Tag Archives: equity

DEI Learning

Promoting Equity and Belonging in Online STEM: Strategies for Culturally Responsive Practices

2 Comments

The inclusion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in education fosters diversity and provides opportunities for students from various cultural backgrounds to engage in a comprehensive and enriching educational experience.

Culturally responsive teaching is a pedagogical approach that utilizes the cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of diverse students to enhance and personalize their learning experiences (Culturally Responsive STEM Committee, 2021). It goes beyond merely recognizing cultural differences; it actively incorporates these differences into the teaching process to create a classroom environment where all students feel valued, respected, and empowered to participate meaningfully. 

Adopting this approach entails tailoring teaching methods to align with students’ cultural experiences, thereby enhancing the relatability and engagement of the learning content (Thompson & Perez, 2021). Educators are tasked with actively seeking and integrating diverse perspectives into their teaching strategies, fostering an environment where students feel acknowledged and valued. As the educational journey unfolds, continual reflection and adaptation become crucial, ensuring responsiveness to the ever-changing cultural dynamics within the learning environment. 

Promoting Cultural Responsiveness in Online STEM Education

Educators who are committed to fostering an inclusive classroom that celebrates and respects students’ diverse backgrounds can empower all learners to thrive in a transformative academic environment.  Here are some strategies that educators can use to help them do so:  

Make Everyone Feel Welcome: Create a friendly online space where students from divergent backgrounds feel comfortable and respected.  For example, discussion boards where students share their cultural perspectives could foster a positive environment, ensuring everyone feels valued and respected. 

Use Diverse Examples and Culturally Relevant Resources: Include diverse types of resources and examples in your lessons to make sure everyone can relate to the material.   For example, in a history lesson, include narratives in recordings from various regions or cultures, ensuring that the material is relatable and accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. This approach could enhance the learning experience, making it more relevant and engaging for a diverse student body. 

Organize Community Engagement: Connecting students to STEM communities, organizations, and role models from diverse backgrounds is crucial. This could help students to feel a sense of belonging and may encourage them to pursue STEM fields. Educators can actively facilitate these connections by introducing guest speakers presentations, establishing access to field trips (both in-person and virtually), or promoting student participation in relevant organizations on campus. 

Establish Equity and Access: Educators should work to ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities. This may involve addressing disparities in access to technology, providing additional support for students with varying language abilities, and accommodating different learning styles and abilities. 

Use Inclusive Language and Explore Different Cultures: Use language that respects and acknowledges unfamiliar cultural perspectives and backgrounds. Avoid assumptions or stereotypes.  

Try learning about diverse cultures while being sensitive to them in your teaching.  For instance, in a lesson on scientific advancements, incorporate case studies highlighting collaborative efforts from scientists across the globe, emphasizing the global nature of STEM research. This approach could underscore cultural sensitivity in STEM learning, illustrating the interconnectedness of scientific achievements across diverse communities and creating an inclusive educational experience. 

Group of graduates, gathering joyfully.

Personalize Student Learning: Understand that each student learns differently and tailor the teaching to their needs.  Acknowledge the individual learning styles of each student and customize your teaching methods accordingly. Ensure fairness by allowing students the freedom to choose how they demonstrate their understanding. For instance, on a science assignment, provide options such as conducting an experiment, building a model, or delivering a brief presentation to display their comprehension. This approach could help to acknowledge diverse learning styles and strengths, creating an inclusive assessment environment. 

Encourage Group Work: Encourage students to work with classmates from divergent backgrounds.   For example, on a group assignment, deliberately pair students from diverse cultural or ethnic backgrounds to encourage a dynamic exchange of ideas. This collaborative method not only develops teamwork skills but could also provides students with valuable insights from various perspectives, creating a more inclusive and culturally diverse learning environment. 

