Designing for Equity

When designing courses to be equitable for all students, consider the selection, distribution, and engagement options in your course.

The Peralta Equity Rubric is Creative Commons licensed (CC-BY-SA) and can be used to guide your process in designing equity into your course in key areas such as:

Technology: Mitigating digital divide and access issues, providing alternative pathways to engage in course activities
Student resources and supports: Highlighting ways that student wellness and student supports are integrated
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Aligning content and activities with UDL principles (see more about UDL)
Diversity and Inclusion: Modeling the value of diverse identities, backgrounds, and cultures in communications and activities
Images and Representation: Reflecting a broad range of diverse images and voices; exceptions are explained and discussed
Human Bias: Identifying bias in content and activities
Content Meaning: Connecting communications and activities to students' lives and futures
Connection and Belonging: Modeling caring and connection among students and the instructor in communications and activities

This equity guide is supported by a companion document with additional resources for further information and research.

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

Strategies for teaching in traumatic times have become ever more pressing in online learning. Some resources to discover more about what to do when students disclose personal trauma, or when trauma has impacted your teaching, can be helpful. Here are some that may guide your design and delivery of trauma-informed teaching and learning events.

UBC ECPS: Workshops on Trauma-Informed Practice
BCcampus workshop notes/slides: In It Together: Building Community and Enacting Care in Online Learning presented by Brenna Clark-Grey and Ian Linkletter (Additional links and resources available).