Engaging the Black Box: Lessons from Remote Teaching that Foster More Inclusive Pedagogy

In response to systemic inequities exposed by the pandemic, many educators employed strategies aimed not just at delivering classes in a new digital modality but also addressing issues of equity and inclusion. The pedagogy that emerged was grounded in compassion, borne of a recognition that students and faculty alike were struggling amid a global pandemic. While colleges have now reopened their doors to on-ground learning, educational inequities remain for many community college students. Therefore, this chapter urges a continued embrace of “pandemic pedagogy,” exploring several practices that gained prominence during the emergency shift to remote learning: development of community norms for class participation, use of discussion boards, collaborative annotation of documents, and use of shared documents for group activities. The chapter discusses the implementation of these practices in both remote and on-ground environments, including those without advanced technology, in order to foster a more inclusive, engaging, and supportive classroom environment.