Green Guide: Enhancing the learning experiences of students from equity backgrounds

Abstract

This book is a practical guide for educators who want to better support students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds through teaching and learning. It offers evidence-based strategies and actionable steps for engaging students from equity backgrounds throughout all stages of the teaching and learning process, including learning design, teaching methods, assessment, and the design of learning environments and support structures. By bringing together the perspectives of students, staff, and experts, this guide creates a flexible first port-of-call for educators looking to get started on equity-focused teaching. The book is founded on four key principles: 1) valuing diversity 2) embracing a strengths-based approach, 3) removing structural barriers to academic success, and 4) grounding all interactions with students in relationships and ‘mattering’. Grounded within the Sydney educational context, the strategies and principles presented are applicable to all university educators. This guide is for anyone seeking pragmatic steps towards enhancing the engagement, participation, and success of students from equity backgrounds throughout their time at university.