One Classroom at a Time: How Better Teaching Can Make College More Equitable

by David Gooblar, Gary Tiedemann (Narrator)

A century ago, a typical US college campus was a sanctuary of privilege, with white men of means constituting nearly the entire student population. Today, half of US undergraduates live at or near the poverty line, and universities are more diverse than ever. But teaching and curricula have not caught up, resulting in stark inequities. Black and Hispanic students graduate at lower rates than their white and Asian counterparts, economically insecure and disabled students face persistent disadvantages, and in STEM disciplines gender imbalances remain the norm.

One Classroom at a Time provides practical, research-based recommendations for educators who want to narrow such academic gaps. David Gooblar explains the psychological hardships facing many marginalized students and provides detailed remedies. This wide-ranging guide also offers advice for mitigating burdens of financial insecurity and designing classes that work for all students regardless of disabilities. The emphasis throughout is on helping instructors and administrators understand not just the principles of equitable pedagogy but also the reasoning. In the twenty-first century, college courses shouldn't be built for imaginary students of yesteryear. This book shows how we can tailor pedagogy to the students of today, so that all of them can secure the education and the success they deserve.

Audible Audio

Expected publication February 10, 2026

About the author

David Gooblar is Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Temple University. His Chronicle of Higher Education column “Pedagogy Unbound” offers college teachers practical advice, informed by research, on how to create more effective student-centered classrooms. He has written widely on American literature, including most recently the book The Major Phases of Philip Roth.