Impact: Ensures that all students feel heard and respected, fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated into the learning process. By engaging with diverse viewpoints, students are exposed to different ideas and perspectives, which broadens their understanding of the subject matter. Creating a plan to address and engage with multiple views also allows instructors to proactively navigate disagreement and conflict within the classroom.

Impact: Creates space and boundaries for self-expression in the classroom. Implementing strategies, such as setting time limits for each student’s contribution or alternating participation methods, such as live polls, helps demonstrate that all students’ contributions are valued. This helps reorient understandings of what student engagement and learning looks like in the classroom and adapt to students' capacities and communication styles.

Impact: Fosters a learning environment of respect and compassion between students, allowing students to express their ideas without judgement or discrimination. Discussion-based learning can offer opportunities to engage in constructive dialogue, learn from diverse perspectives, and develop critical thinking skills, which allows instructors to highlight the significance and interplay between oneself, subjectivity, and learning with others.

References

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Fiske, D. W. (1949). Consistency of the factorial structures of personality ratings from different sources. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 44(3), 329–344.

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Impact: Helps students easily understand the class flow, making it easier to follow along and comprehend the content being taught. A linear structure for lessons also helps students with different strengths and abilities stay on track and understand the presented content, providing a predictable framework to facilitate better preparation for each class, participating actively, and engaging with the material.

Impact: Allows students with disabilities to prepare the use of assistive technologies or request alternative formats for in-class activities and discussions in advance so instructors can support equal participation of all students. Listing specific dates also allows students with conflicting cultural or religious observances to inform instructors in advance to make adjustments for engaging with classroom learning.

Impact: Setting measurable goals helps students develop a sense of purpose and direction. With a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn, all learners can take ownership of their learning and feel empowered to succeed, which is particularly important for students from groups that are historically marginalized in education systems, such as women, students who are racialized, and students who are LGBTQ+.

Impact: Students can easily grasp content by connecting new information with previously learned concepts. This approach also helps appropriately pace learning for students and distributes cognitive load by planning learning to be achieved incrementally rather than simultaneously.

References

Impact: Helps students understand how the assignment relates to the course material, providing a clear roadmap for the completion of work. Including course concepts in descriptions helps students grasp the underlying principles and theories they must apply. Ensuring students understand the purpose and objective motivates students to delve deeper into the course topic and develop a more comprehensive understanding.

Impact: Allows sudents to choose assignments that align with their strengths, interests learning preferences and abilities. This also reinforces the notion that students are in control of their learning and can be trusted to know the best way to express their understanding, positioning instructors as facilitator and supporter of learning.

Impact: Encourages students to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and challenges. Promoting opportunities for students to express in their own words their needs and experiences helps instructors identify and address any barriers to learning and provide tailored support based on student reflections. This also emphasizes the role of self-reflection in learning, including reflection on how one is learning and how they are impacting the learning of others.

References

Guðjónsdóttir, H., & Óskarsdóttir, E. (2016). Inclusive education, pedagogy and practice. Science education towards inclusion, 7–22.

Impact: Encourages students to actively engage with different viewpoints and perspectives, promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. Focusing on real-world problems shows the practical application of course concepts to various social contexts and cultures, enabling students to see themselves represented in the learning material.

Impact: Helps students reflect on the readings, gather their thoughts before engaging in a discussion, and feel more confident participating in class. Discussion-based activities can create a supportive environment where students share their unique perspectives and experiences. By learning to actively listen and engage with diverse viewpoints, students develop a broader understanding of their peers and build rapport with their fellow learners.

Impact: Allows for active participation and engagement of all students, regardless of their r ability and level of comfort speaking in class. This creates multiple avenues for students to contribute to and shape class culture and learning.

Example: Have multiple roles for students during class discussions, including students mapping interactions between speakers, noting points of confusion, tracking decisions and next actions (where applicable), and tracking emotions in discussion (where applicable).