Include Different Perspectives: Diverse cultures bring unique perspectives to STEM, so try showing how unfamiliar cultures think about different STEM topics.   Indigenous cultures often blend science with spirituality, Eastern philosophies emphasize balance, African cultures value community collaboration, Arab/Islamic cultures integrate faith and science, Latin American indigenous communities prioritize nature, and Nordic societies focus on societal impact (Thevenot, 2021). Recognizing these diverse perspectives could enrich the global understanding of STEM. 

These simple changes can help make online STEM courses better for everyone, no matter where they come from.  Culturally responsive teaching in STEM is an ongoing journey that involves a commitment to openness, feedback, and inclusivity. It is about continuously striving to create a learning environment where students from all cultural backgrounds feel valued and empowered to succeed in the STEM fields. 

Adding cultural responsive teaching could further enhance the learning environment for students who may need extra consideration. If you want to explore how to incorporate this type of teaching strategy into your online course, the SCSU Online and Distance Learning team can help.  You can reach out to us via email or through Bookings.

Additional Reading:

For more information on any of the following topics, please check out our previous blog articles.

References: 

Culturally Responsive STEM Committee. (2021, February 10). About the Culturally Responsive STEM Initiative. STEMteachersNYC. https://stemteachersnyc.org/culturally-responsive-stem/ 

Thompson, C. & Perez, R. (2021). Strategies for culturally responsive online teaching in STEM. Online Learning Consortium. https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/webinar/strategies-for-culturally-responsive-online-teaching-in-stem/ 

Thevenot, Y. (2021, July 26). Culturally responsive and sustaining STEM curriculum as a problem-based science approach to supporting student achievement for black and Latinx students. NYU Steinhardt. https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/vue/culturally-responsive-and-sustaining-stem-curriculum-problem-based-science-approach  

Woit, S. (2022). Person Holding Glucose, Medicine Students [Photograph]. SCSU photos. https://stcloudstate.smugmug.com/CastleCampus/i-MGQxHg4 

Woit, S. (2022). Group of graduates, gathering joyfully. [Photograph]. SCSU photos.  https://stcloudstate.smugmug.com/2023EconomicImpact/i-r44z7bp 

 

Monisha Mohannaidu, currently serving as a Graduate Assistant at SCSU, brings three years of valuable experience from her work with advertising agencies around the world. Apart from her professional background, she is an enthusiastic individual who has actively participated in several art workshops and has a proficiency in graphic design. 

DEI Learning

Creating Accessible Content for Equity and Inclusion in the Online Classroom

Leave a comment

Providing learning materials and activities in the online environment, so that all students can learn, is imperative for equity and inclusion within the course. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, all people with disabilities are afforded the “equal opportunity as those without disabilities, no matter the sector (transportation, school, work, etc.)” (United States Department of Justice [DOJ], n.d., para. 1). Only individual students with documented needs are guaranteed specific accommodations under the ADA, to help make learning more accessible. In a higher education setting, these accommodations can be anything from extended time on assessments to screen reading software on their devices. By adding accessibility to the learning materials and activities within the course, faculty can make learning available for those students who may need some assistance but do not have a documented need.  

Unfortunately, adding accessibility to a course is not always considered, which in the end could negatively affect those who need it. There are several reasons this is occurring: 

  1. Faculty do not think about it or simply forget to incorporate it 
  2. Faculty lack proper training on how to properly incorporate it 
  3. Faculty are not interested in taking the necessary steps to incorporate it 
  4. Faculty have a misunderstanding on which materials need accessibility added 

No matter the reason, a helpful solution is providing ample opportunities for faculty to be introduced, re-introduced, reminded, and properly trained by offering accessibility training (webinars, workshops, guides, etc.). By keeping this practice in the forefront of faculty’s minds it can also help to make the enactment occur more readily. This action would fall in line with the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives put forth by the university. 

