EDUC 2400U – Equity and Diversity

This course aims to demonstrate that diversity within a learning community is a rich resource, and one that requires clear commitment to policies and practices that ensure equitable opportunities for academic success. We will explore how the intersectionalities of gender, socio-economic status, race, language, faith, culture, sexual orientation and ability position students differently with respect to power and privilege. These diverse positions will result in varying levels of academic achievement. Students will examine ministry publications and explore culturally responsive teaching strategies for using students’ prior linguistic and cultural knowledge, as well as other aspects of their identities to scaffold the learning of new concepts and skills. This course is framed from the standpoint that both theory and lived experience can powerfully inform our pedagogy, and therefore strikes a balance between drawing on theoretical concepts (critical multiculturalism, language acquisition, and aboriginal traditional knowledge) and the real life experiences of students from diverse backgrounds.
Credit hours: 3
Lecture hours: 4
Note(s): Restricted to BEd students
Experiential learning: Yes