With the demands for students to be competitive in a global economy, the critical questions to be asked are: How can higher education advance effective teaching practices? What is the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)? What educational institutions are partners with ACUE? What are some of the findings of ACUE’s pilot course with these institutions?

At the 98th American Council on Education (ACE) Annual meeting in San Francisco, discussions about ACUE’s course in Effective Teaching Practices was a part of the agenda and exhibit. ACUE is the Association of College and University Educators, and it was founded in 2014 by leaders in higher education to advance effective instruction, support college educators and promote student success. ACUE partners with colleges and universities to implement scalable, research-based faculty development programs leading to a certificate in Effective College Instruction.

ACUE’s course in Effective Teaching Practices helps college educators develop the essential, research-based teaching skills shown to promote student success. This innovative course showcases exemplary college educators, features leading experts in college instruction and is designed around the latest research in cognition and adult learning.

The American Council on Education has endorsed the Effective Practice Framework© as a leading statement of the professional skills and knowledge that college educators should possess. The research-based techniques presented in ACUE’s course in Effective Teaching Practices are shown to help students succeed in their studies and persist to graduation. Educators who complete ACUE’s course in Effective Teaching Practices receive a certificate in Effective College Instruction co-endorsed by ACUE and ACE.

During the Fall 2015, ACUE partnered with 20 educational institutions across the country to develop and launch its course in Effective Teaching Practices. More than 400 professors, adjunct educators and teaching assistants piloted ACUE’s course at these selected colleges and universities. According to ACUE, participating educators on the average implemented numerous research-based instructional techniques for every one-hour module completed.

Thus, nearly 90 percent found the content relevant, over 85 percent felt more confident in their teaching, 80 percent recommended the program to colleagues and 87 percent reported that students responded positively to the use of new techniques. For additional information about ACUE’s full pilot impact report, visit acue.org/impact.

Dr. Ronald Holmes is the author of 12 books: Jacob’s Dream! “A Lesson on Numbers and Birds,” “Jacob’s Dream! A Lesson on Alphabets and Continents,” “How to Eradicate Bullying,” “Education Questions to be Answered,” “Current Issues and Answers in Education,” “How to Eradicate Hazing,” “Professional Career Paths,” “Your Answers to Education Questions,” “How to revitalize the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.” “Completing the Dissertation: Tips, techniques and real-life experiences from Ph.D. graduates.” “Jacob’s Dream, A Story of Careers for Children” and Jacob’s Dream, A Story of Animals in Africa. He is publisher of “The Holmes Education Post,” an education focused Internet newspaper.  Holmes is a former teacher, school administrator and district superintendent. He can be reached at [email protected]