ADA and the Classroom 

As stated previously, the ADA was added to the category of civil rights laws that attempt to “add equity to spaces without it for people with disabilities, to achieve equality” (DOJ, n.d., para. 1). Equity means that an individual’s needs are recognized and that resources are provided to ensure fairness and equality (Merriam-Webster, n.d.; Morton & Fasching-Varner, 2015). Equality means the same treatment is afforded to everyone as it pertains to “equal access to opportunities and benefits in society” (Anderson, 2022, p. 4).  

This allows for services provided by the law to be used by those who need them but can also be used by all. By doing so, it establishes environments and situations that are inclusive for everyone. For example, ramps for elevated surfaces. These were intended for those in wheelchairs. Ramps could also be helpful for users of assistive equipment (walkers, canes, or clutches), strollers (or other wheeled contraptions), pain sufferers, and those with recent injuries or surgeries.  

Cartoon image of a drawing showcasing the difference between equality (left image) and equity (right image). Scene at a baseball game of 3 people of different heights peering over a fence. the Equality side provides crates of the same height for all to use. In the equity image, crates tall enough for all to see the game are provided.

(Interaction Institute for Social Change & Maguire, 2016) 

Implementing Accessibility 

The D2L Brightspace LMS (Learning Management System) is already accessible, but when it comes to adding accessibility to learning materials and activities, each object has its own set of features to be added. Below are simplistic tables, with the key features, for reference. Notice that objects are separated by “text only” and “others” in the separate tables, to make for easier usage. Microsoft Office applications and Adobe Acrobat have accessibility checkers built into them to identify the issues and information on how to fix them. For further assistance, please reference this website on Tools for Promoting Disability Access and Inclusion.   

 
Object (text only)
Features
How it helps
PowerPoint slides 
  1. Reading order 
  1. Allows screen reading software to read slides in the correct order 
WORD  
  1. Headings 
  2. Sans serif font
  1. Allows screen reading software to pause, which signals a new section 
  2. Allows the visually impaired (or dyslexic) to read the words more clearly 
PDFs  
  1. Language 
  2.  Title 
  3.  Tags 
  4. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) 
  1. Allows screen reading software to read aloud the content correctly   
  2. Allows screen reading software to search and identify documents better 
  3. Allows screen reading software to identify features readily accessible in WORD documents (headings, lists, tables, etc.) 
  4. Allows the document to be searched for specific words, the text to be selected, and the screen reading software to read aloud the content correctly   
Excel Spreadsheets 
  1. Names (cells, ranges, worksheets) 
  2.  A1 cell 
  3.  Simple design 
  1. Allows screen reading software to readily identify the purpose of each 
  2. Signals the screen reading software to begin reading at the A1 cell 
  3. Allows screen reading software to keep up with its location as it reads the document 
Tables  
  1. Headers first row 
  2. Repeat header rows 
  3. Alternative (Alt) text 
  1. Allows screen reading software to identify the information on the top row  
  2. Allows the heading to appear at the top of any rows that spread to subsequent pages 
  3.  Allows the visually impaired and screen reader software to read the title and description of the table’s content 
 
Object (Other)
Features
How it helps
Videos 
  1. Captions 

 

  1. Transcript 
  1. Both allow the hearing impaired (physical or environmental) to read what the speakers are saying 
Images 
  1. Alternative (alt) text 
  1. Allows the visually impaired and screen reader software to read the context of the image (not for images deemed decorative)  
Audio (only) 
  1. Transcript 
  1. Allows the hearing impaired to read what the speakers are saying 
Links (to outside sources) 
  1. Embedding URLs to word(s) within a statement 
  1. Allows screen reading software to easily identify hyperlinked text 
Colors 
  1. High contrast 
  1. Allows the visually impaired (and with neurological conditions) to better read the text  

There are a couple of places that could offer assistance for faculty and staff who need it. The first is the Student Accessibility Services (SAS), which assists students, faculty, and staff with the accommodations they need to be successful.  SCSU Online is also equipped to walk faculty through the processes that make their content more assessable. Lastly, the Minnesota State Network for Educational Development (NED) offers short courses and webinars on accessibility.  

