Research & Assessments
TLC Assessments
The Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) supports Sam Houston State University’s mission through research‑informed professional development and the continuous assessment of teaching and learning practices. TLC assessment efforts are designed to examine the impact of faculty development initiatives, strengthen instructional effectiveness, and contribute to student success and persistence. Grounded in evidence‑based andragogy and national best practices in faculty development, the TLC uses multiple measures of effectiveness to inform programming, guide improvement, and document instructional impact related to student success and persistence.
Assessment within the TLC is developmental, reflective, and improvement‑focused. Rather than serving as an evaluative function, TLC assessment practices are intended to help instructors refine their teaching, better understand student learning, and engage in continuous improvement aligned with institutional priorities.
TLC assessment activities emphasize:
- Evidence‑based teaching practices
- Formative feedback and reflection
- Data‑informed decision making
- Engaging and student‑centered learning environments
The TLC assesses instructional impact using a variety of direct and indirect measures aligned with nationally recognized approaches to evaluating teaching effectiveness. These measures allow the TLC to examine trends in teaching practices and student learning while respecting disciplinary differences and instructional contexts.
Assessment strategies may include:
- Student feedback instruments (e.g., IDEA Student Satisfaction scores)
- Comparative pre‑ and post‑participation analyses
- Course‑level outcome indicators such as Drop, Fail, and Q‑Drop (DFQ) rates
- Instructor reflection and self‑reported instructional change
TLC programming and assessment practices are informed by current research in teaching and learning, assessment, and faculty development. This includes scholarship related to:
- Multiple measures of teaching effectiveness
- Formative assessment and feedback
- Active and student-centered learning strategies
- The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)
Findings from TLC assessment efforts contribute to ongoing program improvement and support institutional initiatives focused on instructional excellence and student success.
The TLC systematically evaluates the effectiveness of its faculty development programs to ensure alignment with institutional goals related to student success, retention, and engagement. Assessment data are used to refine programming, identify effective practices, and guide future initiatives. Two of our programs which we highlight here are the national ACUE certification program and Sam Houston State Teaching & Learning Center's program called Engaging Exploration (EE), both of which improve student satisfaction through IDEA scores and lower DFQ rates.
Evidence TLC Can Provide:
- Student engagement indicators (IDEA items)
- Course success metrics (DFQ rates)
- Faculty participation in high‑impact professional development programs
- Assessment summaries demonstrating data‑informed improvement
ACUE: Demonstrated Impact
Participation in Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) certification programs demonstrates positive instructional and student learning outcomes.
Key findings include:
- IDEA Student Satisfaction:
Instructors without ACUE certification demonstrated a mean improvement score of 4.22, while instructors completing ACUE certification achieved a higher mean improvement score of 4.39.
- DFQ Rates:
Courses taught by instructors without ACUE certification showed a mean DFQ rate of 12.87, compared to a reduced mean DFQ rate of 10.48 among ACUE‑certified instructors.
Engaging Exploration Program Impact
Engaging Exploration (EE) is a four‑day, active‑learning workshop designed to promote learner‑centered instructional strategies.
Assessment results include:
- IDEA Student Satisfaction:
Instructors who completed Engaging Exploration demonstrated a mean increase of 0.18 in IDEA scores compared to those who had not participated. - DFQ Rates:
Analysis of pre‑ and post‑participation data for the same instructors indicated a mean decrease of 5.07% in DFQ rates following completion of the Engaging Exploration workshop.
TLC Research
TLC faculty pioneer research in the scholarship of teaching and learning, student-centered learning, industry best practices in active learning in the classroom, and concepts that support the university's commitment to teaching excellence. The TLC provides grants and stipends that support faculty in the pursuit of research and publishing, and conferences that provide professional development, encouraging knowledge sharing. Opportunities include presenting findings at conferences, including our annual EngageED conference in the spring. A sample of our publications follows.
These two complementary studies examined college persistence and academic success at Sam Houston State University, offering a comprehensive perspective. •
- Study 1 analyzed data from all undergraduate students (N > 17,000), using matched comparisons to explore what helps students stay enrolled.
- Study 2 focused specifically on juniors and seniors (N = 23,687), exploring how institutional supports and student characteristics impact academic performance and persistence during the final stages of college.
Together, the studies reveal a developmental perspective: early college persistence is driven by academic momentum and foundational support, while later academic success is shaped by deeper engagement and targeted institutional interventions.
