developed and how others have used and adapted the principles in the classroom and in research.

Braxton, J. M., Olsen, D., & Simmons, A. (1998). Affinity disciplines and the use of principles of good practice for undergraduate education. Research in Higher Education, 39(3), 299-318.  

Abstract: Academic disciplines with soft paradigmatic development tend to have an affinity for more readily enacting practices designed to improve undergraduate education than do hard paradigmatic development disciplines. This study extends the affinity discipline hypothesis to Chickering and Gamson’s seven principles of good practice. The affinity discipline hypothesis garners empirical support for four of the seven principles of good practice: encouragement of faculty-student contact, encouragement of active learning, communication of high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and ways of knowing. Implication for theory and practice are suggested by the findings of this study.

• This article illustrates how the seven principles have been applied in research. Braxton, Olsen, and Simmons (1998) found the seven principles presented with different levels of strength for different disciples, so not all disciplines used the same principles to the same degree. They also include the instrument they used to evaluate the Seven Principles.

Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B., Craner, J., & Duffy, T. M. (2001). Seven principles of effective teaching: A practical lens for evaluating online courses. The Technology Source Archives at the University of North Carolina, (March/April)  

No abstract provided

• This article provides a great “list of ‘lessons learned’ for online instruction that correspond to the original seven principles” (Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner & Duffy, 2001). The list is very practical list of techniques that can be used in the online classroom and the Principle that they correspond with.

McCabe, D. B., & Meuter, M. L. (2011). A student view of technology in the classroom: Does it enhance the seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education? Journal of Marketing Education, 33(2), 149-159. doi:10.1177/0273475311410847

Abstract: There has been an explosion of classroom technologies, yet there is a lack of research investigating the connection between classroom technology and student learning. This research project explores faculty usage of classroom-based course management software, student usage and opinions of these software tools, and an exploration of whether or not the use of classroom-based course management software enhances student perceptions of learning based on the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. The authors find that although students enjoy using many of the course management tools, they do not see the tools as highly effective at enhancing the learning experience. When designing courses and considering if or how to use course management tools, it is critical for faculty to consider the connection between the Seven Principle for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and the specific technology tools. Implications of the research findings and suggestions for improved use of classroom management software tools are provided.

• This article brings in the student perception of the Seven Principles and how they see the connection between the Principles and Blackboard.

Karen L Hathaway. (2013). An application of the seven principles of good practice to online courses. Research in Higher Education Journal, 22, 1-13 

Abstract: Online learning has become a more common way to earn a college degree during the past 10 years. Therefore, curriculum designers must evaluate the best ways in which to deliver information and assess students knowledge in an online forum. One way in which online courses can be designed is by using Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles of Good Practice (1996). This article analyzes the usefulness of each of the principles and suggests ways in which the principle can be implemented effectively in an online forum.

• I really like this article. It offers a nice overview of the seven principles, then relates them to online teaching techniques. Even if you don’t teach online, it gives great examples of how to bring the principles into the classroom.

The TLT Group. Seven principles TLT ideas & resources. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.tltgroup.org/seven/Home.htm

The TLT Group is the official Seven Principles Group. They have been compiling resources for the seven principles since the 90s. Some of the links are out of date, but there is a lot of quick information available on their website.

Center for Teaching Excellence, Virginia Commonwealth University. (2009). Online teaching and learning resource guide: 7 principles of good practice in online teaching. Retrieved 4/3, 2014, from https://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/03_05_7Principles.html

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Teaching Excellence has developed some great resources around the seven principles including a page for each principle with an example case of how it can be implemented in the classroom.