Creating Inclusivity

Some teaching strategies are particularly effective in engaging and supporting learning in students from a wide range of backgrounds. For example, methods that encourage active and collaborative learning improve student engagement and learning for all students, and close the opportunity gap between underrepresented and majority students. The overall effectiveness of these methods has been borne out in research nationally, most recently by a major meta-analysis of hundreds of studies in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Strategies such as cooperative small group learning, problem-based learning, and increased course structure (e.g., guided-reading questions, preparatory homework, and in-class activities) have proved especially helpful to minority students and first-generation students. These methods are at the core of current course redesign efforts to include more student-centered teaching. Similarly, peer-led supplemental discussions or workshops enhance student learning, with especially significant benefits for underrepresented student groups.

These approaches shrink large classes to smaller groups in the same space, reduce academic isolation, and encourage a sense of community and social support. They enhance critical thinking, improve student preparation and accountability, and transform students into active learners. They also employ universal design for learning, a strategy that increases access and support for particular groups of students but that benefits all learners.

Steps you can take

We recommend presenting students with open-ended problems and assignments that have many “correct” answers: the types of questions that require the consensus of a group or contributions from everyone in a group to address.

It’s also important to increase transparency in courses. For example, rubrics improve grading efficiency and consistency, and they also demystify what it takes to succeed on an assignment. Students from underrepresented groups who do not have access to insider academic knowledge can benefit from additional clarity and transparency.

Throughout the semester, you should continually assess student outcomes. Use formal (e.g., student performance, student feedback) and informal (e.g., in-class engagement, participation) evidence to guide your teaching.

Here are some questions you might ask yourself as you consider creating a more inclusive environment in your course:

• How does your teaching promote broad student achievement of the skills and concepts you hope they will take away from your course?

• Are your methods engaging students from a wide range of backgrounds?

• When student outcomes fall short of your expectations or wishes, do you seek out new interventions to address those challenges?

Resources: 

1. Born, W.L,, Revell, W., & Pinto, L.H. (2002). Improving Biology Performance with Workshop Groups. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 11(4).

2. Eddy, S.L., & Hogan, K.A. (2014). Getting Under the Hood: How and for Whom Does Increasing Course Structure Work? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 13, 453–468.

3. Freeman S, Eddy SL, McDonough M, Smith MK, Okoroafor N, Jordt H, Wenderoth MP (2014). Active learning increases student performance across the STEM disciplines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 111, 8410–8415.

An inclusive classroom climate is one that embraces diversity and creates an atmosphere of respect for all members of the KU community. Feeling unsupported and isolated puts students at a high risk for dropping out of college, particularly in their first two years. The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning argues that we can capitalize on the rich array of experiences, backgrounds, and skills that diverse faculty and students bring to the classroom to the benefit of all. Here are some strategies for student-centered teaching that faculty can adopt to promote a sense of belonging, validation, and mutual respect in our classrooms:

• Look for ways to increase student exposure to the diversity of human experience. Choose content and examples that address and model diversity, regardless of the subject. Although issues of diversity may at first glance seem more relevant to some disciplines than others, scholars in any discipline should consider how different frames of reference and cultural assumptions affect the accumulation of knowledge.

• Include issues of diversity as part of the course learning outcomes. Use images of people that represent various ethnicities, races, and genders, and use a broad range of analogies and examples. Make your classroom inspiring for underrepresented students. Discussing the contributions of diverse scholars and providing role models that represent a range of cultures, races, genders, or sexual identities conveys that everyone can be successful.

• Create diverse groups or learning teams. When using instructor-formed groups or learning teams, avoid (when possible) creating groups that either isolate underrepresented students or create homogenous groups of students. Students who feel isolated within their team may lose the benefits of collaborative learning, and may have an amplified feeling of marginalization at the university. Provide guidelines for group interactions, check on group functioning through peer feedback, and intervene to shift or structure groups as needed.

• Reduce stereotype threat. This term was coined by Steele and Aronson (1995) to refer to situations in which the performance of negatively stereotyped groups suffers when that stereotype is activated or emphasized. Strategies such as reframing a task and providing role models can help to counteract stereotype threat.

• Include diversity and disabilities statements in your syllabus. Such statements communicate a commitment to diversity and inclusion from the beginning of the semester. They also provide an opportunity to set ground rules or a code of conduct for respectful and appropriate behavior.

• Reflect on your own background and experiences. Consider how your own background and cultural influences might affect how you have designed your course. Does the material provide an accurate representation of various perspectives? The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan provides reflective strategies for faculty to examine the impact of social identity on teaching.

• Create a gender inclusive environment by using gender inclusive langue and respecting your students' personal pronouns. Set an example for your class and play an active role in using inclusive gender language in your classroom.

Resource: Rocca, Kella A. (2010). Student participation in the college classroom: an extended multidisciplinary literature review. Communication Education 59:2 (April): 185-213

These materials were compiled by Meagan Patterson, an associate professor of educational psychology and a faculty fellow at the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Encourage all students to participate

• Consider assigning roles (recorder, presenter, etc.) to make sure that students have equal opportunities to participate
• Multiple avenues for participation (e.g., pre-class or in-class writing) allow students to draw on their individual strengths
• Consider how quieter students can indicate a desire to speak

Set ground rules

• Everyone performs better when they know expectations ahead of time
• Create an atmosphere of inclusion and respect
• Student participation in setting ground rules can promote engagement and “buy-in”
• Referring to a rule helps take some responsibility off the instructor

Treat students as individuals

• Don’t ask students to speak for their whole group
• Allow students to draw on their own lives and experiences when appropriate; this promotes meaningful learning

Take others’ perspectives and encourage students to do the same

• Acknowledge your own identity and how you may be perceived
• Readings and films can demonstrate other experiences and promote perspective-taking
• How this works may change from semester to semester depending on the composition of your classroom

Plan for problems before they occur

• Set goals and inform students of those goals (we respond better when we know why we are being asked to do something)
• Set ground rules ahead of time (civility, appropriate evidence)
• Think about when you want to step in and when you want to let a discussion progress
• Draw on resources (faculty, students, web resources) to learn about what issues have come up in the past and how to handle them

Get in touch with struggling students and point them to campus resources when necessary

• Student guides for academic success (studying, time management, test anxiety, etc.)

