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ASTR 4B - Introduction to Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies

Culture, Belonging, Communication

Reflection on Instructional Change for Equity-Minded Instruction:

I implemented several changes inspired by the Culturally Responsive Teaching and ESCALA professional development activities associated with this grant. These changes aimed to increase equity and help students feel more welcomed and seen in the course.

Grading: I revised the grading scheme so that 90% of the course grade is based on assessment. I clearly distinguish between learning activities (like homework), where students are expected to make mistakes without penalty, and assessments. This aligns with the principles in Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman and encourages a growth mindset.
Course Syllabus: I rewrote the syllabus to make it more approachable and student-friendly, setting a welcoming tone from the beginning of the semester.
Appointment Scheduling: I adopted Calendly to make it easier for students to schedule one-on-one meetings, improving accessibility and communication.
Smaller Groups: I divided the class into smaller learning groups to encourage stronger connections among students and support peer engagement.
Meet Your Peers Activity: To foster inclusivity, I redesigned the introductory activity. Students now share a “Cultural Journey,” inspired by ESCALA, to highlight and honor the diverse backgrounds within our learning community.
Meet Your Instructor Activity: I created a new participation activity where each student schedules a 15-minute one-on-one Zoom meeting with me. Before each meeting, I reviewed the student’s Cultural Journey, which helped make our conversations more meaningful. I was able to meet with most students, and many expressed appreciation—some noted it was the first time they had ever spoken directly with an asynchronous instructor.
Communication: I increased my presence online to strengthen my online presence and improve communication with students.

This summer, I plan to analyze DFW rates to assess the impact of these interventions. However, given the small enrollment (maximum 30 students), it may be difficult to draw firm conclusions from the data. Still, I’ve already seen qualitative evidence that these changes are improving student experiences and engagement. I hope the Summer 2025 course will provide additional confirmation.

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Meet Your Peers	Stronger Communication
I created a more meaningful “Meet Your Peers” activity by asking students to share a Cultural Journey, allowing them to introduce themselves in a deeper, more personal way.	I increased the number of video announcements to strengthen my online presence and improve communication with students.

Changes in Course Syllabus and Schedules:

Pre Minigrant - Syllabus and Schedule and Schedule for Discussions

Post Minigrant - Syllabus and Schedule

Minigrant Impact Data:

Pre Minigrant - DFW rate, Equity gap data
Course	Semester	Total Enrollment	Withdrawal	Asian	Black	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Unknown	White	DWF Rate Total
ASTR 4B - Intro to Stars and Galaxies Vera Margoniner	Fall 2023	Tot Enrol: 33	Tot W: 0	20%	40%	42%		0%	33%	33%	33%
ASTR 4B - Intro to Stars and Galaxies Vera Margoniner	Fall 2024	Tot Enrol: 30	Tot W: 0	0%	25%	23%		0%		0%	13%

Pre Minigrant - Pell Grant Data
Course	Semester	Total Enrollment	Withdrawal	Non-Pell	Pell
ASTR 4B - Intro to Stars and Galaxies Vera Margoniner	Fall 2023	Tot Enrol: 33	Tot W: 0	46%	25%
ASTR 4B - Intro to Stars and Galaxies Vera Margoniner	Fall 2024	Tot Enrol: 30	Tot W: 0	10%	15%

Unfortunately, the OIR dashboard does not include data for summer sections.

**Faculty Bio**
Faculty Picture	Bio
	Hi! I am Vera Margoniner. I am a professor in the Physics and Astronomy department. I have taught a variety of lower and upper-division courses as well as classes for future k-12 teachers. I love teaching and am constantly revising my courses to improve student learning. My face-to-face classes are flipped and include much group work and peer interaction. I want my students to understand that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and that they must be cognitively engaged with the content to make sense of what they are learning. My big goal is for our students to be independent learners by graduation.

STEM4Equity: US Dept. of Education STEMHSI P031C210012
*Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sacramento State.