Recently, Inside Higher Ed published an article highlighting a report on two studies and the growing volume of research concluding that altering the structure of courses can help close equity gaps in learning.
In the cited studies, one variation altered the order in which course content was introduced and the other altered how tests were given. Both resulted in narrower achievement gaps.
Andrew Heckler, a physics professor at Ohio State University who specializes in physics education research, said of the research, “We’re coming to a point in education where the evidence is starting to become so overwhelming that it’s almost our ethical responsibility to change what we do. We can’t ignore these kinds of results; we have to look at them and try to see if they can be replicated in our own institution.”
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Freedom Learning Group (FLG) is a learning design firm offering custom online course solutions for academic and industry partners, powered by a diverse network of instructional designers and content development specialists. Instructors can reduce equity gaps in their own institutions by working with FLG’s team of instructional designers to develop or modify course curricula and assessments to support their learners and meet their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. In addition, having diverse representation to contribute to course development aids in the creation of more inclusive content.