Description

Join us as we kick off the 2024 Peralta Online Equity Conference with a brief welcome address by Peralta's Vice Chancellor of Educational Services, Dr. Tina Vasconcellos, followed by opening discussion led by Peralta Equity Initiative members. 

Outcomes

• Examine a model of equitable online teaching that is linked with high rates of belonging online and positive changes in faculty mindsets and teaching behaviors. 

• Explore eight research-based humanized online teaching elements that maximize verbal and non-verbal cues with care and high expectations. 

• Share an openly licensed version of the Humanizing Online STEM Academy with your colleagues.

Description

"How can I be a 'warm demander' online?" We'll show you! This session explores a statewide, intersegmental grant project that is scaling a model of humanized online teaching across California public higher education. Humanizing is an instructional model for asynchronous online courses that incorporates validating instructor-student relationships and psychologically inclusive course design to create online learning experiences that welcome and support all students. The project's research links humanizing with high rates of belonging online, particularly among students from racially minoritized groups. You will be introduced to a six-week online Academy that levels up the digital fluency of faculty by having them create a liquid syllabus and seven other humanized elements that function as "kindness cues" of social inclusion. In the end, STEM faculty report feeling more aware of the influence of their online teaching behaviors on student performance and more intentional in their efforts to portray themselves as approachable online. Students report having more interactions with their instructor and the sense that their instructor cares about their learning.

Outcomes

• Cultivate critical AI literacy and digital citizenship

• Amplify the voices of historically marginalized communities

• Increase civic engagement by questioning and re-imagining a world that is just and equitable

• Amplify counternarratives and opportunities to share stories with digital media and project based learning

Description

Beyond the hype, at the intersection of critical digital and media literacy, we will explore the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) while cultivating critical AI literacy skills and digital citizenship as a feature of civic education. This includes deciphering deep fakes (the use of AI that manipulates video, audio, and/or images), countering disinformation, misinformation, bots, algorithmic bias and harm; and understanding the importance of protecting the public and democracy. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (2024) "AI has exponentially increased the need for students to understand and be able to critically analyze algorithms and how they impact our online and offline lives. Algorithmic literacy includes knowledge of the underlying principles, processes, and biases that shape algorithms and their implications for individuals, society, and decision-making. It also includes understanding how to interact effectively with AI and the ethical implications of using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.” As equity and citizenship advocates, students, educators and leaders can create counternarratives to the inequitable systems, policies and practices that reinforce the status quo. We will elevate youth-centered counterdemos at the classroom and school community level, utilizing digital tools and strategies to connect, build movement, and advance equity and social justice. The aim of this session is to inspire ways to move counter to the dominant technoptimistic narrative of AI hype toward a critical civic dialogue for co-creating the future.

Outcomes

• Describe intercultural competence strategies 

Description

TBD

Outcomes

• Gain an overall understanding of the contribution of an ODL Higher Education Institution (HEI) in a developing nation for enhancing educational opportunities. 

• Get an insight into the recent initiative undertaken by the University for widening the outreach of the institution and providing access to higher education. 

• Acquire detailed knowhow of the progress of the Channel Based Counselling (CBC) efforts in reaching the target audience.

Description

Indira Gandhi National Open University is a national public higher education institution with international presence, mandated to provide higher education through sustainable ecosystems for the hitherto deprived and unreached population through hybrid mode. The main objective is to build equitable knowledge societies by inclusive methods, innovative technologies, and converging means of teaching and learning. It aims to contribute towards providing opportunities for attaining higher education by reaching out to the stakeholders within the country and abroad. 

With the sustained efforts to provide higher education to the people across the country, the University has a well-defined methodology for ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities.  There is an amalgamation of techniques for reaching out to the learners which includes face to face and online sessions, two-way audio Gyan Vani radio programmes, lectures through Gyan Darshan and Channel Based Counselling (CBC) through Swayamprabha television channels. Swayamprabha is a group of 40 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programs on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15b satellite. Everyday there is a new content for at least four hours which is repeated five more times in a day. IGNOU has been entrusted with the responsibility of national coordinator for Swayamprabha for six channels. With the objective of ensuring optimum outreach, the content on these channels is delivered in 14 Indian regional languages and in English. 

