Inclusive & Equitable Teaching - Home | UMass Amherst



Inclusive & Equitable TeachingIn this section you will identify practices and learning activities that you will use to develop your students’ sense of connection and belonging.How do you plan to foster high quality relationships with your students?Your Ideas: INTEGRATE ITIf you choose to do so, you can integrate photos, your Who I Am Section, and your Hopes and Vision Statement into your course syllabus and/or your LMS. Practices that Foster High Quality Relationships:Add a photo of yourself (and of your teaching assistants if you work with some) to your syllabus and/or LMS.Add a ‘Who I am’ section to your syllabus, introducing yourself to your students (i.e., your background, interests, passions, hobbies).Add a ‘My Hopes and Vision for the Course’ section through which you share your teaching philosophy.Create a brief ‘Welcome Video’ and send a ‘Welcome Email’.Ask your students to complete a brief ‘What I Want You to Know about Me’ Intro Survey about their interests, needs, strengths, prior knowledge, relevant experiences, and skills. Include a couple of fun questions!Throughout the semester, reach out to the “tails,” encourage those in the middle, and congratulate the ones who are succeeding. For larger enrollment courses, you can use email templates and mass merges to reach out to groups of students.Open live class sessions early and stay on for a few minutes to provide students with opportunities to chat with you. How do you plan to cultivate a learning community throughout the semester?Your Ideas: Practices that Cultivate a Learning Community:Create a ‘Café’ or ‘Watercooler’ Forum on Moodle/Blackboard for non-course-related chats.Create a ‘Does Anyone Know’ Forum on Moodle/Blackboard where students can ask each other course-related questions.Create Virtual Homerooms/Study Groups on Moodle/Blackboard based on some common interest, geography or affinity groups to promote connection among students. Create a first Introduction Assignment through which students introduce themselves to the class asynchronously. Offer multimodal options, such as video, audiocast, a collage, something written. Develop Class Participation Agreements/Netiquette collaboratively. Choose some fun Icebreaker Activities to create bonds between you and your students, capture the attention of the class, and brighten the mood. Do these any time throughout the semester! Identify some that can be done synchronously, asynchronously, or in a blended format. Can you connect icebreakers to class topics? Choose consistent Opening/Personal Check-In activities to gauge how your students are doing.Choose consistent Closing/Reflection/Feedback activities to wrap up a class session.How will you demonstrate caring and interest in your students’ success? Your Ideas:Practices that Demonstrate Caring and Interest:Provide a comprehensive online Inclusive Syllabus.Add an Inclusive Learning and Disability Accommodation Statement to your syllabus.Add Orientation Sections on your Moodle/Blackboard, such as:General Orientation to the Course: i.e., structure of the course, expectations, technology needs.How to Navigate the Course Site: consider creating a brief screencast video touring the course site.Online Learning TipsWords about Self-motivation, Discipline and Time ManagementAvailable Supports: Instructor Support, Moodle/Blackboard Orientation Sessions, 24/7 Tech Support, Q & A ForumTutorials for digital technology tools: teach students how to do things. Have a Housekeeping Slide for live class sessions that explains to students how to participate. Have flexible deadlines for assignments when possible: set a suggested due date and build in an automatic extended deadline for full credit. Connect students with UMass Amherst Well-being Initiatives.Have a link on your Moodle/Blackboard to the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH) webpage devoted to helping students?with Coronavirus-related anxiety. How will you make learning relevant for your students?Your Ideas: Practices that Make Learning Relevant:Connect course material to students’ identities, cultures, communities, and real-world issues. Select high-interest examples.Use TED talks, YouTube or Vimeo videos, podcasts and content from other educational sites to show multiple perspectives on a topic.Ask students to identify values and goals related to the course and discipline.Ask your students to apply what they learned in class today to some aspect of their life.Offer choices and options for readings, topics, or assignments. Consider what is necessary to do for all and what can be optional to achieve the intended learning outcomes. Update course materials based on current events and students’ interests.Design an assignment through which students can share content with each other that they researched.Bring in guest speakers, either remotely through pre-recorded videos or podcasts in which you interview the speaker or for a live discussion. Ask alumni and community members to provide remote mentorship, career discussions, and virtual internships.How will you design your course for learner variability by offering multiple ways for students to engage in their learning?Your Ideas: Practices that Consider Learner Variability:Identify various ways through which you can present content beyond written text. Supplement with videos, podcasts, graphic representations, images, examples, models, etc. Allow for multiple methods for engaging with the content and demonstrating understanding (i.e., writing, online discussion forum, VoiceThread assignment, concept mapping)Integrate supports for learning (i.e. guided, notes, using a study buddy system, connecting students with the Learning Resource Center, inviting the Writing Center to present a guest lecture).Use synchronous and asynchronous course delivery flexibly by offering various modes of engagement. Be intentional about how you pre-record presentations, lectures, and tutorials: choosing the portrait format with split screens for pre-recorded lectures and tutorials provides a parallel space for students to take notes, to look up concepts, to process the subject, or to work along in a tutorial.Check the digital technology tools you use for accessibility.Encourage the use of adaptive technology.Create accessible documents and presentations.Record live class sessions, close caption the videos and provide transcripts.Use online collaborative documents for note taking. ................
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