As schools reopen for in-person instruction, a Hofstra professor explains how findings from a recent study push for a return to student collaborative work. // Photo courtesy of Getty Images/iStockphoto.
Hofstra University’s Office of the Provost virtually held the 56th Annual Spring Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Wednesday, April 14, presented by Dr. Andrea Libresco, a professor in the department of teaching, learning and technology. This year’s theme: “How much authentic intellectual work is taking place in your classes?” highlighted the importance of critical thinking and collaborative work inside the classroom that contributes to more thoughtful inquiry and overall student engagement. The lecture also discussed how authentic intellectual work (AIW) develops a deeper knowledge of ideas than standardized test preparation lends itself to.
Libresco conducted a study analyzing the amount of authentic pedagogy – dynamic instruction and assessment that leads to significant student achievement – offered in secondary schools, questioning how much variation exists between the teachers in their experiences offered to students.
From this basic assessment, she was able to determine if students from different social and academic backgrounds experienced intellectual instruction and how AIW impacts the knowledge needed for state-mandated testing.
“I’m not a good standardized test taker,” said Julianna Kantor, a sophomore drama performance major. She further explained how high school teachers left students feeling unprepared come exam season.
AIW is the collective term for the standards used in assessing the degree to which teaching and learning go beyond reproduction of prior knowledge, engage students in disciplined inquiry, require complex communication of student understandings and feature work that has value beyond school.
After conducting two stages of study with 52 teachers from 17 different schools (who teach grades eight to 11,) Libresco discovered low levels of authentic pedagogy with moderate AIW scores that indicated some challenging teaching. In terms of students, there was a positive correlation between high authentic pedagogy and how well students performed on their exams.
“There’s something deep, mysterious and liberating about disciplined, respectful conversation,” said Terry Godlove, professor in the department of philosophy. “[It’s] something that can move you forward.”
Libresco reflected on her own journey as a professor, commenting on how she teaches how she learned, regardless of local standardized testing protocols.
“We were able to unlock engaging and thoughtful work that broke away from templated writing and strict memorization,” Libresco said.
Jordan Zalewski, a junior forensic science major, noted how she found AIW in her seminar circles during both her high school English and history classes. Her current major, however, is a different story.
“Chemistry labs are just bouncing ideas off of each other,” Zalewski said. She described how many of her college courses involve self-teaching with dense textbooks or PowerPoint lectures.
With the conclusion that authentic pedagogy does not harm, but may enhance performance on high stakes tests, Libresco followed up with lower-scoring teachers from the initial study to increase the number of classrooms where students experience authentic pedagogy.
Some of her suggestions to produce AIW included the mix of lectures and discussions during classes, varying class sizes and furthering the professional development of faculty in ways to best help the students.
With the University’s plans to resume full in-person instruction in the fall, professors can now apply the tools provided by Libresco to create a richer educational experience. After a Zoom-heavy year, students are eager to get back into an actual classroom.
“I can’t pay attention behind a screen. I need to actively be in a physical discussion to process what’s going on,” said Brian Kreidberg, a senior computer engineering major.
Hofstra University professors are encouraged to analyze their lesson plans and teaching styles to see if they are doing positive AIW inside their classrooms.