In the proposed synchronous session, we plan to share the highlights of this CBC project. We would showcase the efforts made by the University in successfully reaching out to the stakeholders through this innovative medium. In the light of aforesaid deliberations, our presentation focuses on the recent developments of the University towards promoting inclusivity across the country.

Outcomes

• Recognize the Importance of Accessibility: Describe why accessibility is crucial in educational environments, recognizing its impact on inclusivity, student success, and legal compliance. 

• Implement Accessibility in Course Design: Gain practical skills and knowledge to apply accessibility guidelines within the Canvas LMS, ensuring course materials are accessible to all students.

Description

Significance of creating inclusive educational content meets the diverse needs of all students, and not only those with disabilities. Highlighting the critical role of accessibility for equitable access to education, this session emphasizes adherence to legal and ethical standards, like ADA compliance, and explores the positive impact of accessible course materials on student success. It offers a concise overview of accessibility guidelines, demonstrating how Canvas LMS supports these principles through built-in tools and best practices. Attendees will learn to implement accessible design in course materials, enhancing the learning experience for every student.

Outcomes

• Explore how equity can inform program design.

• Apply equity-minded principles to increase access, diversity, and inclusion  and remove institutional barriers.

• Design learning experiences that support students and foster connection and belonging.

Description

Martin Luther College is designing its first fully online, credit-based competency-based education program to support returning adult learners in becoming licensed elementary school teachers. The process of moving our elementary education program through the state and accreditor approval processes has helped us identify and address institutional barriers to student access and success. Additionally, as we have intentionally adopted Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and a commitment to Open Educational Resources (OER) in our course design process, we are growing an understanding across our campus for the potential to create supportive, engaging learning environments online.  

Outcomes

• Outline how a HyFlex course modality promotes equity and universal design. 

• Describe the benefits and challenges of HyFlex.

• Apply strategies to mitigate HyFlex challenges.

Description

Hybrid Flexible (HyFlex) instruction is a pedagogical method that provides an equity focused, student-centered experience, offering learners the choice of three different modalities of instruction: face-to-face, synchronous online and asynchronous online. There are a great number of advantages to this approach, but it does not come without its challenges. Instructors may find undertaking a HyFlex modality daunting as there are many moving parts, but these difficulties can be overcome with a methodical process. In this study, full and part time faculty members from six campuses of a large urban university system completed a survey regarding the challenges they faced in executing a HyFlex course, as well as the strategies they employed to mitigate those challenges.  The results show that both technology and logistical factors posed the greatest challenges, and that communication and planning were essential in helping to manage them. In this workshop, we will discuss HyFlex and Equity; as well as how instructors can create a UDL-centered, HyFlex Classroom Culture. 

Keywords: HyFlex, UDL, Asynchronous, Synchronous, Challenges, Pedagogical Strategies, Technology

Outcomes

• Describe at least two Admissions and Records Office practices that can be changed to become more student-centered and equitable. 

• List at least two technology practices that can be remediated to be more student-centered. 

• Describe an overall approach to setting college-wide policies that can lead to great access and equity for students. 

Description

Leadership from the California Virtual Campus (CVC) will share examples around technology, Admissions & Records (A&R), Financial Aid, and Student Services where college policies have unintentionally created institutional barriers for students. The presentation will include a discussion of these barriers and suggested remediations to make them more equitable for students, as well as recommendations for an overall approach to setting institutional policies to make them student-centered.

Outcomes

• Emotional Intelligence - Dive into the fundamentals of EI, including self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivation. Discover how these components contribute to more meaningful and empathetic DEI engagement.  

• Self-Awareness & Bias Recognition - Explore how self-awareness enhances your ability to recognize biases, assumptions, and personal triggers that can impact your interactions and decision-making in DEI contexts.  

• Inclusive Communication - Discover how implicit biases can affect communication and hinder effective DEI engagement. Develop communication skills that promote active listening and understanding across diverse perspectives. 

Description

Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and growth with our workshop, "Empowering Change Within." In the realm of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, the foundation for meaningful and sustainable change lies within each individual. Understanding that the foundation of fostering genuine change lies within oneself is crucial. Effectively propelling DEI efforts becomes considerably challenging without this self-awareness and commitment. This workshop sheds light on the profound impact of self-work in driving effective DEI initiatives, fostering personal growth, and catalyzing societal transformation. In this session, participants will be empowered to explore their biases, assumptions, and Emotional Intelligence. 

