Inclusivity in Online Courses
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With the rapid rush to online, instructors need to take extra steps to ensure that all of their students feel included in the online classroom environment.
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Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 1. Building a Community of Learners Inclusivity in Online Courses September 10, 2020 Dr. D. M. Hardy
- 2. Agenda • Diversity, inclusivity, and the difference between the two • Communication is Key • Inclusive Teaching & Online Learning • Discussion / Q&A Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 3. What is Diversity? • People of different: • Ages • Cultural Backgrounds • Geographies • Physical Abilities & Disabilities • Religions • Genders • Sexual Orientation • But also includes: • Perspectives • Preferences • Characteristics • Biases Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 4. What is Inclusivity? • An inclusive environment is on in which all individuals: • Are treated fairly and respectfully • Have equal access to opportunities and resources • Can contribute fully to the course’s (or class as a whole) success Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 5. What’s the difference? Diversity • The “What” • Focus is on the makeup of your classes Inclusivity • The “How” • The creation of an environment and culture that enables all students to participate and thrive Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 6. Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 7. Communication is Key Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 8. Respect and sensitivity through language • Acknowledge your bias • Use universal phrases • Use gender-neutral phrases • Use inclusive examples / assessment • Other word choices Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 9. Interpretation Awareness • Consider the potential (mis)interpretation of written forums/feedback and the impact on student performance/attitude. • Be clear and thorough • Create samples of frequent errors with detailed notes that can be shared with students • Culture can impact dynamics of exchanges Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 10. Universal Design Principles • Pay attention to: • Color and size of fonts • Volume of material on any given page • Embedding of objectives and directives for the learners • Be sure to: • Use only captioned videos • Images with alt text • But did you know…? • People don’t read web pages … they scan them! Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 11. Promoting Diversity & Inclusion 1. Understanding 2. Teaching strategies and materials 3. Equal opportunities to all students 4. Celebrate diversity & inclusion 5. Encourage differing perspectives 6. Diverse learning materials Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 12. Inclusive Teaching & Online Learning Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 13. Class Climate that Fosters Belonging Questions you may be asking: How can I create a positive online course climate for students in my live WebEx class sessions and my GaView course site? How will I know the climate is supporting learning online? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 14. Set explicit student expectations Questions you may be asking: How can I ensure that all of my learners are set up to succeed in my online course? How can I communicate my goals and expectations in meaningful ways? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 15. Course Content Questions you may be asking: How do I ensure my content recognizes diversity and acknowledges barriers to inclusion? How can I engage students with online content that offers diverse representation? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 16. Design accessible course elements Questions you may be asking: How can I make sure that my use of GaView and WebEx is accessible to all of my learners? How can I provide students multiple ways to engage and express their learning? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 17. Reflection Questions you may be asking: How can I ensure that my online interactions with students are inclusive and fair? What are my beliefs about online teaching? How might I become more self-aware about my online presence? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 18. Now What? What action can you take this week to make your classes more inclusive? Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 19. Q&A Inclusivity in Online Courses
- 20. References & Resources • Diversity vs Inclusion: What’s the difference? https://www.digitalhrtech.com/diversity-vs-inclusion/ • How to create an inclusive online class https://facdev.e-education.psu.edu/node/443 • Fostering an Inclusive Environment when Developing Online Courses https://teachonline.asu.edu/2016/01/fostering-inclusive-environment-developing-online-courses/ • Inclusive Teaching and Learning Online https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/inclusive-teaching/ • Diversity & inclusion in the online classroom https://www.pearsoned.com/diversity-inclusion-in-the-online-classroom/ • Learning to practice inclusion online https://www.dvv-international.de/en/adult-education-and-development/editions/aed-842017-inclusion-and-diversity/section-3-method/learning-to- practice-inclusion-online • Universal Design for Learning http://udloncampus.cast.org/home Inclusivity in Online Courses
Editor's Notes
- Acknowledge Your Bias Everyone has a bias – it is the lens through which each of us views the world. The first step to addressing that bias is acknowledging that you have one. If you have international students in your online course, phrases and examples based in Western culture may make no sense to those students. For example: Does that analogy comparing an American football play and a natural physical process necessarily translate for someone from another country who knows nothing about American football? Spend some time before writing content, announcements, emails, essay questions, word problems, quiz questions, etc. thinking about how to be more inclusive. Use Universal Phrases - When using American idioms, explain them. Not everyone in your class is an American and will understand typically American phrases. - Avoid binaries like black/white, male/female, gay/straight. Use gender-neutral phrases - Use generic greetings like Dear students, Good Morning Folks, etc. when addressing the class in emails, announcements, video conferences, etc. - Do not assume someone’s gender based on name alone. One way to clarify this is to introduce yourself using your pronouns (Hi! My name is Jennifer and I use she/her/hers pronouns). Ask students to share the name and pronouns they would like the class to use. Note that the singular pronoun “they” is an acceptable pronoun according to Merriam-Webster and the Penn State style manual. - When giving examples, be cognizant of being stereotypical about gender. For example, don't only use male pronouns/names when talking about a blacksmith or female pronouns/names when referring to a teacher. Use inclusive examples/assessment - Look for ways to include or portray inclusion in your examples, assessments, written content, and images. Use a variety of ethnic and gender-neutral names. Include a variety of people in your examples and word problems. ie. include people who are differently abled, people from non-western culture, same-sex couples, etc. Use a variety of current events or historical examples. Avoid using all Western examples. Other word choices Be aware of the words you use and how they might alienate, misrepresent, or offend some groups of people. For example, use: - significant other rather than wife/husband - differently abled rather than disabled - visually impaired rather than blind - winter break rather than Christmas break - people of color rather than minorities Using inclusive language is more than “political correctness.” Inclusivity is about respecting and celebrating people’s differences and including those differences in their educational process. Studies show that increasing inclusivity eliminates unintentional barriers that may hamper a student’s ability to relate to you and to the material, which in turn increases their engagement and learning.
