Classroom Practices Library
Research in a variety of disciplines demonstrates that when learning environments are designed to promote a sense of belonging and support learning, students are more likely to take advantage of campus resources and persist through challenges, ultimately helping to close outcome gaps by group membership. This collection of evidence-based, field-tested resources draws on this research base in social psychology, educational psychology, and brain science, along with feedback from students, instructors, and staff to provide practical recommendations for steps that instructors can take in their courses to increase equity in students' experiences of their learning environments, promote engagement, and support academic success.
On this page, you will find the resources organized by foundational practices and expanded practices.
To view these same resources organized by the experience they address, see these Practice Categories.
Growth Mindset & Belonging Foundations
The following resources provide an overview of research and best practices pertaining to belonging and growth mindset – two of the key practice categories informing the library.
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Overview: Effective Belonging Messages
A foundational overview on how to craft messages that promote belonging, why they work, and how to use them.
Practice Categories: Belonging
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Overview: Effective Growth Mindset Culture Messages
A foundational overview on how instructors can convey a growth mindset about student abilities, why they should, and how to use growth-mindset messaging.
Practice Categories: Growth Mindset Culture
Practices to Promote Equity in Students' Experiences & Outcomes
Evidence-based approaches that, when used together, can help instructors to design a course that promotes equity in students’ experiences and outcomes in its structure and content throughout the term.
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Syllabus Review Guide
A step-by-step guide for using syllabus development or revision as a tool for creating a course that promotes equity, belonging, and growth for all students. This resource corresponds with the Syllabus Revision Module; most effective when implemented prior to the start of the term/during course planning, and reiterated in welcome messages and first day of class discussions.
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Policy Review: Creating Student-Centered Course Policies
A step-by-step guide for crafting course policies that promote equity and acknowledge and accommodate the lived experiences of diverse student populations; most effective when implemented prior to the start of the term/during course planning, and reiterated in early course messaging and during stressful times of the term.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Trust and Fairness
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Establishing Expectations: A Growth Mindset Approach
Approaches for communicating about academic standards and course expectations in a way that promotes student engagement, learning, and academic success; most effective when implemented during the first week of classes; revisit principles throughout the term.
Practice Categories: Growth Mindset Culture Self-Efficacy Trust and Fairness
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Creating a Wise Feedback Framing Statement
Guidance on delivering critical feedback in a way that engenders trust, increases academic engagement, and helps close academic outcome gaps; most effective when implemented on all significant assignments or assessments.
Practice Categories: Growth Mindset Culture Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
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Ensuring Classroom Identity Safety
Approaches for creating classroom learning environments where students from diverse identities feel welcome, valued, respected, and as though they are recognized as having the potential to succeed; most effective when implemented continuously throughout the term.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
Practices to Foster Belonging & Connections
Approaches that build on the Foundational Practices section of the practices library to provide additional approaches that can be used to support connections in the classroom and further promote feelings of belonging.
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Creating a Belonging Story
Guidance on developing and adapting a brief exercise to help students understand that belonging concerns in college are normal, and not a signal that they do not belong or cannot succeed.
Practice Categories: Belonging Growth Mindset Culture Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness
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Encouraging Connections in the Classroom
Approaches for encouraging connections between students and the instructional team, and among students.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness
Practices to Promote Academic Engagement & Growth
Approaches that build on the Wise Feedback Framing Statement resource to provide instructors with additional recommendations for providing critical feedback and opportunities for reflection in a way that promotes student engagement and learning.
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Creating An Attuned Assessment Wrapper
Resources for bookending (or “wrapping”) key assessments with practices that help students prepare for, and debrief their performance in a way that emphasizes potential for growth, connects to resources, and does not inspire identity threat.
Practice Categories: Growth Mindset Culture Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
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Supporting Self-Efficacy by Integrating Self-Relevance and a Sense of Purpose into Your Course
Approaches to help students see their coursework as relevant to their own experiences and their future goals.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Social Connectedness
Practices for Creating & Sustaining an Inclusive Classroom Environment
Approaches that build on the Ensuring Classroom Identity Safety resource to provide additional recommendations for creating a classroom environment where all students feel valued, respected, and as though they can reach their full potential.
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Addressing an Identity Threatening Incident
Guidance on a straightforward and practical approach for addressing identity-threatening incidents in a way that promotes students’ identity safety and social belonging, and builds connection and trust.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Social Connectedness Trust and Fairness
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Supporting Financially Stressed Students
Recommendations for practices that can help support financially stressed students' learning, sense that they belong in college, and belief in their ability to succeed.
Practice Categories: Belonging Identity Safety Self-Efficacy Trust and Fairness