[caption id="attachment_140" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Figure 1: Diagram of Discussion Interaction[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_139" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Figure 2: Diagram of Contradiction in Discussion[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_138" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Figure 3: Diagram of Confusion in Discussion[/caption]   A 15-minute class discussion on The Republic of Plato (1945) can be organized to include the following roles for students.

• Six student speakers were tasked with sharing their thoughts and opinions on the assigned reading.
• One student to track the interactions between the student speakers.
• One student to track the points of confusion present over the course of the discussion.

Explanation Tracking aspects of discussion, like exchanges of ideas, helps students recognize and reflect on how they listen to and engage with others. This can help support intentional student interactions that encourage respect and understanding between peers and build on one another’s ideas. In Figure 1, the visual representation of the discussion displays a balance between addressing the whole group of speakers and exchanging ideas between individual students. As we can see, not every student is speaking in the discussion. Tracking aspects like confusion highlights the role of confusion in learning while also creating a space where students’ ideas are acknowledged and supported. In Figure 2, the discussion contains contradicting ideas and questions around the comprehension of course concepts expressed. There appears to be a division in the definition of justice that leads to further confusion about the role of philosophers in Figure 3. All of this information can be used to not only engage students but for instructors to identify struggles with course content, disengagement, and overall classroom atmosphere. Activities like these enable instructors to adjust teaching strategies to better meet the student’s needs.

IMPACT: Provides options for students with different learning preferences and abilities, allowing students to choose the method that best suits their strengths and interests. This will enable students to build confidence and learn from each other’s perspectives by framing course content differently and engagingly. Introducing opportunities for students to select what works best for them also indicates to students that their unique backgrounds and experiences will be valued and supported.

References

Guðjónsdóttir, H., & Óskarsdóttir, E. (2016). Inclusive education, pedagogy and practice. Science education towards inclusion, 7–22.

Hogan, K. A., & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.

Krajcik, J.S. & Blumenfeld, P. (2006). Project-based learning. In Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.), the Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. New York: Cambridge.

Plato, & Cornford, F. M. (1945). The republic of plato. Oxford University Press.

Impact: Helps engage different student strengths and abilities. Balancing lecture and instruction also allows students to interact with their peers, building rapport between students to reduce anonymity and build a classroom culture predicated on mutual exchange and giving voice to everyone in the room.

Impact: Allows students to develop links between larger context, histories, and ideas within their discipline and their manifestations in the real world. Inviting different voices from the field also presents opportunities for students to see varied representations of career paths and expertise that enable them to learn about different ways of knowing and knowledge production, including oral histories, emotions, and intuition.

References

Hogan, K. A., & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.

Impact: Reduces cognitive load, making it easier for students to understand and retain the content, particularly beneficial for students with learning disabilities or attention difficulties. A balance between text and images also ensures that information is presented in multiple formats. Visual aids and images can enhance understanding, especially for students who are visual learners or may have language barriers. However, excessive images can be overwhelming and distract from the main message.

Impact: Helps ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learning materials by removing financial barriers that may prevent them from accessing course resources. Employing open educational resources (OER) and Creative Commons licenses encourages the sharing and adaptation of materials, fosters inclusivity and accommodates diverse learning needs. Students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds can fully participate in learning when cost barriers are addressed. Use the course Moodle to quickly disseminate materials, ensuring that students can access them anytime and anywhere.

Impact: Problematizes binary thinking, like us-them or right-wrong approaches, and instead surfaces the complexity of course content, learning, and knowledge. This helps students become aware of the multiple narratives around a particular topic and attuned to whose narratives are uplifted and privileged and whose are invisible and marginalized. Drawing attention to these dynamics in knowledge production supports reflection and critical thinking skills and normalizes students adopting differing perspectives among peers.

