Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) is a small and easy teaching strategy that has a big impact on student learning. The basic idea is that you explain to the students WHY you are having them do particular activities, such as homework, projects, and exams.

Why would this have a big impact? It turns out that most students have no idea that instructors carefully choose course activities to increase student learning. This means that they are often unmotivated and do the minimum work necessary. It also means that they are not "learning how to learn," which is an extremely valuable skill.

There are three simple parts to "TILTing" an assignment:

1. Explain the purpose of the assignment. What does it teach? Why is it relevant?

2. Describe the task in some detail. Provide examples with annotations, if possible.

3. Explain the criteria for grading. A rubric is great! Encourage self-assessment and peer assessment.

Here is a great set of examples of how to TILT.

An Example of TILT

Let's imagine that you have "flipped" your classroom. You ask students to read materials before class each week and create a concept map of the reading to earn a few points. If you simply explain the assignment, many students will complain about having to do homework ("busywork"), and they may choose to skip it and lose the points. They may also complain in the student evaluations that you are not doing your job of teaching the class.

Now imagine instead that you told students (in the syllabus, on the assignment template, and/or verbally) that you wanted them to get an overview of the content before class so that you could spend class time in activities that would help them understand the material in more depth. Imagine that you also told them that by creating the concept maps themselves, they would be studying for the exams. And imagine that you told them the maps were so critical to learning, that you would give them half of the points if they turned it in late because you want them to learn. In this situation, you would probably find that most students would complete the maps on time and that many would begin using the maps for other classes. Your student evaluations might even contain praise for teaching them about the maps and mention that they are now using them in other classes.

This second version is the true story of what happened when I (Gwynn Mettetal) flipped my classroom. Through the years, I have learned that explaining my thinking to students results in more motivated students, better learning, and better course evaluations. I have also come to realize that if I cannot give a good explanation to students, I might want to re-think my policy or strategy.

The TILT Higher Ed Project

TILT was developed by Mary-Ann Winkelmes and is now being used by faculty around the world. One of the strengths of the program is that each faculty member can decide how to implement TILT concepts in his or her own classrooms. You can decide to use TILT with a single assignment in a single class, or you can jump in and use it for all aspects of your class. You can use the TILT templates and resources as you make changes, or you can ignore them. You can officially join the project through the TILT website, or you can simply make changes on your own.

Winkelmas led a workshop on TILT for LEAP Indiana in 2017--the presentation slides give a great overview of TILT.

Winkelmas Workshop slides

Winkelmas Workshop handout

The TILT website is full of valuable resources. The "support" link at the bottom has templates, interviews, and examples. The Transparent Methods link is a great place to get an overview of the possible ways to TILT your class. The Higher Ed Examples and Resources page will give you many concrete ideas. The Frequently Asked Questions link is also very informative.

This UNC Writing Center handout for students on how to read an assignment follows same principles but goes further with helpful advice. The examples are humorous, so students might actually read it!

Interested?

Please feel free to contact UCET if you would like more information. We are planning to hold workshops and organize Faculty Learning Communities to encourage faculty to implement TILT in their classes.