- Consider the potential (mis)interpretation of written forums or feedback and the impact on student performance and attitude. Be clear and thorough. We find it helpful to create samples of frequent errors with detailed notes that we can easily share with any student. Keep in mind that students do not necessarily have to be English language learners for their culture to influence their interpretation or understanding of the meaning of written text within a course. Culture can impact the dynamics of the exchanges as well. Cultural norms — the common beliefs, expectations, and practices of a society — may impact how and when students respond to questions.
- First and foremost, consider universal design principles in your course design. It may be as simple as paying attention to color and size of fonts, the volume of material on any given page, the embedding of objectives and directives for the learners, etc. You already know it’s critical to use only captioned videos, images with alt text, etc., but do you know how people tend to scan/read web pages? Are you designing your course with that in mind? The aesthetics of a course are important. How will your course users see and interpret images, art, photography, movies, and so on? What is the reading level of the material chosen? Is the material engaging? Does the media reflect diversity? Universal design principles help educators consider how to reach every learner by providing flexible instructional materials, techniques, and strategies. It promotes the engagement of each learner by making learning more accessible. A guiding principle of universal design is that we need to provide multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement for students.
- It’s important to note that it is very difficult to identify and address every critical area in a course. Countless articles, some very extensive ones, cover the concept of inclusion and diversity. If we acknowledge that diversity influences learning, then we may be able to create discussions that result in examples that are culturally relevant. Your work as an instructor sets the tone for a safe space in the classroom where students can share their experiences and perspectives. How do we promote diversity in our classes? Strive to understand your students Utilize different teaching strategies and materials Structure the course to provide equal opportunities to all students Celebrate diversity & inclusion, and keep these in mind when designing discussion posts or share articles. Encourage differing perspectives. Ask the students to share their views & substantiate why they feel/think that way. Seek to include diverse learning materials.
- Principle 1: Establish and support a class climate that fosters belonging for all students. How can you create a positive online course climate for students in your live WebEx class sessions and your GaView course site? How will you know the climate is supporting learning online? It is important to think about your learners, their prior experiences with online learning, and their needs. Survey your students about their concerns, needs, and preferences for online learning. Ask students for their thoughts on online instruction, communication, interaction, collaboration, etc. Their responses can inform your approach going forward, and it allows instructors to be mindful of students’ personal situations and barriers to their learning (e.g., students may not have reliable internet access or a quiet space to learn and complete coursework). One possible question comes from a survey shared by Dr. Lance Gravlee (University of Florida, Department of Anthropology): “What would you like me to know or be thinking about as we try to create the best possible learning environment and keep everyone healthy during the rest of the semester?” Remote learning is challenging for both students and instructors. Describe your own fears and struggles in teaching and learning online to break down barriers and demystify the online learning process. Provide opportunities for students to interact with each other online–discussing in small groups using the GaView Discussion spaces or in WebEx – to help students feel more connected to each other and build a sense of community. Encourage dialogue about online learning experiences and share learning strategies that are working for students. In online discussions, whether synchronous or asynchronous, use names and pronouns used by students. Put supports in place to ensure that students meet your expectations. This includes holding virtual office hours; being responsive to student emails, chats, or messages; and periodically checking-in with learners. Address challenging classroom moments directly, whether during live WebEx sessions or in the GaView discussion space. Create guidelines for online discussions, revisit discussion guidelines that were previously agreed upon, ask students to pause and reflect, and to use “I” statements when discussing difficult issues that arise in conversations about course content. Ask for feedback from students about the online climate. You can use polls or other tools to gather this information. Review and report back to students.
