Inclusive Teaching: Basics

Toward equal opportunities for all

There are many different definitions of inclusive teaching, but one of the most succinct will suffice for now:

Inclusive teaching is an explicit intellectual and affective inclusion of all students into our fields and disciplines, through course content, assessment, and/or pedagogy.^[1]

In this Teaching Tip we will look at some of the fundamentals of understanding and facilitating an inclusive classroom.

Familiarize Yourself with Campus Resources

At UWT, the Office of Equity and Inclusion is the first stop for understanding UWT’s institutional commitment and access to programs to educate and support your teaching, such as the LEAD Institute, Communities of Support, and much more.

Diversity at the UW provides a wealth of information for instructors, students, and staff.

Similarly, students need to be made aware of their resources, preferably through more than just a few lines in a syllabus or other supplemental materials! The central site for student information, including information about community resources, is the Center for Equity and Inclusion.

Another important office supporting inclusivity is the Disabilities Resources for Students office which, among other things, will help students determine their eligibility for, and provide access to, accommodations for physical, emotional, or mental disabilities.

Make Use of Inclusive Practices

Use Inclusive Language

Inclusive language “acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities.”^[2] This isn’t about political correctness or “being woke,” but about being as clear as possible to as many learners as possible without accidentally marginalization. Many items might feel inconsequential, particularly when they are referring to groups you don’t feel you belong to, but to those groups they are important. For example, rather than referring to someone as “mentally ill,” the inclusive counterpart would be “a person with a mental disorder,” or “a person with a mental illness.”

The APA’s Inclusive Language Guidelines are a great place to start in both understanding inclusive language and as a reference for some of the most common opportunities to improve usage.

Beef Up Your Syllabus

Best inclusive practices for your syllabus include using inclusive language, ensuring your syllabus contains prominent links to campus resources, and including a diversity statement.

Preferred Names and Pronouns

Invite students to share their pronouns and preferred name. Where possible, direct them to resources on how to make these changes in the systems you may use, such as in Canvas and Zoom.

Introductions, Icebreakers, and Groups

Learning is greatly enhanced by a classroom community. The first chance to start building such a community is usually through introductions and ice-breakers. As is usually the case in the “real” world, introductions, even intensive icebreakers, are ideally just the start. Following up on these nascent connections is critical, most commonly by continuing collaboration and small group activities (not necessarily group “work,” though some might be).

Pay Attention to Accessibility

Inaccessible course materials are, well, potentially inaccessible to many students. The “born accessible” ideal of having all course materials accessible from the beginning and at any time might not be feasible, but there’s every reason to try. For more information, check out the Accessible Canvas Pages Stamp materials, which includes links to resources for remediating documents such as PDF files.

Student (Office) Hours

Office hours, which might better be called “student hours” to avoid confusion, should be inviting and literally accessible both in format and time. Promote your student hours often, emphasize their importance to learning and, if possible, offer them in a variety of times (both times of day and, possibly, evening) and formats (face-to-face, synchronously online, chat). Supplement student hours by sharing a specific policy about email (or Canvas Inbox) accessibility and response time.

Going Further

In this Tip we’ve focused on relatively straightforward practices (tactics, really), but designing for, creating, and facilitating, an inclusive classroom obviously requires continuous improvement and education about the larger, strategic picture. A solid starting point for thinking about the bigger picture is the article Twelve Tips for Inclusive Teaching, which includes general principles and principles connected closely to didactic teaching and teaching online and hybrid courses.

Resources

Teaching Tip by Chris Lott <clott@uw.edu> | XXX | Photo by XXX