Welcome to the Teaching & Learning Guide for Practicing Inclusive Communication in Your Courses! 

This guide includes best practices and tips designed to help you: 

• Incorporate inclusive communication practices into any course;

• Develop and demonstrate intercultural awareness;

• Foster intentional presence and mindfulness;

• Practice effective and clear communication with your students;

• Leverage Canvas features and tools to help you practice inclusive communication;

• Request support from your Instructional Design Partner and the Technology Service Desk.

Communicating with students in your courses should help them feel valued, respected, and understood. This interactive guide is designed to help you build more inclusive course communication practices, whether you teach online, in-person, hybrid, or HyFlex courses. 

Inclusive communication means effectively sharing important course information in a way that every student can understand, connect to their own experiences, and feel like they belong. We suggest working toward more inclusive communication practices by cultivating intercultural awareness, staying present, and working collaboratively with students.  

Lundahl, A. (2021). Inclusive Communication [Diagram]. 

The communication styles we have been taught may seem universal, but many of the assumed norms of communication are based on our unique contexts and backgrounds. Intercultural communication starts with acknowledging our own biases and assumed norms. In Fall 2021, TWU welcomed its most ethnically diverse student population ever. TWU is also diverse in ways beyond ethnicity, such as age, backgrounds, and sexual orientation.

Lack of understanding of differing cultures can lead to disparate learning outcomes for many students. In order to improve intercultural communication and thus create a more equitable learning environment, it is important for instructors to make cultural competency a part of their professional development. 

Below, we have listed two tips for developing intercultural awareness: 

Regularly reflect.

Discovering and transforming your own biases can be a lot of work, but having a regular reflection practice - whether in the form of journaling, discussing with a colleague, or just spending time thinking about it - can help instructors recognize where they need more education to better understand the diverse student population. Remember, this reflection work cannot be accomplished in one session. It must be a regular practice.

Think more broadly about diversity.

Often when we think about diversity, we think of the main categories such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, nationality, and age. Yet, our students differ from each other in a variety of ways. Consider, for example, how the learning environment differs for students based on their native language, their access to technology, their job experiences, or even personality types. Instead of seeing diversity training as checking boxes, how can you work toward communicating more openly with students based on their complex and multifaceted backgrounds? 

Recognizing the complex and diverse experiences of students to begin to start overcoming your hidden biases takes a lot of mindfulness. It’s easy to feel bad when your biases come out in your communication, but instead of guilt or shame, being present can help you work toward more meaningful connections with students. Research on inclusive teaching has shown that it involves a mind-set shift. Staying mindful during teaching moments can help you pinpoint moments where you may be leaving students out.

You can also include more tangible practices and activities into your inclusivity development:

Use current analytics to help guide your teaching choices. 

It is helpful to use analytics from a past class to help guide changes to your course and teaching strategies, however, it is also important to remember that each group of students is unique. Therefore, we suggest gathering current data throughout the course about the needs and identities of students. You can ask students to complete surveys, offer check-ins, or ask students to complete an autobiography-type assignment at the beginning of the course. There are many ways to collect data, and any additional information you can gather about your current group of students can help you improve your inclusivity.  Contact your Instructional Design Partner for help using Canvas Analytics and to include other data-gathering activities into your course.

Set an example for appropriate course communication. 

We often expect students to know or intuit the rules of respectful communication without guidance. However, respectful communication is a learned skill and providing a model is an important teaching tool. You can model how you would like your students to communicate during discussions as well as via your messages to the class and individual students.

Create a course communication policy. 

Know your capabilities and share your lines of communication with students in your syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Let students know how you plan to communicate with them and how often. Show them the areas in Canvas where they can expect to find your communications, and tell them how often you will expect them to check their email, and how quickly they can expect your response. Encourage students to share with you their communication needs. Help direct students to the Technology Service Desk for technical questions or work with Student Life to identify resources that can support them if they cannot be on campus. Find out if your own program, college, or school is setting up resources to address your particular students' needs.

You may also wish to include a course communication policy in your syllabus or Start Here module. You may want to address three areas of course communication in your policy: (1) how you will communicate with students, including where and when; (2) how you expect students to communicate with each other, including where and how; and (3) any university guidelines and/or regulations. We’ve included some examples of course communication policy language below to help get you started. 

• Please post questions about the course in the Q&A discussion forum so that the entire class can benefit from our back-and-forth. Please reserve email for questions of a personal nature. I will reply to email and questions posted in the Q&A discussion forum within 24 hours, usually sooner.  I strive to return all graded work, with my feedback, within 5 days of the assignment being submitted. Please use Canvas Grades to see my comments directly on your assignment submission. Please look for my detailed feedback and use it. If I need to deviate from this schedule, I will [send an email] and let you know. I will usually not be available on Sundays. Most assignments are due on Monday evenings. Students should look at Canvas for Announcements at least three times per week.

• The best way to reach me is in Canvas or by email. I check Canvas and email daily (as long as I am not away) from Monday through Friday. I cannot guarantee as fast a response on Saturday and Sunday. If you need to make an appointment to speak with me, please contact me by email to schedule a time for us to talk.

• I encourage all students to meet with me outside of class. My office hours are reserved for students to discuss any questions you have about the course materials or assignments. If you need to meet with me, please select a date and time using my Calendar appointment slots in Canvas. My usual office hours are Monday and Wednesday from 10am-noon. I am happy to meet with you outside of these office hours. Just send me an email and we can find a time that works for both of us.