Sample syllabus statements about diversity, inclusivity, and civility

• The instructor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the instructor’s expectation that ALL students experience this classroom as a safe environment.
• The University of Kansas supports an inclusive learning environment in which diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, and appreciated. We believe that all students benefit from training and experiences that will help them to learn, lead, and serve in an increasingly diverse society. All members of our campus community must accept the responsibility to demonstrate civility and respect for the dignity of others. Expressions or actions that disparage a person’s or group’s race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, gender identity / expression, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability are contrary to the mission of the University. We expect that KU students, faculty, and staff will promote an atmosphere of respect for all members of our KU community.
• Civility and respect for the opinions of others are very important in an academic environment. It is likely you may not agree with everything that is said or discussed in the classroom. Courteous behavior and responses are expected at all times. When you disagree with someone, be sure that you make a distinction between criticizing an idea and criticizing the person. Expressions or actions that disparage a person’s or race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, gender identity / expression, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital, parental, or veteran status are contrary to the mission of this course and will not be tolerated.

Further Reading and Resources

• Angelo, T. A. (1993, April). A “Teacher’s Dozen”: Fourteen general, research-based principles for improving higher learning in our classrooms (pdf). AAHE Bulletin, 45(8), 3-13.
• Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Burmila, E. M. (2010). Graduate students as independent instructors: Seven things to know about teaching your own course while in graduate school. PS: Political Science & Politics, 44, 557-560.
• Conditionally Accepted. A site devoted to information, personal stories, and resources for those “at the margins of academia.”
• Inclusive Teaching Strategies, from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.
• Responding to Difficult Moments, from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.
• Sociological Images. A blog that offers a sociological critique of imagery, events, and discourse of all types.
• Winship, J. An approach for teaching diversity: A dozen suggestions for enhancing student learning.

Instructors can create a positive climate for intellectual discourse about diversity by setting guidelines for class participation that anticipate difficult discussions, and managing contentious interactions when they arise. Here are a few suggestions:

Set guidelines

Provide students with a set of ground rules for class participation, or engage your students in designing them with you. Ground rules about civil behavior, acceptable evidence, and appropriate responses to offensive statements can make your expectations for civil, meaningful discourse clear from the start, and facilitate an atmosphere of mutual respect. Encourage all students to participate by assigning roles, or providing multiple avenues for participation (e.g., through writing or discussion).

Manage contentious interactions.

When an offensive remark is made, Lee Warren, of the Derek Bok Center at Harvard University, encourages us "to find the teaching opportunities to help students learn in and from the moment.” Try to collect yourself and set aside your own personal reactions. Do not allow personal attacks or avoid addressing a hot moment altogether. Instead, help students step back and think about the issue productively, such as by making it a topic of general discussion or a writing exercise.

Treat students as individuals

Avoid treating students as representatives of or “experts” for their racial, cultural, or other social identity group. Allow students to draw on their own lives and experiences when appropriate

This page on supporting meaningful conversations provides more guidance for supporting meaningful dialogue about potentially charged topics in both in-person and online contexts. 

The instructor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the instructor’s expectation that ALL students experience this classroom as a safe environment.

The University of Kansas supports an inclusive learning environment in which diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, and appreciated. We believe that all students benefit from training and experiences that will help them to learn, lead, and serve in an increasingly diverse society. All members of our campus community must accept the responsibility to demonstrate civility and respect for the dignity of others. Expressions or actions that disparage a person’s or group’s race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, gender identity / expression, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability are contrary to the mission of the University. We expect that KU students, faculty, and staff will promote an atmosphere of respect for all members of our KU community.

Civility and respect for the opinions of others are very important in an academic environment. It is likely you may not agree with everything that is said or discussed in the classroom. Courteous behavior and responses are expected at all times. When you disagree with someone, be sure that you make a distinction between criticizing an idea and criticizing the person. Expressions or actions that disparage a person’s or race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, gender identity/expression, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital, parental, or veteran status are contrary to the mission of this course and will not be tolerated.

Principles for Constructive Engagement, Adapted from Is Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education, edited by James A. Banks.

1. You don’t know what you don’t know. Strive for intellectual humility.

2. Everyone has an opinion. Opinions are not the same as informed knowledge.

3. Let go of personal anecdotal evidence and look at broader societal patterns.

4. Notice your own defensive reactions, and attempt to use these reactions as entry points for gaining deeper self-knowledge.

5. Recognize how your social positionality (such as your own race, class, gender, sexuality, ability status) informs your reactions to class material and to others in the class.

From the University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Website.

1. Respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that differ from your own. Challenge or criticize the idea, not the person.
2. Listen carefully to what others are saying even when you disagree with what is being said. Comments that you make (asking for clarification, sharing critiques, expanding on a point, etc.) should reflect that you have paid attention to the speaker’s comments.
3. Be courteous. Don’t interrupt or engage in private conversations while others are speaking. Support your statements. Use evidence and provide a rationale for your points.
4. Allow everyone a chance to talk. If you have much to say, try to hold back a bit; if you are hesitant to speak, look for opportunities to contribute to the discussion.
5. If you are offended by something or think someone else might be, speak up and don't leave it for someone else to have to respond to it.