References

Tuitt, F. A. (2009). Standing on the outside looking in: Implications for practice. In M. F. Howard-Hamilton, C. L. Morelon-Quanoo, S. D. Johnson, R. Windle-Wagner, & L. Santigue (Eds.), Standing on the outside looking in: Underrepresented students’ experiences in advanced degree programs (pp. 224–256). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Waitoller, F. R., & Thorius, K. A. K. (2016). Cross-pollinating culturally sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning: Toward an inclusive pedagogy that accounts for Dis/Ability. Harvard Educational Review, 86(3), 366–389, 473–474.

Land acknowledgement

Media attribution

When it comes to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning experience for students, it can be hard to know where to start.

Inclusive Pedagogy can be considered an umbrella term that can be broken down into three key elements:

• course design,
• classroom environment, and
• course delivery.

Separating and distinguishing between all three can help make inclusive teaching feel more manageable and less like a one-size-fits-all model.

These pages contain an overview of what each element encompasses, important considerations for instructors who seek to integrate inclusive teaching into their practice, and a discussion of how inclusive teaching impacts students.

It is important to remember that just as inclusive teaching aims to be responsive to and reflective of diverse learners in the classroom (Gumport, 2000), these options are intended to be flexible and adaptive to the diverse courses, disciplines, and teaching experiences of instructors at Concordia. It is equally important to note that instructors should adopt small changes from the guidelines to gradually integrate inclusive practices in their approach to teaching and learning.

Summary

Inclusive Pedagogy is about making decisions about course design, course delivery, and classroom environment to facilitate and sustain a more inclusive learning experience for students. Though there are many different ways to adopt and integrate these practices into teaching, the focus lies in selecting and incorporating the methods that best suit the instructor. Just like a menu offers a variety of options to cater to different tastes and preferences, inclusive pedagogy provides a range of approaches so that instructors have the flexibility to pick and choose strategies that align with their teaching style, subject matter, and the needs of their students. While every instructor may be working from a different starting point when incorporating inclusive pedagogies, the shared outcome is to set the foundation for creating an equitable and student-centred course (Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2016).

References

Gumport, P. J. (2000). Academic restructuring: Organizational change and institutional imperatives. Higher Education, 39(1), 67–91.

Impact: Allows students to connect with one another, fostering a sense of belonging and individuality early in the course. By sharing more about themselves, students can find common ground and build relationships based on shared experiences. This helps frame the classroom as a space for expressing unique ideas, experiences, and interests.

Impact: Promotes a sense of belonging and community within the classroom, making it easier for students to engage in discussions and feel comfortable participating. Emphasizing the learning of names, in particular, helps create a more personalized and inclusive learning environment and underscores the reality that students speak and build knowledge from their own standpoint.

References

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. John Wiley & Sons.

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Impact: Allows students to understand their relationship with their peers. Being clear about how students will share their understandings and insights helps students be conscious of how they interact with, listen to, and respond to the contributions of their peers. Clarity around this aspect of the learning environment can help avoid unnecessary pressure and stress for some students, leading to anxiety and a fear of failure that hinders their ability to learn and participate.

Impact: Raises consciousness about how we perceive and understand others’ opinions and perspectives. Acknowledging the reality of disagreement in the classroom demonstrates to students that instructors will notice and handle these moments. Vocalizing this aspect of an instructor’s approach helps students understand the how and why of an instructor’s teaching methods and anticipate what may happen when a disagreement arises.

Impact: Prepares instructors to give feedback to students in a constructive manner. Addressing and framing responses helps to enhance critical thinking skills by encouraging students to reflect on their responses and consider alternative perspectives. By promoting a growth mindset, students learn that making mistakes is a part of the learning process. Normalizing the idea of humility as part of learning helps ease students’ worries about being embarrassed or ridiculed in the classroom.

Impact: Indicates how an instructor will lead the classroom, contributing to students' sense of belonging and autonomy they will experience in the space. A course and class’s tone can indicate to students an instructor’s level of flexibility, approachability, and willingness to make accommodations for students with specific circumstances.

Impact: Allows students to have sufficient time to rest, recharge, and engage in self-care activities, which promotes their overall well-being and enhances their ability to focus and participate actively in the learning process. Considering the point in class when scheduling breaks ensures that students have opportunities to take breaks at strategic moments, such as after a mentally demanding task or before transitioning to a new topic.

