Risky Teaching: Harnessing the Power of Uncertainty in Higher Education

Risky Teaching examines the role of risk and uncertainty in teaching and learning in higher education. Discussing the current landscape of higher education and the challenges and opportunities we face, this book synthesizes a range of evidence-based and high-impact practices both in and out of the classroom, offering practical strategies and thought-provoking ideas on educational innovation for students and faculty. Covering topics such as taking risks inside the classroom, innovative teaching methods outside the classroom, rethinking assessment, and sustaining creativity as we grow in our careers, this practical resource is for faculty and instructors to work within and through uncertainty. The book also explores the inward challenges and opportunities associated with risky teaching and how institutional leaders can encourage productive risk-taking throughout the organization. This important text is for faculty and instructors in higher education who want to help their students thrive in a complex, unscripted, and disruptive world.

Table of Contents:
Preface; PART ONE: OUR UNCERTAIN WORLD; 1: Introduction; 2: Uncertainty in Higher Education; 3: Students and Uncertainty; 4: Faculty and Uncertainty; PART TWO: TEACHING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY; 5: The Uncertain Classroom; 6: Uncertainty Beyond the Classroom; 7: Assessing Uncertainty; 8: Leadership and Uncertainty;

About the Author :
Jay W. Roberts is Provost and Dean of the Faculty at Warren Wilson College, USA.

Review :
"Jay Roberts reminds us with teaching: 'no risk, no reward.' An indispensable book and a must read for every educator." Karlyn Crowley, Provost, Ohio Wesleyan University "Risky Teaching: Learning to Embrace Uncertainty breaks new ground on a familiar question: is the risk worth it? More than a detached call for educators and institutions to embrace risk, discomfort, and challenge, this book achieves a narrative tone that is both aspirational and practical. Personal reflections give context to the research, and this relatable tone makes it a powerful resource for education leaders at all levels. Roberts claims that writing this book is in and of itself a risk; if true, then he answers the question with a resounding Yes, the risk is worth it!" Andy Mink, Vice President for Education, the National Humanities Center "In Risky Teaching, Jay Roberts acts as a guide to uncertainty as it may surface in teaching, learning, leadership, assessment, and other topics, inside the classroom and in the wider world. While each chapter is a thorough review of the topic under consideration, his attitude is the best part – I see it as the quintessential attitude conferred by a deep immersion in the liberal arts. He is not telling us the one best way to do anything, not out to squash uncertainty or eliminate risk and replace them with recipes that are sure to work. Rather, he reports on many approaches, with their pluses and minuses, and gives us guidance on how they may work for the actual students we work with." Theo Kalikow, President Emerita at the University of Maine-Farmington and mentor with the American Council on Education. “Risky Teaching was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Roberts encourages teachers to think back to the rapid and profound changes that were made in teaching during that time. This book provides contemporary and concrete examples from Roberts and his colleagues, who continue to wrestle with uncertainty in instruction, assessment, and leadership. I see this as a valuable resource to start conversations around desire and enthusiasm for innovation in teaching and learning in a unit or faculty. In his frankness and sincerity, Roberts speaks like a friendly colleague, encouraging all of us to take a risk and make the first step into the larger project of re-visioning higher education.” --From the review in Teachers College Record by Andrea Webb