Every Learner Everywhere
Online Learning Consortium

Centering Identity as a Cognitive Tool

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Strategies in an Equitable Digital Learning Environment

A brief exploration on how faculty can position cultural knowledge and centering identity as a cognitive tool.

Watch “Centering Identity as a Cognitive Tool: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Strategies in an Equitable Digital Learning Environment,” a virtual educator professional development session led by Susan Adams and Dr. Ruanda Garth-McCullough during the 2020 OLC Ideate: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Digital Learning Environments.

Over the course of five days (December 7-11, 2020), the Online Learning Consortium (in partnership with Every Learner Everywhere) held a series of open salons (a casual and inclusive space with discussions organized and facilitated by a salon leader) that offered educators of all levels the opportunity to listen to emerging ideas and effective practices from their peers.  These casual discussions are designed to specifically encourage reflection, co-creation, and synthesis, with connections to future OLC events for further collaboration.

Recommended citation:

Adams, S. and Garth-McCullough, R. (2020, December 12) Centering Identity as a Cognitive Tool: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Strategies [Video] 2020 OLC Ideate: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Digital Learning Environments. Every Learner Everywhere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh8x2NGVS74&list=PLc9-1gBe1Xr_Gt9KgvV9sq77W3d9EKI6C&index=8

Other Related Resources

Pillar Resource

2023 Annual Impact Report

Annual Impact Report Cover with female student on campus holding laptop.

February 2024

In this report, you can read about the network’s impact in the areas of services, thought leadership, and student engagement. In addition, we recap our 2023 network convening, introduce our new Equity First Organization partners, feature some of our student interns, and give readers a preview of what’s ahead for the network in 2024.

Pillar Resource

Planning for Academic Continuity

Students walking on campus with Academic Continuity Plan.

August 2023

This guide presents results from an analysis of 100 academic continuity plans at U.S. colleges and universities. The results form the basis for recommended academic continuity plan best practices, tools, and templates academic leaders can use to maintain a plan that can be used in both short-term and long-term circumstances.

Pillar Resource

Time for Class 2023

June 2023

This 2023 study – the largest and longest running study monitoring digital learning in higher education – aims to identify the differences between student and institutional stakeholder experiences and preferences to suggest ways institutions and solution providers can address these differences.