High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Spectrum: Introducing the High-Engagement Experiences (HEEs) Taxonomy
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Abstract
Abstract: High-Engagement Experiences, or HEEs, are introduced as part of a new classification taxonomy: The High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Spectrum. The introduction of the HIPs Spectrum is relevant because it expands educators’ definition of HIPs from binary to a more nuanced continuum, which lays the foundation for future research on HIPs and HEEs that can translate into practical implications for curriculum and student success. We propose a quantitative scale for measuring and classifying courses along the HIPs Spectrum, which ranges from ‘Neither HEE nor HIP’, to ‘HEE’, to ‘HIP’ based upon Kuh and colleagues' (2013) widely-used Universal Elements of HIPs. This scale is part of a course classification system that is foundational for a comprehensive assessment process to measure the impact of the HIPs Spectrum on student success (i.e., course completion rates, grades, retention). We demonstrate this rating system using a School of Business at a midwestern regional comprehensive university in the United States. The assessment process and initial results are shared and discussed–including the disbursement of the HIPs Spectrum classifications across majors. We discuss the impact on faculty and students, limitations, contributions, and future research. The assessment process delineated can be used as a model for other colleges and universities.
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