You’re Invited to a Free Statewide Workshop on Transparent Instruction

Mary-Ann Winkelmes

TILT, or Transparency in Learning and Teaching, is a strategy for enhancing student success. On April 9, you are invited to join Dr. Mary-Ann Winkelmes, a significant scholar of transparent instruction, for a statewide workshop on the topic.

Her session will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. Titled "Creating Equitable Learning Opportunities Through Transparent Assignment Design," the workshop is sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the newly created Virginia Educational Development Network.

Based on Winkelmes' research, transparent design helps students succeed in the classroom because it aids them in understanding the how and why of course content by explaining the purposes behind assignments and the rationales associated with tasks. She argues that just two transparent assignments per course can significantly improve student learning. Wilkelmes' theories and strategies promote equitable teaching practices and are a part of social justice education, which has proven to enhance learning outcomes for underrepresented minority students.

Dr. Winkelmes earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University and is the founding executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Brandeis University. She is also the editor, along with Allison Boye and Suzanne Tapp, of "Transparent Design in Higher Education Teaching and Leadership: A Guide to Implementing the Transparency Framework Institution-Wide to Improve Learning and Retention" (Stylus, 2019).

The workshop is free to higher education faculty and instructors in the commonwealth of Virginia, but space is limited. Register here by March 15: https://forms.gle/qCLaNtnKyuvCNeqL7. You will receive an email instructing you how to access the workshop.