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What & Why
What & Why
Teaching is only impactful if all learners feel welcomed and supported in your course. Inclusive teaching practices remove barriers in the learning process and environment to ensure that each person can succeed.
Keep an open mind and always be willing to change.
How To
How To
Incorporate these top 10 practices into your teaching:
Ensure your course reflects a diverse society and world - take care in the language that you use, the multimedia you include, the materials that you assign, and the project topics you assess. Ensure that each learner sees themselves represented and has the opportunity to see value in others.
Ensure course media are accessible - include alt tags on images, proper contrast for text, and keep in mind that everyone may not have access to tools (like reliable internet access) necessary for academic success. How do I ensure content accessibility?
Ensure your syllabus sets the tone for diversity and inclusion - add a statement to describe your approach to valuing diverse perspectives and your openness to new ideas so that students feel welcomed in your community and welcome to reach out to you for feedback. Include links to on-campus resources, like the Center for Equal Access, as well.
Use inclusive language - so that learners know that they are valued. Inclusive language recognizes that words matter and that word choice can be used, intentionally or unintentionally, to include or exclude others.
Share your gender pronouns - model inclusive practices!
Learn and use students’ preferred names - doing so creates a bond of trust with your learners so that they feel valued. This is a critical step to engaging in deep and constructive learning.
Engage students in a small-group introductions activity - whether face-to-face, online, or hybrid, always start the term by building a community that is centered on trust, respect, and vulnerability.
Use an interest survey to connect with students - ask learners what their backgrounds are, their preferred name and pronouns, and what their learning goals are for the course. Need some sample questions to get started?
Offer open office hours - offer a variety of times and formats, and consider renaming them "student hours" to be more clear about their purpose.
Set expectations for valuing diverse viewpoints - this could be done collaboratively, as well, to give students agency over the expectations of themselves and their peers.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Inclusive Teaching Practices Toolkit - Videos and resources, including samples and getting started guides, from the Association of College and University Educators to help you incorporate the 10 practices of inclusive teaching into practice.
How to Make your Teaching more Inclusive Advice Guide - Viji Sathy and Kelly Hogan offer responses to common questions about inclusive teaching. The authors describe three key principles and five ways to interact inclusively with students, along with ideas for designing inclusive courses. Be sure to check out the list of resources at the end of the article for more ideas!
INCLUSIVE ADDIE: Initial Considerations for DEI Pedagogy - EDUCAUSE Article
Equity Literacy Institute resources - an extensive list of resources to learn more about equity and incorporate it in practice.
Creating a Positive Classroom Climate for Diversity - Juan C. Garibay from UCLA provides foundational information and strategies to build a positive learning environment for all learners.
Webinar Recording: Creating an Inclusive Online Learning Environment (58:26) - Association of College and University Educators. "Panelists share practices they have found helpful to effectively set expectations for valuing diverse viewpoints, facilitating respectful conversations, and engaging students in inclusive active learning exercises. The teaching practices discussed in this webinar can be utilized in a variety of disciplines and course sizes to promote equity and inclusion."
Webinar Recording: Preparing an Inclusive Online Course (59:25) - Association of College and University Educators. "Panelists share their thoughts and practices for approaching your online teaching with an inclusive mindset, ensuring your course reflects a diverse society and world. Learn inclusive strategies you can put into practice even before the first day of your online course to set the stage for creating a more equitable online learning environment."
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