5 Hidden Curriculum

What is the hidden curriculum?

The hidden curriculum is the set of rules, values, and expectations that students are expected to know to succeed in higher education, but are rarely explicitly taught. It includes a wide array of skills, including: when/how to ask instructors for help, how to select courses, how to interact with peers in group work, how to effectively study for college-level exams, how to navigate their new social environment, how to find internship or research opportunities, etc.

As instructors, we often expect students to have learned these skills prior to matriculation, whether through their earlier education or at home. However, students vary widely in their understanding of this hidden curriculum with low-income students, first-generation students, and underrepresented minorities often having less exposure to this information.

How does the hidden curriculum effect…

To some degree, the hidden curriculum effects every one of our students as they try to navigate their new environment while keeping up with academic demands. As described above, low-income students, first-generation students, and underrepresented minorities are disproportionately affected by this hidden curriculum; in fact, the hidden curriculum is considered one major reason for the relatively high attrition rates within these groups.

The effects of the hidden curriculum are both academic and personal. Students with less understanding of the institutional culture often don’t clearly recognize their instructors’ expectations or know when and where to seek help. Additionally, seeing their peers’ success at navigating this culture, it can feel extremely alienating.

How do you unmask the hidden curriculum?

There are many steps that instructors can take to unmask the hidden curriculum, which is beneficial to students from all backgrounds.

First, be cognizant of the hidden curriculum. Consider the types of tasks that your students may struggle with and provide resources for them to be successful, whether by devoting class time to the topic or by recommending outside resources. Even small steps can be extremely beneficial to helping students navigate the academic culture. For example, students in an introductory-level course may benefit from an in-class introduction to effective study techniques and/or the instructor providing information about Academic Coaching through the Academic Support Center.

Second, be explicit about your expectations for student work. Provide rubrics and/or clear standards for how assignments will be graded. Whenever possible, provide students with annotated examples of strong assignments to highlight what strong work looks like and what the identifying characteristics of that work are. To take this one step further, consider following the methods proposed by the Transparency in Teaching and Learning (TILT) Project at University of Nevada Los Vegas for designing transparent assignments. In short, they emphasize the importance of providing students with clear statements of: the purpose of an assignments including the skills students will gain, the tasks necessary to complete the assignment, and criteria for success which details what a successful assignment will look like. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning also provides occasional workshops on the TILT model.

Third, be aware of resources for students struggling to understand the institutional culture and expectations. There are several programs on campus, including Groups and Hudson Holland Scholars, that provide mentoring for students in under-represented groups and focus on helping them navigate the hidden curriculum. In addition to these long-term programs, there are resources on campus that can help students with specific challenges they might face. As an instructor, be familiar with these resources so that you can recommend them to students facing challenges that may be beyond your ability to help.