Inclusive Learning Strategies

Thinking about how to support the success of all students is vital to effective teaching. Practices that support the success of members of underrepresented groups include things such as active learning and supporting a growth mindset, practices that are helpful for the learning of all students. Additionally, understanding and appreciating student identities helps faculty and instructors support a diverse student body.

To start with:

• Examine assumptions we might hold about different populations, including our students.

• Convey a helpful attitude toward your students, setting positive expectations combined with a willingness to provide extra help to students in need.

• Intentionally create a community in which all students feel a sense of belonging and a willingness to engage in civil discourse.

• Encourage students to examine their own assumptions and become more informed, more sensitive, and more conscious about ethnic, racial, and gender issues, as well as other issues unique to a college population (for example, attitudes towards student athletes, nontraditional students, and students in different majors).