Integrate High-impact Practices

Teaching and learning interventions that require high levels of student engagement in educationally purposeful tasks and that result in deep learning, persistence, and student success are referred to as "high-impact practices."

The term was first used by George Kuh in his introduction to the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) annual report.

According to NSSE, high-impact practices have several characteristics in common: “they demand considerable time and effort, facilitate learning outside of the classroom, require meaningful interactions with faculty and other students, encourage collaboration with diverse others, and provide frequent and substantive feedback” (NSSE, 2018, p. 1).

Eleven high-impact practices have been identified:

1. First-year seminars and experiences 7. Writing-intensive courses
2. Diversity/global learning 8. Internships
3. Common intellectual experiences 9. Collaborative assignments and projects
4. ePortfolios 10. Capstone courses and projects
5. Learning communities 11. Undergraduate research
6. Service learning, community-based learning

The Association of American Colleges and Universities provides an excerpt by George Kuh that briefly describes each of the 11 high-impact practices which educational research suggests increase rates of student retention and student engagement.

Reference:
National Survey of Student Engagement (2018). Engagement Indicators & High-Impact Practices. Retrieved from the NSSE website:
https://nsse.indiana.edu/nsse/survey-instruments/high-impact-practices.html