Climate & Sense of Belonging

December 22, 2020

Fostering a sense of belonging begins with acknowledging students enter the classroom with diverse experiences, and approaches to learning. Incorporating that variability into how we deliver class content, assess student learning, and promote dialogue creates not only an inclusive learning environment for students, but provides the opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves and increase their own cultural awareness.

IDEA item: Asked students to share ideas and experiences with others whose backgrounds and viewpoints differ from their own (IDEA paper) 

Students thrive in an environment that recognizes their contribution, one that  

  • Pays attention to students’ socio-emotional learning
  • Creates a sense of inclusion and belonging
  • Permits students to have agency in their learning

[As many of the topics in this area connect, you may also find relevant resources in difficult dialogue, trauma-informed pedagogy, and anti-racist & decolonizing pedagogy.]

Is the classroom supposed to be neutral, objective, and devoid of feelings? Or is it a space where students and teacher meet for healing, understanding, and critical thinking?
Martinez-Cola et al., 2018

Explore & Consider

Explore & Consider contains short articles and videos that reflect on or summarize current thinking, research, or experiences related to the topic.

6 Quick Ways to Be More Inclusive in a Virtual Classroom

The ethos of an equitable and inclusive classroom is simple: Everybody gets to learn. No one has to out themselves. All are welcome. All are supported by the very design of this class. The hard part: How do you create online or hybrid courses with that ethos embedded throughout?

Evidence-based Approaches to Creating Inclusive Classrooms

A list of practical steps to increase the inclusiveness of your classroom. Adapted from the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning by Anna Santucci

Evidence-Based Teaching Guides: Inclusive Teaching

A series of teaching guides from the American Society for Cell Biology that apply broadly.

How Diversity Makes Us Smarter

The fact is that if you want to build teams or organizations capable of innovating, you need diversity. Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving.

How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive

An advice guide provided by the Chronicle including:
- Common Questions
- 3 Key Principles of Inclusive Teaching
- 5 Ways to Interact Inclusively With Students
- Ideas for Inclusive Course Design
- How Will You Know If Your Efforts Are Working?

Inclusive Teaching and Learning Online

From Columbia's Teachers College: With the rapid shift to online learning, instructors can draw on principles of inclusive teaching to help students feel a sense of belonging, ensure they can access course materials, and support them in achieving learning goals. The current context calls for empathy and resilience on the part of both students and instructors.

Inclusive Teaching Resources

A comprehensive set of resources related to inclusive teaching.

OER for Access, Equity, & Agency

OER can provide flexibility, customization, affordability, and control.

Universal Design for Learning

From CAST - The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.