Illusions of Rigor

We tend to teach as we were taught, even if it is not always the best way. What may have worked for some students in the past, does not work for all students now. While it is true that higher order learning is difficult and teachers need to set high standards, we should be careful not to confuse rigor with bias. In "Illusions of Rigor" Craig Nelson (2010) sets out a series of common misconceptions often held by teaching faculty.

Dysfunctional illusion of rigor 1: Hard courses weed out weak students. When students fail it is primarily due to inability, weak preparation, or lack of effort.

In his summary, Rick Reis confesses, "This was the way I had viewed my own education. When I did poorly, I blamed my own lack of effort, not flaws in the pedagogy."

More realistic view: Students fail due to rigid course design. When more active and peer learning are included student outcomes improve even in classes traditionally regarded as difficult. This is especially true in STEM related fields and classes with higher numbers of first generation and traditionally underrepresented students. When students feel like they belong in your class they are far more likely to succeed.

In one remarkable study by Treisman (1992), failure and withdrawal rates of African American students in a calculus class fell from 60 to 4 percent just by adding more peer support and active learning to the class. Hard classes often follow a rigid course design implicitly biased against students not socialized in the norms and routines of college classes.

How to improve: Add more flexibility to course design. Respect students, create an environment for a community of learners who can engage in active and collaborative learning with plenty of feedback from the teacher and each other. Contact the CTE or sign up for a workshop on teaching essentials and universal course design.

Nelson, C. (2010). 10: Dysfunctional Illusions of Rigor. To Improve the Academy, 28(20200828). https://doi.org/10.3998/tia.17063888.0028.014

Treisman, U. (1992). Studying students studying calculus: A look at the lives of minority mathematics students in college. College Mathematics Journal, 23(5), 362–372.