LibGuides UFV: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: 2: Recognize and Redress Bias in the System

Practitioner Reflections

To develop this competency, explore activities and resources that help you answer the following questions:

Do I understand the difference between bias at the personal level and bias at the institutional or systemic level?
Do I disaggregate and analyze data by student subgroups (i.e., those assigned by race, ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender) to uncover potential disparities?
How does my classroom, school, and district reinforce barriers that reproduce disparities in student outcomes? Where are resources (people, time, and money) allocated? Which students face surveillance, policing, and higher disciplinary consequences?
What part do I play in the status quo I described above? Am I an enabler or do I take action to disrupt policies, practices, and norms that disadvantage certain student groups?

Muñiz, J. (2021) Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Reflection Guide.

Resources

Is everyone really equal?: An Introduction to key concepts in social justice education.
Accessible to students from high school through graduate school, Is Everyone Really Equal? is a detailed and engaging textbook and professional development resource presenting the key concepts in social justice education. [From Publisher]
Systemic Racism in Higher Education
We discuss the ways in which systemic racism shapes higher education systems and experiences within them. Specifically, we discuss how racism has influenced the development and execution of some of the most influential policies in higher education history. [From Author (p.49)]
Ekta: Learning Differently, Together: Episodes with Natasha and Leanne Season 01 Episode 2
We chat with Natasha Rainkie and Leanne Joe about their experiences as Indigenous students at UFV. In part one, they share their impressions of UFV’s Indigenization efforts and teach us about the challenges of navigating the legacy of assimilationist policies, their cultural protocols, and course requirements. [From Website]
Companion Guide Ep. 2 Natasha and Leanne, part 1
Ekta: Learning Differently, Together: Episodes with Natasha and Leanne Season 01 Episode 3
We continue our chat with Natasha Rainkie and Leanne Joe about their experiences as Indigenous students at UFV. In part 2, Leanne shares stories about confronting instructors when Indigenous perspectives were not represented and the positive impacts of open communication on meaningful Indigenization. The two leave us with powerful advice and with a song. For the companion guide, [From Website]
Companion Guide Ep. 2 Natasha and Leanne, part 2

Example Activites

Four Tools for interrupting implicit bias
According to folks studying implicit bias change or “de-biasing” as they call it, our biases are not permanent; they are malleable and can be changed by re-programming our brains and creating new “cognitive habits.” The catch is using the right strategies. [From Author]
Equity Lens ABCs
This tool is designed to support individuals, units and project teams in the intentional thinking and action required to apply equity considerations to the development of a policy, project, event, decision, etc. at the University of Victoria including activities in support of the Equity Action Plan (EAP). [From Author]