Inclusive Pedagogy

310297_TEF_Mark_H_RGB

Inclusive Curriculum Design

As you review or create content for your course(s), it is important to intentionally represent contributions of those in your field who represent the broader diversity of members within society.

  • Adopt practices grounded in inclusive curriculum
  • Reflect on who is included or excluded among the authors, researchers, and artists you honor in the curriculum.
  • Feature a diversity of people and perspectives to ensure inclusivity.
  • Help students see the relevance of your content to their lives. Highlight the full range of heroes in your field to honor diverse contributors.
  • When choosing and using visuals, examples, analogies, and humor, take care to avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
  • Know the implications of religious perspectives in regard to the course content.
  • Plan for access to your curriculum through the CSU Assistive Technology Resource Center. Assistive Technology includes a broad range of devices, services, and strategies that enhance learning, working, and daily living for individuals with disabilities.
  • As a part of inclusive curriculum, it is also important to know about the CSU Free Speech & Campus Rights policy.
  • Use backwards design to align all course content, assignments, and assessments
faculty and staff at a seminar

Additional Considerations for Teaching Online

While most of the information on teaching effectiveness pertains to both RI and online classrooms, following are a few key points for online courses.

In an online course, a significant part of inclusive pedagogy involves accessibility. For example:

  • Images and text must be accessible. Images should include alternative text descriptions.
  • Alternative means of accessing multimedia content must be provided in the form of closed captions or transcripts.
  • Course multimedia should be easy to use (play on different devices, contain clear audio, break long videos into segments that are 10 minutes or less in length, ensure that videos stream smoothly, etc.).

CSU provides a number of resources to assist you in creating a universally designed online course. See Accessibility by Design.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a strategy for creating course materials that are accessible to all diverse students and technologies, whether students are using a mobile device to access course materials, are sight or hearing-impaired, or have a learning disability. Simply put, you should consider UDL as you develop your online course because it is the right thing to do—for everyone.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that in online courses, much of the material is delivered in writing (versus oral lecture, as in a traditional classroom). This written delivery may present certain challenges for students whose first language is not English, especially in regard to how they interpret instructor feedback. Additionally, be aware that culture can impact how a student interprets the overall design of a course and the images used within. Ask students to summarize their understanding of your feedback so that you can identify and address any miscommunications.