Textbooks and Course Materials

As you review the textbooks and required materials for the course, ask the following guiding questions:

• Do the reading materials amplify the struggles, advancements, achievements, and experiences of authors from a variety of racial, gender, cultural, (dis)ability, and experiential backgrounds?

• Are diverse authors represented?

• Are the texts current – do they address current issues that are relevant and meaningful to students?

• Do they encourage students to connect course content to their sociocultural backgrounds and/or the sociocultural backgrounds of others?

• Do the textbooks engage in respectful discussion of history and contemporary experiences of discrimination, racism, exclusion, and marginalization?

• Are the language and content accessible to students from a variety of backgrounds and abilities?

• Are the texts appropriate for the prerequisites and course level?

• Are there free texts available? Check with the OER librarian. (Accessibility and affordability issues in education disproportionately affect marginalized groups)

• Are the textbooks compatible with screen readers and other accessibility technologies?