In What the Best College Teachers Do, Ken Bain advocates the pedagogical practice of backward design. Instructors can apply this method to courses and individual lessons: They should designate a course’s learning objectives, create content that is guided by these objectives, and then determine how they will assess their students’ learning. This method centers student needs rather than the simple transfer of knowledge.

Bain’s teaching philosophy emphasizes deep learning over strategic learning, rote memorization, and regurgitation of facts. A natural critical learning environment that centers research questions is key to fostering deep learning. This learning fosters understanding and skills that students can employ beyond the classroom.

Bain defines effective instructors (or “the best teachers”) as possessing several significant qualities. First, they have a record of fostering deep learning among their students. Second, they engage in active learning practices that support a naturally critical learning environment that is student-centered. They often structure their classes around a central project that allows students to investigate intriguing questions or issues. They foster a sense of community in their classes, treat their students with respect, engender trust, and support a safe learning environment. Their students are allowed to try and fail under the guidance of a compassionate mentor who centers the intrinsic reward of learning rather than doling out judgment via grades.