Aspen University Philosophy of Teaching

Aspen has a long history in higher education and strives to be excellent in its service to students. As such, we feel that the most impactful variable on student learning is the faculty and their behaviors in the classroom. Years of educational research has consistently indicated that the teacher makes the difference. This is true regardless of context or discipline. Therefore, at Aspen we seek great instructors who dedicate themselves to the students they teach, are regularly present in the classroom, ask genuine higher-order questions to extend student learning, provide quality, fair, and specific feedback in a timely manner, provide supplemental resources beyond the basic curriculum, and continue to participate in professional development opportunities for improving their own pedagogical skills.

In terms of learning and teaching, our philosophy focuses on the partnership between the student and the instructor. Students come to college sometimes scared, underprepared, or unfocused, but with the hope of getting a degree in an area where they are passionate to improve their life economically through better career options. However, every student is different and has variable distractors which can often pull them away from committing their best effort to school. While this is not ideal, here is where a great teacher can make a difference by reaching out and working with the student to help him/her be successful in the course, sometimes only one module at a time. It is also our philosophy that great teachers are caring, motivational, clear, accountable, guiding, supportive, genuine, and understanding while at the same time holding their students accountable for learning and performing at the expected level. Great teachers are also fair, giving the grade earned (not always an A!), being a good example within the classroom (professional, ethical, frequently active, responsive, engaged in discussions), and tailoring support to where the student is currently in his/her development with course concepts. One of the most important contributions during classes is how professors can relate learning to real-world experiences, especially when the experiences are problem-centered rather than content-centered. While these seem like exceptional qualities, many of our Aspen faculty perform at these levels in their courses every day and represent a highly skilled and caring team of dedicated instructors. Aspen will continue to support faculty development opportunities to help faculty grow as great teachers.

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