How Faculty Choices Affect Course Drops
Our survey suggests that factors within faculty members’ control can have a big influence on whether students drop a course.
It’s common knowledge among faculty that there will likely be fewer students enrolled in courses at the end of the term than there were at the beginning. We all know students sometimes drop courses, and research suggests this behavior is quite prevalent at a variety of institutions.
But why do students drop courses? The answer appears to be complex. Studies typically distinguish between academic reasons—such as course schedule or difficulty and experience with the instructor—and nonacademic reasons, such as those related to finances, health and family.
As directors in the Teaching & Learning Center at Sam Houston State University, Ben Mitchell-Yellin and Chase Young wanted to find out why students at our own institution dropped their courses, or didn’t. So they anonymously surveyed 596 students at SHSU one semester.
Full title: Can Understanding Students' Decisions to Drop Help Us Solve the Enrollment Crisis? Results of a Preliminary Study. Enrollment is a serious concern for institutions of higher education. One way of addressing the issue is to seek to conform course offerings to student preferences. This article aims to show that the reasons students cite in connection with their decisions whether to drop courses is an untapped source of information about their preferences. It also suggests ways this information can inform institutional strategy without undermining crucial educational goals, with an emphasis on attending to teacher quality and courses requirements.
Full title: The Impact of the Association of College & University Educators (ACUE) Certification on Instructor Evaluations and Student Success Rates. Professional development programs can help college instructors better incorporate evidence-based teaching practices. This study examines the impact of a well-known resource: the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course in Effective Teaching Practices. ACUE advertises that its course has significant positive impacts on instructor evaluations and DFW rates; however, the evidence supporting these claims comes from studies either conducted in conjunction with ACUE or involving small sample sizes. This study largely corroborates existing research by studying a larger sample size and without financial or other incentives offered by ACUE.
This study examines the impact of a teaching grant program on student retention and perceptions of faculty teaching effectiveness in a large public university during the 2021–2022 academic year. Using propensity score matching to control for student demographic variables, 378 courses taught by previous Teaching Innovation Grants (TIGs) recipients were matched with 378 courses taught by matched non-TIG recipients. Multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance, controlling for course enrollment, revealed that courses taught by previous TIG recipients had significantly higher student evaluations of teaching and course quality. These courses also demonstrated significantly lower Ds, Fs, and withdrawal (DFW) rates, indicating improved student retention.
Engaging classroom observation: A brief measure of active learning in the college classroom
Abstract
This study aims to understand the influence of lone wolf tendencies, technology ease of use and team collaboration on the development of transactive memory systems (TMSs) and, consequently, their impact on the performance of supply chain and operations teams.++
By using a comprehensive operations management simulation involving 160 business student teams, this research tests five hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling.
Lone wolf tendencies, technology ease of use and team collaboration contribute positively to an efficient TMS. This group cognitive system, in turn, strengthens a team’s competitive position and operational efficiency. This study highlights the need to reevaluate traditional management practices that discourage candidates with lone wolf characteristics. In addition, it shows that technology ease of use not only affects individual productivity as highlighted by the technology acceptance model but also influences the team knowledge system.
Research Outcomes
This study examined the impact of three faculty development initiatives—Teaching Innovation Grant (TIG), Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Training, and Engaging Explorations (EE)—on teaching quality and student persistence (DFQ) across five analyses. For the matched analyses, instructors were statistically matched on college, gender, race, and number of students enrolled in their courses to ensure comparability. Two initiatives (ACUE and EE) also included pre–post analyses.
This report presents the findings of impact analyses for three faculty development initiatives: the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) program, the Engaging Explorations (EE) initiative, and the Teaching Innovation Grant (TIG) program. Each initiative was evaluated using propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate statistical techniques, including MANOVA, to assess outcomes related to student response rates (DFQ Rate) and teaching effectiveness (Excellent Teacher ratings).
Faculty Alerts is a proactive, pre-term program that uses local predictive analytics to identify course sections where students may benefit from earlier, embedded support. It is a faculty- and course-level proactive intervention to improve the likelihood of course completions and improve grades. It helps demonstrate how SHSU combines teaching excellence, student support, predictive analytics, and institutional collaboration to improve student outcomes without lowering academic standards.
Contact the TLC
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The Teaching & Learning Center, 1901 Avenue I, The College of Humanities & Social Sciences (CHSS) Building, Suite C002, Huntsville, TX 77340
Mailing: The Teaching & Learning Center, Box 2390, Huntsville, TX 77341-2390