Introduction

Why this Guide?

Inclusive teaching gets a lot of attention on college campuses. Instructors are increasingly expected to understand how course climate – the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environment of class – impacts their students and respond to calls for inclusive classroom environments from both students and administrators. These are not just matters of attending to students’ educational preferences; decades of research have demonstrated that learning does not occur in a vacuum, and students’ perceptions of class climate (whether they experience the classroom as supportive and inclusive, or “chilly” and marginalizing) can have a dramatic impact on their learning outcomes. Moreover, creating an inclusive teaching environment is beneficial for all students’ learning, because “many of the strategies that help foster a productive climate also encourage student development.”¹

But creating a learning environment that supports all students can be challenging, especially when one considers the myriad ways in which inclusion and disinclusion can manifest themselves (for example, student-student interactions, faculty-student interactions, course content and policies, etc.). Although inclusion is important to most instructors, staff, and students, these topics are rarely discussed in a practical manner. This has left many faculty—even those with strong philosophical and pedagogical motivations—wondering “where do I begin?”

Our goal when creating the Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia has been to help Columbia instructors answer that question by offering an overview of inclusive teaching principles with practical, accessible, usable strategies. We wanted instructors to learn about inclusive teaching principles and strategies, reflect on and improve their own classroom practices, and receive resources for further study and application all in one place.

This guide is appropriate for faculty and instructors who are familiar with inclusive teaching, as well as those beginning their journey to create an inclusive learning environment. The five principles are derived from evidence-based practices, so instructors can be assured that the tools and strategies they find here are informed by current research.

We also wanted to include strategies that instructors can use immediately. While some strategies may require a curricular redesign, instructors can make many changes to create a more inclusive environment immediately. Moreover, the principles outlined in this guide are flexible; instructors can implement the principles in a holistic manner, or take them individually and apply them in the manner that best suits them, their disciplines, and their students.  

Creating the Guide

The work to create this guide began in 2016, after the CTL held a one-day event called the Inclusive Teaching Forum. The Forum brought together faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students at Columbia to share their experiences of constructing and participating in inclusive teaching environments. Throughout the day, participants shared with other students and faculty about what inclusive teaching practices meant to them. Nationally-renowned expert Michele DiPietro delivered a plenary address about the relationship between inclusive classrooms and positive learning outcomes for students.

In order to continue our commitment to inclusive teaching at Columbia, the Center for Teaching and Learning established an internal Inclusive Teaching Working Group. We reviewed many of the resources, guides, books, and websites that are currently available to assess areas of overlap, similarities and differences and common themes. We also extensively consulted literature and research on inclusive teaching and learning.

Based on this exploration and research, the Working Group developed five principles that we believe exemplify inclusive teaching practices. Subsequently, each member chose a principle to research and write. Each principle underwent two rounds of peer review, and the entire guide was reviewed by several CTL staff members who are familiar with inclusive teaching practices, research, and theory. The final product—which we regard as an evolving work because the research on inclusive teaching is ongoing and iterative—is the Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia, released online in Fall 2017 and in print in Spring 2018.

Footnotes