If you want to learn more about adding accessibility to your course, reach out to us via email or through Bookings. The SCSU Online and Distance Learning team can walk you through the process for any of your content.  

Additional Reading:  

For more information on any of the following topics, please check out our previous blog articles. 

References:  

Anderson, N. (2022). Enhancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) in open educational resources (OER) – Australian edition. University of Southern Queensland.  

Booth, C. (2020). Girl sitting on a couch using a laptop [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/girl-sitting-on-a-couch-using-a-laptop-4058219/ 

Equity and equality image was created by Angus Maguire and adapted under the public domain from: Interaction Institute for Social Change. (2016). Illustrating equality vs equity. [Joint Photographic Experts Group]. https://www.interactioninstitute.org and https://www.madewithangus.com.  

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Equity. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 15, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equity  

Microsoft (n.d.). Make your Excel documents accessible to people with disabilities.  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-your-excel-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-6cc05fc5-1314-48b5-8eb3-683e49b3e593#namecells_win 

Morton, B., & Fasching-Varner, K. (2015). Equity (Vol. 1.) (S. Thompson, Ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.  

United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). Introduction to the Americans with disabilities act. Americans with Disabilities Act. https://www.ada.gov/topics/intro-to-ada/  

DEI Learning

Adding Accessibility to Learning Materials

Leave a comment

Fair and equal access to education is a necessity for all students. This includes students with impairments who might encounter difficulties accessing conventional educational resources.  By making learning materials and activities more inclusive, a fair and equitable learning environment can be established for all students.  This can be established by making your educational resources accessible.

Accessibility in the Online Classroom

Accessibility in education is critical because it ensures that all students have equal access to educational resources and materials. Students with impairments, such as those who are visually or hearing impaired, may require modifications to use regular learning resources. Teachers can guarantee that all students have the chance to learn and achieve by offering resources that are accessible (Karger & Lazar, 2014).

Teachers can contribute to ensuring that all students have equitable access to all learning materials and activities by applying a variety of accessibility elements. There are several ways to apply accessibility, including:

Providing alternative text for images

This is a brief explanation of an image that enables readers with visual impairments to comprehend its content. It is known as alternative text, or “alt text.” Make sure to add alt text for all of the images when developing educational materials.

Alt text is a short explanation of a picture that helps students who are blind or visually impaired understand its content. When designing instructional resources, it is critical to provide alt text for all photos, except for images used as decorations, which should be labeled as such to avoid misunderstanding.

Using closed captioning for videos

Closed captioning displays the words of the audio in a video into text.   Doing so makes it easier for deaf students to comprehend what is being said. Closed captioning is easy to enable and should always be used when producing videos for educational purposes.

Using accessible document formats

Use formats that are user-friendly to all students when developing documents. Providing accessible formatted documents allows students who may use screen readers to properly identify and read aloud the presented information.  For instance, when using a PDF, provide things like headers, lists, titles, language, tags, and alternative texts to adequately ensure that all of the information can be conveyed to a student.  An easy way to remember these considerations is with the acronym SCULPT (Wilson, 2020, para. 3):

  • Structure documents with headings
  • Colors that have strong contrast
  • Use of alt text for non-decorative images
  • Links provided in descriptions
  • Plain, simple, and clear language
  • Table structures that are simple
Providing accessible online platforms

Make sure all students can access the learning materials and activities on the provided internet platforms. This involves making sure the platform is appropriate for assistive technology such as braille displays or screen readers.  Accessibility information can be found on any websites used outside of D2L.  The D2L Brightspace platform is accessible.  Teachers will have to make sure what is added into D2L is too.

Get Started with Accessibility

With a little time and effort, accessibility can be easily incorporated into any learning material.  When accessibility is kept in mind while searching for and developing materials for a course, it makes providing equity and inclusivity in the course easier. Following these steps will be a good start to becoming more knowledgeable and familiar with adding accessibility to a course.

