They say there’s an app for everything! A groundbreaking web-based application called KnowYourStudents is transforming how faculty members engage with their students to foster equitable classroom experiences. 

Developed at University of California, Davis, with funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the app provides instructors with detailed, anonymized insights into their students’ demographics, academic backgrounds, and course loads, helping educators better meet their students’ needs by offering visual data dashboards that share information like grade trends, field of study distributions, and academic progress in real time. 

Marc Facciotti, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering and genomics, highlights the app’s primary goal. “It’s about empowering faculty to reflect on their teaching and understand who their students are, enabling more meaningful connections.” 

For instructors like Laci Gerhart, PhD, who teaches large biology courses with hundreds of students, it provides critical insights that would otherwise be impossible to gather. “In large classes, you can’t rely on individual anecdotes. This tool offers a comprehensive view, helping me make informed decisions about teaching and curriculum,” she says. 

One standout feature is the app’s ability to flag trends across subgroups, including first-generation and low income students. By addressing performance disparities, faculty can implement targeted interventions to promote equity. 

“During the pandemic, I saw grade gaps widening for underserved groups, which was devastating,” Gerhart recalls. “[KnowYourStudents] allowed me to track progress as we returned to in person learning.” 

Beyond academics, the app fosters a deeper connection between educators and students, promoting mental well-being and reducing burnout among faculty. “Teaching thousands of students can feel impersonal,” Gerhart notes. “This tool helps us see students as individuals, which is incredibly rewarding.” 

To ensure responsible use, faculty undergo training on interpreting the data without bias, emphasizing equity over deficit-based thinking. “We aim to build a reflective teaching culture that supports all students,” says Facciotti. 

As colleges nationwide strive for inclusive teaching practices, the KnowYourStudents app serves as a model, blending technology, empathy, and actionable insights to create a more equitable higher education system.