- Principle 2: Set explicit student expectations. How can you ensure that all of your learners are set up to succeed in your online course? How can you communicate your goals and expectations in meaningful ways? Students may not know what to expect in this new learning environment. This is a good time to revisit what you expect of your learners and what they can expect of you. Create community agreements and/or guidelines for online discussion with students. This can be done in a discussion board where students articulate online etiquette, norms and expectations, and take on the shared responsibility to establish and maintain an inclusive and supportive online classroom environment. Revisit your course goals with a focus on what is essential. Decide on the knowledge students absolutely need to acquire and what skills they need to develop for the remainder of the semester. Articulate online learning goals that are realistic and make sense to learners given the shift to online learning. Craft assignments and online learning experiences that align with these course goals. Make explicit the expectations for online assignments – this includes being clear about assignment instructions, how to submit in GaView and by when, and what resources are available to ensure successful completion, as well as sharing the criteria that will be used to assess. Consider using the rubric feature in GaView for transparency. Create multiple, low-stakes opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning, which encourages students to stay motivated in the online space and keep track of their progress. Use the Discussions, Assignments, and Quizzes tools in GaView. Be flexible on deadlines and workload as some students may be in different time zones and may have limited opportunities to have their questions answered and enough time to complete work. Provide timely feedback on student work. Use a supportive tone and consider audio and video comments (available in GaView) which add a personalized touch. Model expected online behavior. Be present in the online space through various communication channels. Use the Announcements and Mail tool to be transparent with students about the course. Comment regularly on student contributions in the online discussion space and if possible arrive early to a WebEx class session to engage with learners.
- Principle 3: Select course content that recognizes diversity and acknowledges barriers to inclusion. How do I ensure my content recognizes diversity and acknowledges barriers to inclusion? How can you engage students with online content that offers diverse representation? With a wealth of online resources available, consider ways to integrate relevant course materials that bring in diverse perspectives and examples. Encourage students to play an active role in sharing resources they find online and making connections across course content. Invite students to find and share materials available on the internet, including e-texts that relate to course topics and reflect a range of perspectives and backgrounds. Critically evaluate the presentation of digital material. If you assign text or media that is problematic or incorporates stereotypes, point out the shortcomings and consider supplementing with other course materials. Encourage students to think critically about course material and related external sources to develop their information literacy skills. In online discussions, recorded lectures, and live WebEx sessions (whether during class sessions or in office hours), use examples that speak across diverse populations. Draw on resources, materials, and anecdotes that are relevant to the subject and sensitive to the social and cultural diversity of your students.
- Principle 4: Design all course elements for accessibility. How can you make sure that your use of GaView and WebEx is accessible to all your learners? How can you provide students multiple ways to engage and express their learning? With the rush to online teaching and learning, accessibility should be at the forefront and not an afterthought. All students benefit from accessible content, and opportunities to engage with course materials that set them up for success. It is important to be mindful that not all students will have access to reliable internet, software and hardware, and devices (e.g., microphone, webcam, printer). Thus it is important to offer flexibility or alternatives for students to access materials online, for instance sharing PDFs instead of videos which require more bandwidth. Offer synchronous and asynchronous elements to ensure that all students, regardless of time zone, have opportunities to engage with course materials, with their peers, and with the instructor. Record lectures and WebEx meetings that can be viewed any time. Be sure to include transcripts and captions. For instance, YouTube provides auto captioning. The captions can be edited for accuracy and made available to learners. When on-screen during a live session or recording a lecture, be sure to verbally describe any visuals like images, diagrams, or charts so that students who have difficulty seeing the visuals can still access the content. Check in with learners to help them stay motivated and keep up with coursework. The Universal Design for Learning framework is a valuable resource, and we encourage instructors to draw on it in the following ways: Provide multiple means of representation Ease barriers for learning by providing support materials, background information, and multiple types of examples to facilitate knowledge transfer. Provide information in multiple modalities (e.g., multimedia with captions and transcripts) and in a format that learners can adjust themselves (e.g., by increasing text size or altering brightness). Create accessible presentations and online discussions by using fonts and colors that are accessible to all learners. Provide multiple means of action and expression Provide frequent opportunities for informal assessment and feedback on progress, and build into this process places where learners should stop and reflect before acting. Create opportunities for students to play an active role online by articulating their thinking through online discussion or taking the lead in facilitating a live WebEx conversation. Provide multiple means of engagement Encourage collaboration online by using group features like discussion groups in GaView. Encourage learner autonomy. Invite students to do investigations or research on self-selected topics to draw on personal interests/relevance and to share this through a short video, audio recording, or live WebEx presentation. Invite students to co-design elements of online classroom activities or assignments.
- Principle 5: Reflect on one’s beliefs about teaching (online) to maximize self-awareness and commitment to inclusion How can you ensure that your online interactions with students are inclusive and fair? What are your beliefs about online teaching? How might you become more self-aware about your online presence? Whether you are new to teaching online or a seasoned online instructor, taking time to reflect on your experiences, assumptions about your learners, and online learning in general is critical to practice as it provides insights into small changes you can make to foster inclusive teaching and learning. Take time to reflect on who your students are, and the contexts and conditions in which they may find themselves wherever they may have relocated. Don’t assume that all students are in a space that provides them with an ideal learning environment. If you are recording your WebEx class sessions, consider re-watching the recordings and making notes about your interactions with students, who you call on, your tone, the types of examples you use, the clarity of your explanations, etc. What trends or specific actions stand out? What impacts might they have on students? Invite a colleague to observe your online GaView set-up or view one of your recorded WebEx sessions or pre-recorded lectures and provide feedback. After every live WebEx class session, make notes about what worked well, what could be improved, and what you will do differently next time. Ask your students for feedback on their learning experiences in WebEx and GaView. Use this feedback to inform your course design and instruction.