Inclusive Teaching Tips and Strategies

Inclusive teaching involves a deliberate effort by faculty to create a learning environment that attends to and supports the needs of students with a variety of backgrounds, learning interests, and abilities. Inclusive pedagogical strategies shape the dynamics in teaching-learning spaces, affect an individual's experiences in those spaces, and influence course and curriculum design. Inclusive teaching attends the range of identities in the classroom and helps all students feel equally valued.

As you think ahead to next semester, here are a few questions to consider:

• Does your syllabus portray an inclusive and welcoming learning environment?
• Do you have a plan for getting to know students and fostering student-student interaction? 
• Do your instructional strategies include basic Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts?
• Do you have a plan for disseminating content in multiple ways such as printed text, images, audio and video vs just lecturing from slides?
• Will you provide students with multiple ways to express their comprehension and mastery of topics vs just assigning lengthy exams and papers?
• How do you plan to tap into students' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn?

Resources

If you would like to be more inclusive in your teaching, here are a few useful resources to help you get started:

The Accessible Syllabus

Sample Inclusive Syllabus Statement

The First Days of Class

UDL Syllabus Guidelines

UDL at a Glance

UDL Quick Tips

Practical Pointers for a Culturally Responsive Classroom