Equity-Minded Instruction Strategies Overview

Deciding on the title of this module took some thought - there are a lot of terms for this particular concept. “Inclusive teaching” or the “inclusive classroom” are options. The one that I selected is “equity mindedness.” Like any term, it has its limitations; but it emphasizes the importance of the instructor’s mindset. Here is the definition from the American Association of Colleges  and Universities (AAC&U): 

The term 'Equity-Mindedness' refers to the perspective or mode of thinking exhibited by practitioners who call attention to patterns of inequity in student outcomes. These practitioners are willing to take personal and institutional responsibility for the success of their students, and critically reassess their own practices. It also requires that practitioners are race-conscious and aware of the social and historical context of exclusionary practices in American Higher Education. (Center for Urban Education (CUE), University of Southern California Links to an external site., cited in AAC&U “Making Excellence Inclusive”) 

There are so many aspects of equity-minded instruction to consider that I sincerely hope that you are not discouraged by the amount of work that may be required. I only ask that you follow the “small teaching” approach of James Lang and his book of the same title: start with one small change to improve your course. 

 

Equity vs. Antiracism

The practices suggested below are evidence-based, equity-focused classroom approaches. Some have equity as their aim, and others have antiracism as the end goal. As discussed in a previous page, these two approaches are not the same.  Equity focuses on providing resources to those most in need - extra instruction and practice for those who struggle, detailed explanations and examples for those unfamiliar with expectations. Antiracism examines the assumptions behind expectations and makes changes to the entire system.

Take for example the transparency framework (TILT). Because TILT is focused on communicating traditional classroom expectations to all students, it helps bridge the gap between where students are and where they need to be. Truly authentic anti-racist pedagogy strategies don't just encourage students to conform to expectations, the status quo. Anti-racist approaches interrogate those expectations and seek to replace them with racially-just expectations instead. This is much more complex work, and it requires thorough investigation of instructional methods, assessments, and outcomes that have the potential to change much of how a college operates. With these definitions in mind, it is clear that TILT does not seek to change what is expected in classrooms; rather, it seeks to clarify and communicate those expectations to those unfamiliar with them. It is a proven equity strategy, and the value of the approach is clear. 

Ultimately, antiracism should be the goal of higher education. But, like most major changes, it will take time. Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good. Move in the right direction. 

 

Equity-Minded Classroom Practices 

This module covers several topics related to equity-minded classroom strategies. It covers the following practices: 

  • Managing Class Climate
  • Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
  • Designing Culturally-Responsive Curriculum
  • Increasing Transparency
  • Creating Anti-Racist Assessments
  • Strengthening Equity in Online Courses (in development)
  • Supporting First-Generation Students

 

Additional Resources

If you are looking for additional resources and support on reframing your work around equity, there are many options. One is Estela Mara Bensimon, Alicia C. Dowd, and Keith Witham's "Five Principles for Enacting Equity by Design Links to an external site." in Diversity and Democracy 19.1 (2016). It provides five principles for a large-scale equity focus. They include: 1) "Clarity in language, goals, and measures is vital to effective equitable practices," 2) "'Equity-mindedness' should be the guiding paradigm for language and action," 3) "Equitable practice and policies are designed to accommodate differences in the contexts of students' learning -- not to treat all students the same," 4) "Enacting equity requires a continual process of learning, disaggregating data, and questioning assumptions about relevance and effectiveness," and 5) "Equity must be enacted as a pervasive institution- and system-wide principle." This short article has many concrete, actionable steps for putting equity into practice. 

Additionally, the CUE (The Center for Urban Education) provides a framework for equity-minded practitioners, and it also emphasizes the importance of the instructor’s mindset. And, while CUE’s emphasis is on racial equity, the principles are applicable to many student identities. For more information, see CUE’s publication “Developing a Practice of Equity-Minded Indicators Links to an external site..”  A preview of their indicators follows:

Five gears with the titles: Evidence Based, Race Conscious, Insitutionally Focused, Systemically Aware, Equity Advancing

An overview developed by Amanda Jungels and Chandani Patel from Columbia University's Center for Teaching and Learning covers many great approaches and has an excellent list of resources: "Inclusive and Equitable Assessment Practices for a Flexible Learning Environment Links to an external site.."

I have personally benefited from participating in face-to-face and online training: from EdX’ Links to an external site.s free online courses on the topic - “Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom” and “Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom” and the State Board’s mini-courses in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Professional development opportunities from SBCTC are here Links to an external site.. Seek out professionals in your own disciplines who are researching and writing on equity-related issues that affect your area of expertise.

Additional resources include: