Learning Brief Initiative
The Council for the Advancement of Higher Education Program’s mission is to enrich the teaching and learning experiences of students and faculty in ASHE’s constituent Higher Education Programs. ASHE has a Linkages Initiative underway that is designed to enhance connections with other professional organizations, policymakers, and practitioners to promote our mutual work in higher education. In support of this Association goal, CAHEP has partnered with Inside Higher Ed to develop topically based learning briefs.
The Learning Brief Initiative
The purpose of a learning brief is to provide research grounded commentary and group discussion questions inspired by a news story published in Inside Higher Ed. A learning brief consists of four components: an Inside Higher Ed news story with management and/or policy implications, approximately 1,000 words of commentary grounded in the scholarship of that subject, a set of 4-5 discussion questions suitable for classroom or professional development use, and a list of 4-6 additional reading suggestions. A mock example can be found below. The learning briefs will be published electronically and available as a free pdf download on the ASHE-CAHEP website and via a link from the Inside Higher Ed website and their subscriber emails. Submissions are via email attachment to one of the co-editors.
Audience
Faculty of higher education can use the learning briefs as teaching materials. Policymakers and higher education administrators can use the materials to better inform their decisions. Higher education scholars can use learning briefs to inform their scholarship.
Reviewing and Publishing Procedures
The CAHEP co-editors (Josh Powers and Rhonda McClellan) oversee the initiative. Pre-selected articles can be found at the link below, although authors are welcome to select another Inside Higher Ed news story that was not among those pre-selected for consideration. There is no restriction on who can submit a brief although higher education scholars are especially encouraged to submit.
The co-editors make the decision on which briefs to select and are responsible for final editing. The co-editors also call upon CAHEP leadership team members and/or others to assist with a review as may be needed for content expertise. Outside persons who wish to be considered as a reviewer should send one of the co-editors an email describing that interest, identify scholarship area expertise, and attach a current vita in order to be considered. Reviews by persons other than the co-editors will be blind (i.e., authors names will not be identified). Criteria for evaluation include (1) relevance of chosen article as a problem of practice or policy suitable for classroom or professional development purposes , (2) appropriateness of commentary reflective of the issues raised in the news story, (3) appropriateness of research and scholarship integrated into the commentary that link to the issues raised/reflected/inferred in the news story, and (4) adequacy and appropriateness of discussion questions.
Turnaround on reviews is expected within one month with accepted brief submissions to be ready for electronic upload within three weeks of acceptance. The call for submissions will be ongoing as will the upload of new briefs as they are ready. Briefs will be archived after one year of posting but remain accessible via a folder for “previous briefs”.
Readers will be able to find finished briefs posted on the ASHE website as a free pdf download as well as links from the Inside Higher Ed website and a link embedded in their daily email to subscribers of that service. Inside Higher Ed retains the copyright to the original articles while ASHE retains the copyright to the supplemental material produced.