  • Gain knowledge on accessibility best practices. To better meet different student needs and promote an inclusive learning environment, instructors will want to learn about accessibility best practices.  Best practices are a great starting point to build from and grow your knowledge.  These can be obtained through professional development and training sessions, seminars, and online resources.  The Student Accessibility Services (SAS) website is a great place to start a search. Their office provides faculty and students with the information they need for understanding and receiving accessibility services and materials.
  • Collaborate with students with disabilities. When it comes to accessing learning resources, teachers should collaborate with students who have disabilities to understand their requirements and preferences. Open lines of communication with these students could help them to feel more included in the course (Van Noy et al., 2015). This collaboration could also assist with improving knowledge and awareness through gained insight, provided by students who use the materials.
  • Share knowledge with colleagues. By sharing knowledge this may foster a more welcoming and fair learning environment for all students. Regularly collaborating with those colleagues who are knowledgeable about accessibility practices can help to increase awareness, understanding, and implementation (Van Noy et al., 2015). 

Although it can take a little additional work, making learning materials and activities accessible is a crucial step.   Making the classroom more inclusive and equitable for all students provides everyone a fair chance to learn.

Various Microsoft Office apps and Adobe Acrobat contain accessibility features and checkers already built in to help with incorporating accessibility into your learning materials. If you need any assistance with this, the SCSU Online and Distance Learning team can provide guidance and tools to get you on the right track. Reach out to us via email or through Bookings.

Additional Reading:

For more information about creating inclusivity within a course, check out this previous blog post.

For more information on equity through the use of technology, check out this previous post.

References:

Garcia, V. (2020). Photo Of Person Pointing On The Screen [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-pointing-on-the-screen-6326107/

Karger, J., & Lazar, J. (2014). Ensuring that students with text-related disabilities have access to digital learning materials: A policy discussion. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 40(1), 33-38.

National Center on Deaf-Blindness. (n.d.). Why is accessibility important? Retrieved August 13, 2019, from https://www.nationaldb.org/for-state-deaf-blind-projects/accessibility-toolkit/why-accessibility-is-important/#:~:text=Accessibility%20means%20that%20all%20people,members%20of%20the%20digital%20world 

Seale, J., Draffan, E. A., & Wald, M. (2010). Digital agility and digital decision-making: Conceptualising digital inclusion in the 21st century. Studies in Higher Education, 35(4), 445–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070903131628

Van Noy, M., Heidkamp, M., & Kaltz, C. (2015). How are Community Colleges Serving the Needs of Older Students with Disabilities? NTAR Leadership Center. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/odep/pdf/communitycollegesolderstudents.pdf

Wilson, H. (2020). SCULPT [Infographic]. AbilityNet. Retrieved on April 24, 2023 from https://abilitynet.org.uk/news-blogs/everyone-can-sculpt-accessibility 

 

Harihara Varma Aketi is a Graduate Assistant at the Online and Distance Learning department at Saint Cloud State University. He did his bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, and currently, he is pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science at Saint Cloud State University.

 

DEI Learning

Equity and Technology in the Learning Environment

Leave a comment

Nowadays, learning, ideas & information’ sharing is dependent on technology hence it is high time to get familiar with Equity and Technology.

The Minnesota State Network for Educational Development (NED) Equity and Technology short course was designed to get participants familiar with equity while providing learning through technology. As per the course, equity and technology was defined as, “equitable access to learning technology & information irrespective of learners’ socio-economic status, age, ethnicity, physical ability, or any other quality” (Hill, 2022, slide 3). The course was about the creation of a learning environment in which every learner had equitable access to all technologies which were in use throughout the learning process.

To implement equity and technology, it was recommended to apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in connection with Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). With UDL, the learning process is designed to accommodate all learners’ needs and abilities. It is a framework based on three guiding principles: Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means of Representation, and Multiple Means of Action & Expression within learning. While CRT refers to the style of teaching and learning that facilitates the equitable achievement for all students / learners through recognition of the fact that culture is a powerful force in shaping how students see themselves and the world around them.

