Outschool defines multiple perspectives as the inclusion of a variety of viewpoints and fact-based, accurate sources on social and cultural issues. For history classes, this includes the best practice of using both primary and secondary sources to offer an informed picture of historical events. Outschool requires all educators covering people, cultures, and histories to present multiple viewpoints while continuing to abide by the rest of our content policies.

By bringing in a range of perspectives, educators can help learners understand content from a more objective and accurate point of view. We ask that classes be fact-based and that educators use evidence to present content from an unbiased perspective. Being unbiased ensures our content presents multiple perspectives on social, cultural, political, and historical issues and helps learners develop critical thinking and analytical skills.

As a general rule, you should always aim to include multiple perspectives in your classes. Specifically, classes that cover people, cultures, and histories require sharing multiple points of view to help students be as well-informed as possible.

You can help learners understand the many sides of an issue by sharing a range of viewpoints. This grounds their understanding in evidence and a variety of researched sources. For history courses, it’s important to include primary and secondary sources showcasing differing perspectives. Outschool educators should also consider including the perspectives of marginalized groups that often have less control over the dominant historical narrative.

Check out these examples in the Educator Library of class descriptions that showcase multiple perspectives!