Abstract:

This paper focuses on the various aspects of online course development and deployment that have been identified by the authors which support underrepresented students. Metropolitan State University of (MSU) Denver has been identified by the United States Government as a Hispanic Serving Institution which means that over 25% of the student body is Hispanic. In addition, 46% of the students are students of color and 56% are first-generation students. It has become incumbent on faculty at this and universities with similar demographics to not only be aware of general best practices for online instruction but also practices that provide an optimal experience for its unique populations. The authors for this study have taught a number years at MSU Denver and have identified a set of practices that seem to provide support of ethnically and economically diverse students.

The practices consist of:
a) course optimized for cell phone use,
b) very clear timelines for assignment,
c) assessment based on concepts rather than memorization,
d) providing an online orientation within the class,
e) consistent student/instructor interaction,
f) use blog to personalize online experience, and
g) not requiring group projects.

Attention to these features have been identified by the authors as providing a better experience and leading to greater retention of underrepresented populations in their online courses.

Keywords:

Teaching &amp, learning, online education, diversity, underrepresented students.