Outcomes

• Analyze the theoretical foundations of equity in education to critically evaluate instructional practices. 

• Implement practical strategies and tools tailored to promote inclusivity in teaching and learning environments. 

• Foster an inclusive environment where all students feel valued and empowered to learn. 

• Generate actionable ideas to inspire all learners, ensuring that no student is left behind in their educational journey.

Description

Discover equitable and inclusive strategies for impactful teaching and learning. Inclusive pedagogy transcends mere facilitation; it embodies the epitome of scholarly excellence. Participants will learn the theoretical foundations underpinning equity in education, helping them to critically evaluate their instructional practices. Participants will acquire a list of practical strategies and tools tailored to promote inclusivity, fostering an environment where all students feel valued. Participants will be empowered with actionable ideas to help inspire all learners, ensuring no student is left behind. This short presentation will elevate any teaching approach and help unlock the full potential of every student.   

Outcomes

• Gain a better understanding of the connection between the Digital Divide and AI equity as related to access and attainment

Description

In today's information driven world, the ability to access, aggregate, analyze, synthesize, and otherwise use vast amounts of information and access knowledge on demand increasingly makes data literacy an absolute necessity. The potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to dramatically transform access and attainment through personalized learning at scale, as well as in providing agency to every learner in following paths to better success is extremely attractive. However, the exacerbation of the digital divide with the potential addition of systemic bias and gaps in AI literacy are concerning. With the increasing use and adoption of AI by businesses it is imperative that institutions of higher education prepare students for success in the fast-changing workplace. In large part this necessitates not only that the existing digital divide is not widened but rather that steps be taken to close that gap while also attaining equity in AI. It is thus critical that the higher education sector, as a group, define equity as related to AI.

In general, equity, or the lack thereof, as related to AI in higher education could be thought of in terms of four levels - (1) Access to Technology/Tools, (2) Access to Training/Expertise, (3) Access to Resources to Attain AI Literacy, and (4) Ability to Apply these for socioeconomic mobility.

This presentation will focus on these aspects and chart a path towards addressing them, and advocating for the resources and policies to make this possible. 

Outcomes

• Explore how colleges participating in the CTE CoLab Initiative (ctecolab.org) worked to address inequities within their CTE online and hybrid programs, and the lessons learned from these efforts. 

• Review the data insights that inform the CTE CoLab initiative and the colleges’ action strategies. 

Description

The Career and Technical Education CoLab (CTE CoLab) aims to reduce disparities in academic and career outcomes for students of color—especially students who are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous—enrolled in credit-bearing online postsecondary CTE programs.

This presentation will summarize research findings from the first phase of the CTE CoLab Initiative. It will contextualize issues of racial equity and online/hybrid learning in postsecondary CTE, provide insights on racial equity gaps in CTE student outcomes from national and CTE CoLab data, and suggest strategies on how to address these gaps (such as how colleges can examine data to better understand racial equity gaps in student outcomes, design courses for equity, support equity consciousness at a broader level, and conduct further research on effective approaches). 

The presentation will also summarize the equity action planning process the CTE CoLab colleges participated in as part of the initiative. I will highlight strategies the colleges implemented to support students and recommendations informed by lessons learned along the way. Key strategies include increasing student supports, centering equity in online instruction delivery, and engaging with employers.

Outcomes

• Describe how social annotation assignments can increase equity and belonging in courses. 

• Evaluate potential annotation assignments applicable for their own teaching purposes.

Description

We'll first broadly discuss pedagogical strategies for increasing equity and belonging in teaching and learning with social annotation. Then, we'll dive into specific strategies instructors can use with Hypothesis social annotation in their own courses. We'll also provide a short demo on how you can set up a Hypothesis-enabled reading in your online course in Canvas. Participants can expect to come away from the workshop with concrete assignment ideas for using Hypothesis social annotation with equity and belonging in mind.

Outcomes

• Describe the current digital ethics principles in ePortfolio practices, particularly in the context of AI integration. 

• Engage in reflective practices to identify and challenge biases, fostering a more equitable approach to ePortfolio development and assessment. 

