Equity-Minded Digital Learning Strategy Guides

In partnership with Every Learner Everywhere, Achieving the Dream has developed a set of guides centered on promoting equity in digital learning. The guides are designed to enhance teaching and learning practices with a focus on inclusivity, cultural responsiveness, and student-centered approaches. By empowering faculty to foster more inclusive and equitable learning environments, the guides hold the potential to ultimately transform the educational experience for both students and instructors. 

The set focuses on four pedagogical approaches: culturally responsive teaching, social justice education, open pedagogy, and equity-centered professional learning. Designed to facilitate active engagement for educators as they interact with the concepts presented, each of the four guides includes instructional strategies, practical implementation tips, and helpful digital tools that support the approach while providing flexibility for various methods of incorporation. 

Introduction

The Equity-Minded Digital Learning Strategy Guides are designed to support and inform higher education faculty on how to engage with pedagogies and professional learning that intentionally and authentically affirm, uplift, and liberate students through teaching and learning. By challenging traditional instructional approaches, these guides provide support and resources for creating more inclusive and equitable learning environments.  

The purpose of these guides is to advance equitable teaching and learning practices and outcomes by promoting the implementation of student-centered and culturally responsive teaching. By transforming educational experiences for both students and faculty, more inclusive and equitable learning environments can be created. The guides present the following approaches alongside practical instructional strategies that inform implementation of these equity-minded teaching and learning practices.  

As higher education continues to address eliminating inequitable outcomes in teaching and learning, these guides will help institutions embed equity, culturally responsive teaching, social justice education, and open pedagogy through evidence-based teaching practices.  

Digital tools and courseware can enhance student learning and engagement. In addition to ways faculty can incorporate technology in Learning Management Systems and courseware, the guides offer examples of digital tools connected to the instructional strategies presented. When utilized with intentionality and purpose, digital tools serve as instruments to advance equity-minded pedagogical practices.