Faculty and staff members completed a study on academic challenge, and they presented their research recently at the 2016 Association for Psychological Science Convention in Chicago.

John Pinto	Dharma Jairam	Alden Stout

Morningside College faculty and staff members completed a study on academic challenge, and they presented their research recently at the 2016 Association for Psychological Science Convention in Chicago.

Conducting the study were John Pinto, associate vice president for graduate programs and institutional assessment; Dharma Jairam, assistant professor in the graduate education program; and Alden Stout, assistant professor of philosophy.

The authors reported two main findings.  First, instructors who academically challenge students are perceived as better instructors, and students reported higher levels of learning.  Second, the relationship was significantly enhanced when students perceived faculty support. The study suggests that students value being academically challenged and, to an even greater extent, value faculty support.  The results have implications for improved teaching and learning.