Top Practices
Facilitating connections between learners' prior knowledge and experiences empowers learners to feel valued for their experiences, and helps them recognize the value of their diverse backgrounds and experiences. When learners see connections between their prior knowledge and experiences and the course material, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn. Recognizing and integrating diverse experiences and perspectives helps to create an inclusive learning environment where learners feel seen and heard. Strategies to facilitate connections between learners' prior knowledge and experiences include:
Get to know learners' interests and areas of expertise:
Conduct a survey or icebreaker activity to learn about learners' hobbies, passions, and skills outside of the classroom.
Incorporate learner-led discussions or presentations on topics related to their areas of expertise.
Connect course content to real-world examples relevant to learners' lives:
Use case studies or examples from learner' communities or cultures to demonstrate how course concepts apply to real-life situations.
Encourage learners to reflect on how course material connects to their personal and professional goals.
Include a variety of perspectives or voices:
Invite guest speakers or experts from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and insights.
Use a variety of texts and media that represent diverse perspectives and experiences.
Integrate opportunities for learners to share prior experience and knowledge:
Incorporate small-group or whole-class discussions where learners can share their experiences and insights related to the course content.
Assign reflective writing prompts that encourage learners to draw connections between their prior experiences and the course material.
Discuss how their experiences help them connect to the material:
Start class with a brief discussion or reflection activity that invites learners to think about how their prior experiences and knowledge relate to the day's topic.
Ask learners to share examples of how they have applied course concepts to their own experiences.
Develop assignments and activities that invite connections to learners' experiences, communities, or personal contexts:
Assign projects or assignments that allow learners to apply course concepts to issues or challenges in their own communities.
Offer opportunities for learners to create multimedia projects that incorporate their personal interests or passions.
Providing opportunities for learners to explore their social and cultural identities throughout the course can create a space where all learners feel valued and supported. Here are strategies to help learners discover their social and cultural identity.
Begin the course with an opening survey (questionnaire) or introduction discussion board that asks learners about career and academic aspirations, their major, other courses they are currently taking, or interests in music, TV shows, movies, or sports.
Ask learners to share values in the co-creation of class norms.
Select ice breakers that promote sharing in a safe space, and in small groups
Write instructions that welcome learners to share their experiences and culture.
Encourage learners to complete a Cajta project sharing their culture, background, and traditions through thoughtfully selected artifacts of value to them.
Facilitate community discussion boards for learners to informally share and get to know one another.
Include long-term group projects where learners can get to know some other learners at a deeper level.
Model sharing through class announcements/communication or posting personal examples in a discussion post or assignment instructions.
Design activities that provide choice so that all learners can find a way to show evidence of learning in a way that is most comfortable to them.
Incorporate diverse perspectives and voices in course materials by including readings, videos, and other materials from diverse authors, experts, and communities. This can help learners see different perspectives and experiences, and feel more comfortable sharing their own.
Use reflective writing prompts to encourage learners to reflect on their own social and cultural identity, and how it shapes their experiences and perspectives. This can help learners become more aware of their own identities, and also encourage them to share with others.
Celebrate cultural events by incorporating them into the course schedule. This can be a fun way to bring learners together and learn about different cultures.
Offer resources and support for learners who may be struggling with their social and cultural identity. This could include counseling services, mentorship programs, or student groups.
Encourage learners to connect outside of class time, such as through social media groups or virtual hangouts. This can help learners build a sense of community and feel more comfortable sharing.
By incorporating these strategies, you can create a space where all learners feel valued and supported.
Engaging equitably and consistently with learners is an important aspect of creating a successful and inclusive course. Here are some strategies for achieving this:
Ask learners what they need to be successful and shape aspects of course interactions and assignments accordingly. Periodically check in to confirm if these approaches are still serving their needs.
Communicate expectations about learner attentiveness and presence in course activities and interactions.
Use ice-breaker activities and communications to build a sense of belonging and open communication about needs and expectations.
Consider creating a Learning Community Agreement to establish shared expectations.
Give learners choices for how they make their thinking and learning visible to you and others in the course. Allow them to tailor assignments to their skills and interests, so that their work and learning can be personally relevant and meaningful.
Build trust and community intentionally at the start of the course and throughout. Be sure to ask learners about any competing life priorities or challenges they may have, and work to accommodate their needs.
Co-create aspects of the course with learners while being faithful to the goals and approaches of your course. For example, check with learners on due dates and times to ensure that the schedule works well for everyone.
Be flexible and adaptable by providing choices to learners in how they demonstrate learning and mastery in course assignments and learning experiences.
Experiment with new course design elements, such as metacognitive journaling, virtual break-out rooms, multimodal/multimedia assignments, group projects, learner-led discussions, and more.
Provide clear expectations, course goals, instructions, and easy-to-access activities/assignments for the course.
Select technologies purposefully, only if they assist you to achieve a specific instructional objective more effectively or efficiently, and are supported and easy to use.
Including clear and easily findable course expectations to help learners feel more assured of their ability to manage course requirements and achieve course outcomes. Here are some strategies:
Include a basic needs statement, a names and pronouns statement, contact preferences, and a comprehensive list of course and campus academic/nonacademic learner services, policies, and procedures in your syllabus.
Provide expectations for communications and interaction to support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout your course information and materials.
Create a prominent area in your course dedicated to course information/syllabus materials intended to help your learners find their way through the most important details related to participating and succeeding in the course.
Provide instructor explanations in your course information documents to set the tone and convey your voice as the instructor.
Make course expectations explicit in your course information documents, including details about course communications, assistance/help, contact, interactions, office hours, etc.
Provide a searchable syllabus document with clear and consistent headers and subheaders, or a deconstructed syllabus that presents categories of course information in separate documents organized in an outline type format.
Provide rubrics, strategies for time management, and examples/models of high-quality work/assignments.
Use clear and consistent naming conventions for content, interaction, and assessment items, using simple titles/labels.
Use active language to guide learners to take action, such as titling course information pages with key signposts for learners to navigate through the course, and making course information and expectations explicit, clear, and easy to find.