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Over the past few years at Metropolitan State University of Denver, we\u2019ve increased our conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. We are a diverse community of learners and educators\u00a0committed\u00a0to educational equity.<\/p>\n
One way we can work for educational equity is through incorporating justice principles in course design and development. Students are the group most impacted by our curriculum and design decisions, and yet they are often completely unrepresented as we make decisions about our course content, develop assignments and create syllabi.<\/p>\n
One way to better incorporate more voices in course\u00a0development\u00a0is by using the\u00a0list of\u00a010 design-justice principles<\/a>\u00a0developed by the Design Justice Network. These principles are intended for a wide audience and are particularly applicable in course\u00a0creation. \u201cDesign justice rethinks design processes, centers people who are normally marginalized by design and uses collaborative, creative practices to address the deepest challenges our communities face\u201d (Design Justice Network, 2018). As educators, we can use these principles to center marginalized populations, seek student voices in our course\u00a0development and use collaborative efforts to improve our classes and course\u00a0organization.<\/p>\n Two\u00a0Design Justice Network<\/a>\u00a0(2018)\u00a0principles that are particularly relevant in the classroom are:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Centering the voices of the students\u00a0who are most directly impacted by course design gives them a chance to influence their course outcomes. Sometimes in our courses, the voice of the faculty or the course materials take center stage without leaving room for student contributions. Stepping back from this traditional classroom power structure to leave room for student voices at the heart of our curriculum allows room for collaborative exploration of course topics.<\/p>\n Students are creative about expressing their learning needs and realistic about their expectations in courses. Their feedback can enrich courses and curriculums as we apply Principle 2. Balancing the voices of faculty, students and course content in course development allows us to learn from one another in a classroom community.<\/p>\n Similarly, students bring a rich diversity of thought to our classrooms and online spaces through their lived experiences. We can provide activities that honor their experiences and help them make critical connections between their lives and our course content by implementing Principle 6. Although students may not (yet!) be experts in the content area of the course, they are experts in their experiences. MSU Denver has many diverse and nontraditional students who bring unique and creative contributions to the learning space, helping the learning community identify connections between course content and practical application. Re-centering students in the classroom and in course design allows for deeper, more equitable learning that supports our entire learning community.<\/p>\n Read the whole list of\u00a0design-justice principles<\/a>\u00a0and consider how you might apply them as you develop your course. What stands out to you? What is a simple way you can make changes in your course design?<\/p>\n **Bonus: Try to provide some form of compensation for participating students such as a small gift card or through a mentoring relationship. This avoids exploiting students\u00a0who are giving their time to improve your\u00a0course.<\/p>\n Alber, R. (2015, June 30).\u00a0Teach using the lived experiences of your students.\u00a0<\/em>Edutopia.\u00a0https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/teach-using-lived-experiences-your-students-rebecca-alber<\/a><\/p>\n Design Justice Network. (November, 2020).\u00a0Design Justice Network Principles.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>https:\/\/designjustice.org\/read-the-principles<\/a><\/p>\n Duquesne University (2021).\u00a0Benefits, impact and process of early course evaluations.<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/www.duq.edu\/about\/centers-and-institutes\/center-for-teaching-excellence\/feedback-on-teaching\/benefits-of-early-course-evaluations<\/a><\/p>\n Edutopia (2015, June 23).\u00a0Gaining understanding on what your students know:<\/em><\/p>\n Quick, ungraded assessments help teachers know what their students understand from the day\u2019s lesson.<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/practice\/exit-tickets-checking-understanding<\/a><\/p>\n Mulnix, A. B (2020, September 11).\u00a0From inclusion to equity: Pedagogies that close achievement gaps.<\/em>\u00a0Faculty Focus.\u00a0https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/articles\/equality-inclusion-and-diversity\/from-inclusion-to-equity-pedagogies-that-close-achievement-gaps\/<\/a><\/p>\n Portland State University Library (2021, September 30).\u00a0Culturally responsive and inclusive curriculum resources: Creating culturally responsive curriculum.\u00a0<\/em>https:\/\/guides.library.pdx.edu\/c.php?g=527355&p=3605354<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Over the past few years at Metropolitan State University of Denver, we\u2019ve increased our conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. We are a diverse community of learners and educators\u00a0committed\u00a0to educational equity. One way we can work for educational equity is through incorporating justice principles in course … <\/p>\n\n
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References\u00a0and resources\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n