• Acquire tangible strategies and tools to integrate AI responsibly and equitably into their ePortfolio practices, promoting inclusive learning experiences.

Description

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to permeate educational landscapes, the intersection between digital ethics, equity, and ePortfolios has become a pivotal area of exploration. ePortfolios are both an inclusive assessment tool that encourages metacognition and reflection and a digital written artifact that could be outsourced to AI content creation. Building on the work of the AAEEBL Digital Ethics Task Force, this session delves into the evolving principles of digital ethics in ePortfolio practices as they relate to AI-assisted ePortfolio creation. Specifically, we will scrutinize how AI impacts the equity dimensions within ePortfolio creation, assessment, and utilization, and offer strategies for AI as a tool ePortfolio creators can use for learning. 

Participants will engage in reflective exercises to uncover implicit biases, question existing norms, and explore innovative ways to integrate AI responsibly into ePortfolios while upholding principles of equity and inclusion.

Outcomes

• Identify best practices implemented in creating a EDI service project for students.  

• Engage with one another in discussion of similar initiatives within their institutions.  

• Describe the barriers and challenges in the development and implementation of a sense of community for students. 

Description

Your Voices: Listening, Learning, and Sharing was made possible by the San José State University AY 2022-2023 Assigned Time for Exceptional Levels of Service Award. Your Voices was a project that provided underrepresented students in library and information science and applied data science the opportunity to share their stories, support each other, and learn from information professionals like themselves on how to navigate equity, diversity, and inclusion. The project consisted of three elements—community learning spaces, e-newsletters, and webinars—that were executed four times during the project’s lifecycle.

For AY 2024-2025, Dr. Villagran received another Exceptional Levels of Service Award to build off the experiences and data collected over the Your Voices project. Students: Amplifying Your Voices (SAYV) is a service project focusing on community learning spaces, a Discord server channel, and a podcast series for underrepresented students. SAYV has the following goals in mind:

1. Have spaces for underrepresented students to interact by implementing student-centered spaces where students can freely exchange ideas with each other.

2. Share stories through podcasts that people can listen to in their own time to make the stories feel more natural and personable and elevate the voices of underrepresented students.

3. Giving back resources and information to the community by encouraging students to get involved in more networking experiences.

This session will highlight the Best Practices Guide which was developed as an outcome of the Your Voices project as well as plans for the upcoming SAYV project. 

Outcomes

• Outline research on human-centered design, anti-racist work to build a PD course.

• Outline equity-minded pedagogy training developed for the Community of Practice.

• Describe having discussions with faculty about how to use data to increase learning equity.

Description

The Equity-Minded Pedagogy Community of Practice (CoP) is a California State University systemwide initiative to provide a space for practitioners to make equity-minded changes to their courses.” Working with the CoP, faculty 1) Map their identities, reflect on experience with oppression, and/or privilege) 2) make data-driven decisions by reviewing institutional data, data on college-level achievement gaps, and finally data on inequities in their own course; 3) engage in the co-creation of their course with student input using interviewing for empathy practices; and 4) set data-driven goals to improve inequities in their classroom and positively impact retention and graduation at Fresno State. The CoP supports faculty in gaining core skills: oppression consciousness, data stewardship, interviewing for empathy, and prototyping and co-creation. The workshop will consist of participants identifying an identity where they have been oppressed and an identity where they hold privilege. Reflections on identity mapping and data reflections from the CoP will be shared. Participants will then engage in a Systems Mapping activity. Co-creation, prototyping for change, and processes for solutions will then be shared.

Outcomes

• Describe multimodal course modalities that would fit their individual course offerings. 

• Describe barriers to learner participation within online courses. 

• Assess the appropriateness of multimodal learning for your individual course. 

• Create equity based course maps for the various participation modalities offered in your course.

Description

This session introduces multimodal course mapping for instructors as an equity tool for learner access. Courses that offer multiple modalities can increase student participation and provide a level of flexibility that could resolve attendance issues and increase inclusion in online courses. Participants will learn what a multimodal course offering looks like, assess whether multimodal courses are an appropriate fit, and will be walked through an equity course mapping  to ensure that all learners have access and are included in learning processes.

Outcomes

• Explain how partnerships between campus experts support inclusion and belongingness at a systems level.

