This document discusses learning equity in university classrooms. It proposes using a framework of questions based on situated learning theory to analyze equity challenges. The questions relate to how authentic learning situations are, how learning experiences can engage all students, what tools students use to make sense of learning, and students' individual learning trajectories. The document then analyzes a university course using this framework, discussing issues around each question. It concludes that adopting a situated learning perspective can help educators teach in more equitable ways and promote social change through emancipatory learning.

1. LEARNING
EQUITY IN A
UNIVERSITY
CLASSROOM
Gert J. van der Westhuizen
Presented by Dr Cindy
Ramhurry

2. INTRODUCTION
 Context:
Education equity has been accepted in the
South African education system as a
transformation imperative, together with
goals such as equality, redress,
responsiveness, and democratic practice.

3. The problem:
 system-wide goals of equity are fairly
easily quantified in terms of for example
race and gender composition of staff and
students,
But…..
 very difficult to concretize at levels of
curriculum practice

4. What does this article do?
 This article offers some interpretations of
the policy goals of education equity
and
 what they may mean on the level of
curriculum practice.

5. What does the article propose?
 Based on the theory of situated learning, It
proposes, with reference to one specific
university classroom:
 a framework of questions-----
 Which may be useful in analyzing
prospects of equity in learning situations.

6. The article concludes…
By reflecting on the
value of a learning
theory perspective
for working towards
learning equity.

7. THE PROBLEM OF LEARNING
INEQUITY IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
 Discussed under three headings:
 The challenge of diversity and multicultural
education
 Inequities in the South African higher
education context
 Equity as an ethical challenge

8. The challenge of diversity and
multicultural education
 The challenge of diversity in education has
prompted researchers to develop an
understanding of :
 how knowledge is constructed
 how prejudice may be reduced
 mainstream-centric perspectives in the
curriculum may be questioned, and
 how to teach so that all learners may
perform academically.

9. Inequities in the South African
higher education context
 Above is well documented in various official
and research documents-
 make reference to historical social and
economic inequalities that are still affecting
school and university education as is evident
in high failure rates in official examinations
 Learning is unequal where learners do not
benefit because of the language they speak,
the resources they have, the environments
where they stay, the curriculum they are
exposed to.

10. Equity is an ethical challenge
 Advancing equity in classroom settings on
levels of pedagogy and practice, is an ethical
issue; it touches on the right to learn, and
constitutes the real challenge of
transformation.
 For university educators the challenge is to
see how they may develop a responsible
pedagogy that is responsive to the needs of all
learners.


11. The argument is for ethics is…
 through education as opposed to
education in relation to ethics.
 This calls for a responsible pedagogy
which acknowledges:
 cultural and linguistic realities experienced
in terms of the self and the other,
sameness and otherness

12. WHAT IS LEARNING EQUITY?
 equity : `The quality of being equal or fair;
fairness, impartiality; even-handed
dealing‘ fairness, honesty, integrity,
justice, justness, piece, reasonableness,
rectitude, righteousness, square deal,
uprightness'
 opposites include bias, prejudice,
inequality or unequal treatment, and
injustice

13. Theoretical perspectives on
equity in education
 Theorists believe that equity is attained
when there are no systematic and unfair
distributions of conditions, practices and
outcomes due to race, ethnicity, economic
status or any other group
 notions of equal opportunity

14. What is equal opportunity?
 learning that allows all learners to perform
well and benefit from what education has
to offer, so that they can fulfil their
meaningful and democratic roles in
society.
 It is also learning that takes contextual
realities into consideration, and is
sensitive to issues of domination,
discrimination, and social change.

15. SITUATED LEARNING THEORY
PERSPECTIVE
 Situated learning theory sees learning as
an activity that happens in eco-social
context, that is …
 the learning context in all it's systemic
dimensions ranging from the personal to
the social,
 and is aimed at processes of meaning
making.

16. A Situated learning Framework
 the main dimensions of situated learning
theory - a set of questions-
 These are used to analyse the challenges
of learning equity in a classroom.

17. Questions:
 How authentic is the learning situation
students find themselves in?
 How may the learning experiences be
designed so as to be activity based to the
extent that all students engage, interpret,
and change content into outcomes that are
relevant, equitable, and meaningful to
them?

18. Questions…cont.
 Which are the semiotic tools/instruments
students rely upon to make sense of their
learning, including language, conceptual
tools, background knowledge, and how may
these tools contribute towards equitable
learning?
 Which are the individual learning trajectories
that students find themselves in/on, i.e. in
terms of their learning goals, ideals,
ambitions; their personal/social development
needs; career aspirations, and how do these
facilitate equitable learning?