Seven Tips to Design Learning with Equity and Technology in Mind

The following seven tips were described in the course as ways to incorporate UDL and CRT frameworks in course design to support equitable learning outcomes.

  1. Start Small: Pick one instructional problem, one learning experience, and one assessment to begin.
  2. Keep It Manageable: Implement a small change and build on it over time.
  3. Focus on Learning Goals: Provide clear explanations for the assignment’s learning goals.
  4. Connect to UDL and CRT: Brainstorm ways to apply UDL principles in connection with CRT in order to enhance equitable learning outcomes.
  5. Select Technology Last: First, decide on the multiple means of engagement, representation, or action & expression, then select the technology that can support that means. Make sure that the technology and content chosen support access and accessibility.
  6. Let Students Lead: Make learning more interactive and engaging by involving students in the learning process. Also, consider improving learning experiences, then make sure students’ inputs are implemented to drive changes to the learning process.
  7. Build Community: Connect with other faculty on-campus who are engaging in UDL with CRT, and equity to share ideas.
Recommendations

The following recommendations are based on my self-reflection of the Equity and Technology (Fall 2022) course materials and my personal experiences working on several MBA online course design projects.

  1. Provide D2L Student Orientation: Provide guidance, support, and training to students on how to use the technology linked to their learning. This support should also include how to engage in productive online discussions, and how to locate and upload assignments in D2L.
  2. Establish Instructor Presence: Create course-specific instructional videos with transcripts to clarify the learning expectations for students. Instructional videos will also provide details about how multiple modes of communication could be used throughout the course and how students should prepare for it. Videos should not be too long in duration, with a recommended length of 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add an Optional “All Class Meetings” to the Schedule: Introduce and implement synchronous sessions through the use of the break-out room feature as it will encourage communication between students and incorporate multiple means of representation.
  4. Ask for Student Feedback Often: Incorporate student feedback loops (throughout the course) for learning quality improvement. Through the incorporation of feedback loops during the course, faculty and the institute will be in a better position to assess the feedback in real-time and improve the learning outcomes for existing and upcoming students.

When you add accessibility and diversity to the design of your course, you can make learning that can be accessed by different types of students.  These are the guiding principles that are identified by Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Learning.  If you are interested in learning more about either of these frameworks, please reach out to the SCSU Online and Distance Learning team.  We can be reach via email or through Bookings.

References:

Abegglen, S., Aparicio-Ting, F. E., Arcellana-Panlilio, M., Behjat, L., Brown, B., Clancy, T. L., DesJardine, P., Din, C., Dyjur, P., Ferreira, C., Hughson, E. A., Kassan, A., Klinke, C., Kurz, E., Neuhaus, F., Pletnyova, G., Paul, R. M., Peschl, H., Peschl, R., & Squance, R. T. T. (2021). Incorporating Universal Design for Learning in Disciplinary Contexts in Higher Education (M. Arcellana-Panlilio and P. Dyjur, Eds.). Calgary, AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Guide Series.

Bass, G., & Lawrence-Riddell, M. (2020, January 20). Culturally responsive teaching and UDL. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/culturally-responsive-teaching-and-udl/

Hill, T. (2022, November 13). Equity and Technology [Online course]. MnSite. https://mnsite.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/home/6046808

Novak, K. (2022, October 12). If equity is a priority, UDL is a must. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/udl-equity/

Pixaby. (2016). Library high angle photo [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/library-high-angle-photro-159775/

 

Shagufta Naeem is a Graduate Assistant at the Online and Distance Learning department at Saint Cloud State University. She is an ACCA Member with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting, a CFA Charter-holder and is pursuing an MBA from SCSU. She has 8 years of work experience specific to Corporate Credit, Audit, Risk Assurance, Internal Controls, and Financial Management.