SIGMAA IBL Spring Workshop Series - "Imbuing inquiry-based instruction with equity: The importance o

Research clearly shows that Inquiry-Based Learning has a positive impact on student learning overall. However, a variety of recent studies also show how these benefits can be inequitable, with students from advantaged groups disproportionately benefitting from these novel learning environments. To address this pressing issue, my team has been working with the EQUIP observation tool (https://www.equip.ninja) to provide customized feedback to instructors on patterns of inequity in student participation. We have found that this approach makes measurable differences in mitigating inequities in student participation. We argue that a key feature of our approach is social marker specificity, the idea that instructors need data about student participation tied directly to their social identities (e.g., race, gender, disability). I discuss the impact of this approach on postsecondary mathematics instruction and provide concrete teaching techniques that participants can implement in their classrooms.

About the Speaker
Daniel L. Reinholz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at San Diego State University and is also a Provost’s Professor of Equity in Education. Their research focuses on disability justice, faculty development, and systemic change in STEM.