Impact: Adopts proactive strategies to prepare for student disruptions and rowdiness, helping instructors avoid reactive or avoidant classroom management techniques that can negatively impact students’ sense of safety and belonging. Considering what approach to take can help instructors normalize these moments. Particularly for disabled or neurodivergent students in the classroom to express themselves in ways that suit their needs, an instructor’s strategies contribute to a positive learning environment where students can trust instructors to lead.

Impact: Helps foster a sense of belonging and acceptance among students. Employing outdated language from textbooks, research, or the field of study fails to uphold the historical context or mitigate its influence or meaning. Exclusionary language in the classroom imparts the notion that it is also acceptable for students. Staying up-to-date with inclusive terminology within a discipline helps to avoid marginalizing or excluding students based on their gender, race, country of origin, or other identities. This allows instructors to use accurate and relevant terminology that reflects the current understanding of the subject matter.

References

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Finley, S. (2015). Embodied homelessness: The pros/thesis of art research. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(6), 504–509.

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Impact: Ensures that all students, including those with hearing impairments or those who may have missed the original question, can hear and understand what is being asked. This creates a sense of belonging, where every student feels valued and heard, regardless of their background, language proficiency, or communication preferences. The repetition also validates contributions and encourages active participation, boosting students’ confidence and self-esteem as they feel acknowledged and empowered in the classroom.

Impact: Gives students with different processing speeds the opportunity to understand the information and formulate thoughtful questions fully. This creates a safe and inclusive environment where students feel comfortable taking their time to process information and ask questions without feeling rushed or pressured. It also encourages critical thinking skills as students can reflect on information and formulate well-thought-out responses and questions.

References

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Impact: Helps students understand and engage with the content, regardless of their background knowledge or prior experiences. It ensures that all students have equal access to the information being taught. Instructors can use various strategies, such as tracking and compiling terminology for lesson plans and providing concise, one-sentence definitions. This also demonstrates an instructor’s investment in the learning of students.

Impact: Ensures all students, including those with hearing impairments, can understand the instructor. This allows students to observe facial expressions and body language, enhancing comprehension and engagement in the learning process. Instructors can also demonstrate respect and acknowledge each student's presence and participation.

Impact: Ensures that students with visual impairments can access the content through auditory means while helping students who struggle with reading or comprehension better understand the material by hearing it read aloud. Reading aloud visual materials accommodates learners who prefer listening and processing information through spoken words. It also benefits learners who can simultaneously observe the slides and connect the visual content with the spoken words, reinforcing their understanding.

Impact: Ensures that all students can hear and understand the lecture content, including those with hearing impairments or auditory processing difficulties. Adjusting speaking speed can help students with cognitive disabilities or language barriers to comprehend and retain information more effectively. Instructors can use pauses, repetition, and clear transitions between topics to help students process and organize information, making the lecture more accessible to all learners.

References

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Hogan, K. A., & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.

Impact: This brings transparency to the classroom by providing students with a clear understanding of an instructor’s teaching methods, learning goals, and approach to teaching and learning. Centring and sharing this information openly also creates space for students to seek clarity around how an instructor values individual differences and implements strategies to accommodate diverse needs.

Impact: Lowers barriers to accessing and engaging with course content by breaking down complex concepts into more straightforward, more understandable terms. Explaining examples allows instructors to provide additional context and clarify any potential confusion, ensuring all students fully grasp the intended message. Using multiple examples helps ensure that everyone can connect with at least one example while providing a broader perspective and allowing for a deeper understanding of the content that accommodates different learning and cultural backgrounds.

References

Hogan, K. A., & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.

Waitoller, F. R., & Thorius, K. A. K. (2016). Cross-pollinating culturally sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning: Toward an inclusive pedagogy that accounts for Dis/Ability. Harvard Educational Review, 86(3), 366–389, 473–474.