Seventeenth International Conference on Technology, Knowledge, and Society

Abstract

The quick move to 100% online instruction among universities in the United States in Spring 2020 brought with it a plethora of articles, essays and “best practices” for online instruction. One can imagine a professor faced to teach online for the first time being overwhelmed with the online teaching experience as well with the advice being offered. The decision to offer a newly online class in a synchronous or asynchronous mode was a complex decision faced for the first time by the majority of teaching faculty. For this study, the instructor implemented strategies of an equity mindset in the online classroom. In their report for the AAC&U, Witham, Malcom-Piqueux, Dowd, and Bensimon (2015) outlined equity minded principles for improving outcomes for students from all backgrounds. Using equity minded strategies in the classroom can change an instructor’s view from blaming the students for non-achievement to actively facilitating students in the classroom during the COVID 19 pandemic.