Y2 Unit 2.3: Course Design with an Equity Lens
Developing course materials with an equity lens means following the Open Curriculum Development Project Equity Statement that we shared in Unit 0. Of course, “lens” and “vision” are both metaphorical terms that have to do with seeing things in a shared way so that our project coheres. To unpack these metaphors, we’ve developed the Open Curriculum Development Project Criteria for Success for Course Design to describe concretely what we mean by high-quality course materials. This is what we’re aiming for in the work we will share widely at the end of the process. Follow the process we lay out in this curriculum, and the course pack you hand in will meet these criteria – even if some are unfamiliar to you right now.
Introducing the Open Curriculum Development Project Criteria for Success for Course Design
Our course design criteria are responsive to learner needs. We center voices that are often erased or pushed out of academia. We strive to reduce barriers for learners with disabilities. We also emphasize the Oregon context by planning for future use of course materials and creating opportunities for students to learn from one another. You will recognize principles from Transparency in Learning and Teaching, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Universal Design for Learning, and Open Educational Practices introduced in Year 2, Unit 1.
Open Curriculum Development Project Criteria for Success for Course Design
Our criteria are divided into four categories that, when layered together, make up our definition of high-quality course materials.
Learner focus
- Course-level learning outcomes and module-level objectives are aligned and use student-friendly words.
- Assessment prompts use transparent design for teaching and learning (purpose, task, criteria for success).
- Criteria for graded assessments are clear (rubrics, exemplary student work).
- Assessments include low-stakes, frequent opportunities for students to test new skills and knowledge.
- Assessments allow for multiple means of student expression (text, video, discussion, creative work).
- Course content includes multiple means of representation (text, images, video, multimedia).
- Course activities offer multiple means of engagement (individual reflection, group work, creative expression, guest speakers, student presentations).
Representation of diverse voices
- Assessments allow students to integrate their lived experiences with course content.
- Course content includes representation of diverse community stakeholders.
Accessibility
- Module/page organization is consistent and intuitive.
- Course images include alt text and text descriptions for infographics, figures, and charts.
- Course pages and documents include appropriate structure with headings, lists, and reading order.
- Course slide decks use slide layouts, appropriate font size, and alt text for images.
- Course video and audio files include audio captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions.
- Course materials do not use color alone to denote meaning.
- Course tables aren’t used for content layout, don’t merge cells, and include a header row
- Course links are descriptive rather than displaying the URL text by itself.
- Images include figure captions.
Oregon context
- Copyright restrictions are minimized so that downstream users (your Oregon colleagues) have permission to revise, remix, and share forward.
- Course activities include opportunities for meaningful peer-to-peer interaction.
Licenses and Attributions for Course Design with an Equity Lens
Open content, original
“Course Design with an Equity Lens” by Open Oregon Educational Resources is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Open content, shared previously
“Criteria for Success for Course Design” is adapted from the “The OSCQR Rubric” by SUNY Online, licensed CC BY 4.0, and the “Peralta Online Equity Rubric” by the Peralta Online Equity Initiative, licensed CC BY 4.0.
