“The Professor Actually Really Cares, and They Want You to Know Why You’re Doing It”: Exploring Traditionally Underserved Students’ Experiences With Transparent Assignment Design
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Authors
Glover, Azure Star
Issue Date
2026-05-31
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Education, Higher , Curriculum planning , College freshmen , Inclusive education , First-generation college students , Dissertations, Academic , Educational equalization , College students--Services for , College student orientation , Educational equalization , Self-efficacy , Belonging (Social psychology)
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how first-year college students from traditionally underserved populations describe their sense of belonging as a function of being in a freshman seminar course that implemented transparent assignment design (TAD). Degree attainment has been associated with many individual and societal benefits (Davis et al., 2025; Phillips et al., 2020; Wilson, 2023). However, traditionally underserved students are less likely to attain a degree (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2024a), a phenomenon that has been described as the equity gap. This gap is due in part to noncognitive factors such as sense of belonging and self-efficacy (Tinto, 2017a). To address this gap, a variety of high-impact practices have been implemented in higher education to support students at risk of attrition (Kuh, 2008). Transparent assignment design is one such practice that has been shown to improve self-reported academic success indicators such as sense of belonging and self-efficacy, especially among traditionally underserved students (Winkelmes et al., 2016, 2019). I used narrative inquiry to explore the experiences of six first-year students from traditionally underserved backgrounds in freshman seminar courses that implemented TAD at California State University, Northridge in Fall 2024. Major findings suggest that despite some negative student experiences with TAD, the framework addresses the equity gap by supporting students in overcoming the hidden curriculum. TAD clarifies assignment expectations to students from traditionally underserved communities, especially for complicated or novel tasks. Results may inform faculty and administrative decisions in higher education, with broader societal implications.
Description
Citation
Glover, Azure Star. “'The Professor Actually Really Cares, and They Want You to Know Why You’re Doing It': Exploring Traditionally Underserved Students’ Experiences with Transparent Assignment Design," Ed.D. diss., Valdosta State University, 2026. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7742
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License
This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.