Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Teaching Resources

What is Diversity? 

Individual differences (e.g., personality, prior knowledge, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations).
 

What is Inclusion? 

 The active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity—in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect—in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions.
 

What is Equity? 

 Educational equity means that every student has access to the resources and educational rigor they need at the right moment in their education, across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, family background, and/or family income.

What is Inclusive Excellence?

 “The collective responsibility to equitably engage all students in high quality, evidence-based educational experiences. An institution that commits to inclusive excellence intentionally designs experiences to accommodate differences in students’ aspirations, life circumstances, ways of engaging in learning and participating in college, and identities as learners and students.”

Witham, K., Malcom-Piqueux, L. E., Dowd, A. C., & Bensimon, E. M. (2015). America’s Unmet Promise: The Imperative for Equity in Higher Education. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

What is Inclusive Teaching?

 Inclusive teaching describes the range of approaches to teaching that consider the diverse needs and backgrounds of all students to create a learning environment where all students feel valued and where all students have equal access to learn. https://ucat.osu.edu/inclusive-teaching/what-is-inclusive-teaching/

The AACU (Association of American Colleges and Universities) calls for Inclusive Excellence, and this AACU paper provides an organization framework and other guidance for inclusive teaching across our institutions.

Teaching Resources

At OTEI, these can help you build an inclusive teaching approach: 

Inclusive Teaching

Our current series on inclusive teaching includes sessions on pedagogy, active learning, culturally relevant and authentic assessments, and creating diverse, inclusive course content. All of OTEI's offerings on inclusive teaching incorporate UDL principles. See our current inclusive teaching flyer and contact OTEI for department/college-specific offerings.

Our focus on Transparency in Teaching and Learning (tilthighered.org) helps faculty build inclusive practices:

1. The Learner-Centered Syllabus Template is revised each year by OTEI, is built to be accessible, and is oriented towards inclusion.  Access the template on the "Clemson Teaching" page. 

2. The Learning-Focused Assignment Guide helps you review, revise, and create assignments that are more inclusive and accessible.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a framework for designing goals, materials, lessons, and assessments from the beginning to meet the needs of all students, including students with diverse needs.  It includes three principles for curriculum design: multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation.

You can review and implement the principles of UDL  with simple strategies in this quick introduction. Based on the UDL framework, this introduction is by Dr. Michelle Rogers, College of Education. You can access the full four page series or each individual page (introduction, principle 1, principle 2, and principle 3).

Interested in more?  Get information on creating an accessible, inclusive course based on "universal design for learning" principles by enrolling in our new course Engaging All Learners Through Teaching Practices, also created by Dr. Michelle Rogers, College of Education. Self-enroll to access the course here: https://clemson.instructure.com/enroll/6W6G4 or contact otei for assistance.

You can also access Dr. Eric Moore's UDL Course located in Clemson Canvas for a more advanced course.  For other OTEI courses and programs that are open for enrollment are announced on our Events page.

For support specifically on creating accessible materials for your course, visit Clemson's Accessibility Portal.

 

 

Links for large classes: 

 Links about diversity and inclusion in the classroom: 

Faculty Learning Community on Diversity

Thank you to the 2018-2019 Faculty Learning Community on Diversity for content on this page.