• This course includes a lot of discussions with peers. I expect all students to be kind and respectful when interacting with each other. Remember that we all have different experiences, and while it’s okay to disagree, we can do so respectfully and while acknowledging the real person behind discussions. If you post anything that contains disrespectful language, your posts will be removed and you will receive a zero. 

• TWU policy requires every student to have an official TWU email address. All students are expected to have access to the Internet and have TWU email addresses. Note that you can contact other students in the class through Canvas messaging. Please regularly check your TWU email address or have it forwarded to your regular email address. It is your responsibility to check your TWU email for important class notices and announcements. This will be my primary means of communicating outside of Canvas.

• When using social media or digital communication devices to communicate with each other we should:

  • Comply with all TWU Policies

  • Follow these Online Netiquette Guidelines

  • When you contact your instructor, you can expect a response within 24 hours or by the end of the next business day. 

Please note that I am a reporting entity as instructor of this course. I am required to report any information that you share with me that includes misconduct involving you and/or any other student. The university has procedures in place that aim to be aware of the needs of those who make an institutional report of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Procedures include informing individuals about their right to file criminal charges as well as the availability of counseling, health, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance and other services on and/or off campus, as well as additional remedies to prevent contact between a complainant and a respondent, such as housing, academic, transportation and working accommodations, if reasonably available. The university will make such accommodations, if the victim requests them and if they are reasonably available, regardless of whether the complainant chooses to report the crime to the TWU Department of Public Safety or local law enforcement. 

Developing a practice of listening and open communication with students can help you better understand their diverse needs. Communication is key to an inclusive and culturally aware classroom. Below, we offer several tips to improve course communication: 

Maintain consistent, structured communication. 

Regular check-ins with students can help you respond to any issues that may arise as well as tailor your communication to the needs of your students. Check-ins can be set up as anonymous surveys or as one-on-one meetings. 

Share your own experiences to promote a growth mindset. 

Sharing your experiences with the materials can help you promote a growth mindset in your students, which has been shown to increase student achievement. For example, if you share with your students a moment you learned something new about your subject or an experience where you struggled to master a skill, it can help them release their own feelings of imposter syndrome. 

Help your students feel seen. 

There are several small ways to help students feel seen and valued in your courses. For example, using students’ correct names and pronouns is a simple yet powerful way to connect. For large classes, you can ask students to create name plates to place at their station. You can also invite students to share their pronouns on their names plates and model sharing your own pronouns. 

Build diversity into your course content. 

As we mentioned above, sharing your own experiences can help students develop a growth mindset. It is also important to give examples from a range of experiences and cultural reference points and invite students to share their experiences. While it is impossible to represent all experiences at all times, striving to offer a range of experiences can help students feel included. When students feel represented within the course materials, they are more likely to participate fully. From this space, you can ask students to share their own examples. 

You can take advantage of Canvas features and tools to practice inclusive communication. 

Review the Canvas Guides below and contact your Instructional Design Partner for support: 

• Establish a Course Communication Policy and include in your syllabus. Review How do I use the Syllabus as an instructor?

• Announcements may be the primary means of establishing instructor presence, use them to draw on your personal experience with course content and clarify assignment instructions. Review How do I add an announcement in a course?

• Message Students to communicate with small groups or individual students when you want students to reply individually. Review How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook?

• Grading Feedback is useful to explain how students will be evaluated beforehand and referenced, use the feedback sandwich: praise + improvement + praise, and take advantage of  rubrics. Review How do I leave feedback comments for student submissions in SpeedGrader?

• Facilitate online Discussions by giving examples of appropriate responses and encouraging deeper inquiry and application. Review How do I create a discussion as an instructor?

• Surveys are helpful to check-in with students or collect anonymous responses to gather information on course content or design. Review How to create ungraded and anonymous surveys in Canvas?

• Office Hours give you valuable time with students to better understand their concerns and clarifying your course expectations. Review How to create meeting appointments in Canvas Calendar?

• Analytics helps you guide changes to your course and teaching strategies. Review How to view Course Analytics in Canvas?

Building Community: Practicing Inclusive Communication is included in the Strategies for Transformative Teaching Series of Workshops facilitated by the Center for Development, Design, & Delivery. These workshops will provide you with best practices and concrete strategies for common teaching tasks, challenges, and opportunities. The workshops draw on research-based best practices from the literature on teaching and learning to help you apply those practices in your courses.

You can work one-on-one with your Instructional Design Partner at any time during the semester to incorporate the strategies you are learning into your courses or for support with developing your courses in Canvas.

Building Community: Practicing Inclusive Communication Workshop Description

How can you foster a supportive community of learners in your courses, whether face-to-face, online, or hybrid? This webinar will explore the current research and best practices in building community with and between students, and you will learn practical tips to incorporate inclusive communication in your courses.

• Drexel University, (2018). The Importance of Diversity & Cultural Awareness in the Classroom. Drexel University School of Education. https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/

• Greer, A., (2014). Increasing Inclusivity in the Classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/increasing-inclusivity-in-the-classroom/

• Philips, B., (2017). Playing “Cultural Competence Catch Up in Higher Education.” Campaign for College Opportunity. https://collegecampaign.org/playing-cultural-competence-catch-up-in-higher-education/

• Sathy, V. and Hogan, K., (2021). How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-make-your-teaching-more-inclusive/

• Saunders, S. and Kardia, D., (1997). Creating Inclusive College Classrooms. Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. https://crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1

• Walden University. Why Cultural Diversity and Awareness in the College Classroom is Important. https://www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-elementary-education/resource/why-cultural-diversity-and-awareness-in-the-classroom-is-important 

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