• Discuss Dr. Tara Yosso’s framework of Community Cultural Wealth.

• Identify levels of oppression Analyze the concepts of “servingness” (Garcia, 2019) for higher education.  

• Explore bilingual Canvas Starter Kits that allow instructors to incorporate students’ linguistic and cultural wealth into courses.  

• Inspire instructors to include the bilingual starter kits in their future courses. 

Description

In this presentation, we will share how the creation of the bilingual course starter kits is an effort to serve students who are native or heritage Spanish speakers that are inclusive of all students, including those with disabilities. This presentation is grounded in the community “cultural wealth,” “Servingness,” Belongingness,” and the Four “I’s” of Oppression. Yosso’s (2005) concept of Community Cultural Wealth is an asset-based approach in which the knowledge and behaviors students bring to the learning environment are acknowledged as strengths. Garcia (2019) discusses indicators that demonstrate servingness (i.e., persistence, development of academic self-concept, and critical consciousness, etc.). Cohen (2022) defines belonging as “the feeling that we’re part of a larger group that values, respects, and cares for us and to which we feel we have something to contribute. Bell (2013) identifies the Four I’s of Oppression as ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized. 

The creation of simultaneous and sequential bilingual kits works to embed Spanish-speaking students’ full linguistic repertoire into the course. These kits allow instructors to center learners’ linguistic and cultural wealth as they de-center English and offer a more inclusive linguistic approach. With the intent to increase student belongingness that reflects the intersectionality of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), interdisciplinary partnerships worked together. The final kits reflect the respective expertise of world language faculty, social justice advocates, instructional designers, and an inclusion and accessibility specialist with a shared dedication to making our learning spaces more just, loving, equitable, and inclusive.

Outcomes

• Identify course materials where there is an intellectual property right in the material. 

• Analyze faculty contracts to see what rights are afforded in intellectual property.

Description

Professors are often unclear about what they "own" within their courses. What is intellectual property? What value does it have? Are professors owners of their own work in Canvas? This presentation will cover the legal rights of professors in the course content and materials within their classes.

Outcomes

• Gain insight to increasing student engagement in Basic Needs related initiatives. 

• Develop a better understanding of distributing work and managing a team of students.

• Identify what it takes to manage a project independently from idea creation to implementation.

Description

The Basic Needs Center at Berkeley City College formally opened its physical space in September 2023. Students were heavily involved in the planning and creation of the center, as well as continue to be at the forefront of daily operations and future decision planning. Student assistants will share the projects they are currently leading (free clothing closet, food insecurity & CalFresh accessibility, and creating community engagement). The Basic Needs Coordinator will share insights about an equity-focused lens to team building, keeping students engaged, and maintaining basic needs and human rights at the priority for all in education.

Outcomes

• Discuss what the College of Professional and Global Education (CPGE) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) Committee at San Jose State University has learned from the process of developing an anti-oppressive pedagogical project, focusing on the certificate.  

• Outline the detailed processes of developing such a certificate.  

• Describe the barriers and challenges in the development and implementation of a certificate for faculty. 

Description

The College of Professional and Global Education (CPGE) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) Committee at San Jose State University recognizes the value of diversity in persons and perspectives of the academic departments and associated faculty, staff, and students. The committee seeks to increase awareness of diversity, and social justice, and maintain an inclusive environment for the College academic departments' faculty, staff, and students. One such way is through creating professional development opportunities! This session will focus on our current anti-oppressive pedagogy initiative over the last four years and specifically highlight our “Achieving Equitable Student Outcomes” certificate rolled out to faculty beginning fall 2023. Prior, we created a literature review, conducted a survey with our faculty, staff, and students to understand their needs, and recommended and utilized equity rubrics on courses. This fall 2023, five faculty participated in the pilot certificate which was a sixteen-week online program for CPGE faculty interested in developing course materials around principles of equity and inclusion. The course covered topics such as equity and inclusion principles, creating courses that are equitable and inclusive, providing support for students, and utilizing assessment strategies that promote equity. Participating faculty evaluated their teaching materials and methods to foster diversity and inclusivity in their classes, resulting in more equitable outcomes for students. From December 15, 2023, to March 15, 2024, we had the opportunity to continue to offer the certificate with 8 participants under a different funding source and focus at the university level.