Robust efforts to improve equity,
access, and inclusion are necessary
in STEM gateway courses at the undergraduate level. Here, we describe
an ongoing course transformation of an extended general chemistry
sequence at a large, flagship, research-intensive institution. This
course enrolls a diverse group of students who have limited preparation
in math or writing. Many of the students are also from underrepresented
or minoritized backgrounds, which lends further urgency to the need
for equity-oriented course transformation. The transformation itself
utilizes an array of evidence-based practices, such as active learning
with Learning Assistants as facilitators in lectures and recitations,
frequent low- and moderate-stakes assessments, exam wrappers, and
mindset and values-affirmation interventions. We discuss the implementation
of these reforms in the context of equity, access, and inclusion,
as well as implications for instruction and future research on student
outcomes.
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