Packback has brought together leaders in higher education transformation for its newly formed Academic Innovation Board. Members of the Board include Eduardo J. Padron, President Emeritus of Miami Dade College, Marie Cini, Chief Strategy Officer at ED2WORK, and Rufus Glasper, President and CEO of the League for Innovation and Chancellor Emeritus at Maricopa Community College District.
A new article by Xueli Wang for Inside Higher Ed highlights lessons learned from community colleges during a chaotic fall semester. As leaders in innovation serving widely diverse demographics, the takeaways from these institutions in light of COVID are essential for all of higher education.
Read more “New Article from Inside Higher Ed Highlights Lessons Learned from Community Colleges During COVID-19”In a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Ebony O. McGee, associate professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, highlights twelve ways white faculty can support Black academics department and campus-wide. One way to be an ally? Acknowledge power’s place in our institutions and adopt specific ways to dismantle that power long term.
Read more “Recent Article by Ebony O. McGee Highlights Twelve Ways for Faculty to Better Support Black Academics”As a college mathematics instructor, Professor Violeta Kovacev-Nikolic is confident that few people would be able to guess one of her essential teaching tools for teaching math; online discussion. We sat down with her to discuss the “why” behind her philosophy.
Read more “Socratic Discussion and STEM: The Magic Formula”The Common App recently decided to get rid of a question which asked students applying to college if they had been subject to disciplinary action in high school. Although the decision to get rid of the discriminatory question is a victory for inclusion and access in higher education, it raises an important follow-up question– what other barriers to entry exist for BIPOC in the “standard” college application process?
Read more “The Common Application Has Removed the Discipline Question Due to Racial Disparities. What Other Structural Barriers Stand in the Way of BIPOC Students?”A national study conducted on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom has led to a three-year contract between HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and Packback. Among findings from the study are improved student engagement and better discussion quality.
The realities of bias against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in our nation’s predominantly White colleges and universities are hidden in the ways we have been taught to give feedback and to regard race in the classroom. This article explores how this bias harms the way that BIPOC students are able to learn and how we, as instructors, can be a part of the solution.
Read more “BIPOC Students and Bias in Higher Education: The necessity of unlearning biases to optimize outcomes for BIPOC students”In an article via Campus Technology, author Rhea Kelley writes about Ivy Tech’s recent partnership with Packback and its potential to close campus-wide equity gaps through research that aims to identify the best pedagogical approaches for engaging students from underrepresented groups.
Read more “Research From Ivy Tech Partnership With Packback Will Aim to Identify Best Approaches for Engaging Students from Historically Underrepresented Backgrounds”Creating online educational experiences that are effective and equitable has taken on new urgency over the past few months. Fortunately, our understanding of what makes for effective online discussion has grown along with the expansion of online and blended education, along with face-to-face courses that employ online discussion.
Read more “The Topic of Discussion: How specific online discussion methodologies affect outcomes”Curious to learn more? One of our friendly strategy consultants will be excited to meet you and discuss your course learning objectives. We will provide a free consultation to see if Packback would be a good fit for your class!
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