In Context

As we’ve discussed here before, coming up with an appropriate moniker for developmental education is challenging. At some institutions, these courses are deemed “transitional” or “foundational” since students are acquiring skills that will form the basis of the rest of the postsecondary study. This week, we’ll be looking at a particular approach to integrating those necessary skills and content instruction. That’s right, it’s Contextualization Week!

These Peeps are studying culinary arts and the art of mathematics. And we’re still smitten with the Washington Post's Peeps dioramas.

As defined in a recent CCRC brief on the topic, contextualization is “the teaching of basic skills in the context of disciplinary topic areas.” This week, we’ll have posts from South Africa and South Texas detailing how different institutions employ these strategies on their campuses and how they shape student experience and outcomes. We’ll also dig a little deeper into current research on effective design and implementation of contextualized curricula. Stay with us!