19. CASE ANALYSIS — LEARNING
EQUITY IN A UNIVERSITY
CLASSROOM
 an account is then offered of an analysis of the
learning equity challenges of a university course
based on the above framework of questions.
 This is an exemplary analysis of the teaching and
learning experiences of one lecturer and a group
of undergraduate students.
 Based on classroom observations and anecdotal
evidence, the analysis is reported per question of
the framework proposed.

20. Question 1
 Was about the authenticity of learning situations,
and issues of socio-cultural dynamics in learning
relationships.
 In the study, learning situations with 180 students
in one venue are by no means authentic.
 This is the design problem that all university
lecturers face: class settings are artificial
temporary, arbitrary, and quite remote from 'real
life' settings where professional educators will be
doing their work.

21.  To respond to the challenge of
authenticity, the study experimented with
various alternative class settings
 also encouraged students to place
themselves in authentic situations outside
of class.

22. Question 2
 involves the extent to which learning experiences are
activity based,
 and the extent to which they encourage all students to
engage, interpret, and 'change' learning content into
outcomes that are relevant, equitable, and meaningful
to themselves.
 In the study the main activities included engagement
with readings and classroom discussions.
 These activities require students to draw on their
academic literacy skills, and to develop their individual
understanding and interpretations of the prescribed
readings.

23. Question 3
 includes questions about the semiotic
tools/instruments, i.e. what students rely
upon to make sense of their learning.
 These include language, conceptual tools,
academic literacy instruments,
background knowledge, etc. and the
challenge in the Module Education 2A was
to see how these tools were used to
contribute towards equitable learning.

24.  The approach taken in this Module was to
have explicit discussions, at certain points in
time, of notions of 'learning tools'.
 The use and development of semiotic tools
was clearly influenced by students' mostly
diverse previous school and learning
experiences. Historical privilege in terms of
school and home background allowed some
students to benefit more than others because
of their richer experience-base.

25. Question 4
 Which are the individual learning trajectories
that students find themselves in/on, i.e. in
terms of their learning goals, ideals,
ambitions; their personal/social development
needs; career aspirations, etc., and how do
these facilitate equitable learning?
 This criterion requires a thorough
understanding of the background of students,
who they are, the learning pathways they have
followed, and what their learning needs and
aspirations are.

26.  Discussions of the individual learning
intentions and notes in the learning journals
helped the course facilitators realise just how
individual and unique learning trajectories are.
 Such trajectories need to be understood in
time perspective - past experiences as a
learner shapes the views and beliefs they
have, and play a role in how learning tasks are
handled. These beliefs are continuously
changing, and will shape learning in future
situations.

27.  For the purposes of learning equity, the
study accepted that the challenge is to
help students bridge their learning of new
concepts to similar learning elsewhere in
their own learning experience/trajectory.

28. DISCUSSION AND
CONCLUSION
 The main argument in this article is that
learning equity, as part of the professional
responsibility of university lecturers/teacher
educators, may be better understood and
addressed from a learning theory perspective.
 The adoption of a perspective of situated
learning theory, it is argued, helps educators
to teach in ways that are more responsive to
all learners.

29. In conclusion,
 the pedagogical responsibility of
promoting learning equity is congruent
with Freire's emancipatory philosophy,
 a philosophy of education for social
change through action and reflection
 i.e. learning that sets people free, learning
that liberates, and learning that cultivates
self-reliance and responsibility

30.  As such, a pedagogy of equity develops an
understanding of power issues in society
and empower participants for political
participation through learning to read and
write would constitute and example of
community learning that is emancipatory.

31. This article emphasises
 the importance on access and quality of
learning as a transformation imperative in
South African university classrooms.
 Notions of learning equity are the ethical
responsibility of the educator
 Equal treatment and non-discriminatory
practices do not necessarily mean equality
and equity in education

32. Think about….
Questions that reflect some dimensions of situated
learning:
a) How authentic (original to the culture) is the
learning situation the students find themselves
in? (Does it allow for interpretation from different
perspectives?)
b) How can the learning experience be designed so
that the activity allows for all students to engage,
interpret, and change content into outcomes
which are relevant, equitable and meaningful to
them?

33. c) On which semiotic tools/instruments do
students rely to make sense of their
learning? (language, conceptual tools,
background knowledge, etc)
d) What are the individual learning trajectories
my students find themselves in ? (learning
goals, ideals, ambitions, etc)

34. Think further…
 How can Learning Equity (LE) facilitate
emancipatory learning (EL) ?
 -0i