A Reflective Approach to Enhancing Didactic Remediation

Abstract

Approaches to remediation have become increasingly important as the Academy responds to continued admissions pressures and progression monitoring by various accreditation bodies. Remediation is often driven by multifaceted issues, including enrollment numbers, academic preparedness, learner resiliency, efficacy of online delivery, graduation rates, and licensure examination success. Attitudes toward remediation may differ among faculty and students, and perspectives vary widely depending on the stakeholder group and across institutions. Each program has nuances and critical issues that make the challenges of remediation unique, and individualized approaches are often needed when defining the process for remediation. Recognizing this is a complicated issue, reframing the approach to remediation may help uncover various aspects of remediation that can be enhanced. A toolkit targeting remediation approaches for didactic coursework is provided that can be used to help programs navigate the stages of the remediation process and associated policy development. Application of the goals, reality, options, wrap-up/way forward model to identify opportunities to improve didactic remediation is described. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to remediation, taking a more customized approach to identify feasible and realistic options for a specific program’s needs is the focus of this commentary. A framework for designing and reflecting on didactic remediation approaches is threaded throughout.