Using Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Course Content to Improve Outcomes in a Chemistry Course for Nonmajors

Abstract

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices are a hallmark of high-impact pedagogy. Such practices are common in discussions regarding the retention of all students in STEM, but especially those with identities such as Black, Indigenous, persons of color, female, and LGBTQIA+. However, the extent to which DEI-framed content improves alignment to course learning outcomes in courses designed for students who are not science and engineering majors is not thoroughly understood. DEI-inspired course content, including de-emphasizing Eurocentric representations of science and case studies connecting science to society, were leveraged in a course entitled Chemistry in Society: How Drugs Work. These techniques resulted in improvement in student alignment to course outcomes for both science and engineering majors and nonmajors, as assessed by an instrument probing the relevance of science to everyday life, the understandability of science, and specific course-related outcomes.

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