How Can I Be Inclusive in My Course Design?

What story does your course tell? As instructors, we have a tendency to think (a lot) about the story of our course—we arrange the content, introduce key figures and concepts, and foster the development of plotlines that detail disciplinary approaches and methods. Sometimes, we forget about the most important part of our story—the audience. Every semester our students bring their backgrounds, experiences and identities into our courses in ways that shape how they connect with our course story. We often hear those stories, but once we hear them, what do we do with them? This resource will help you use the stories of our students to build an inclusive course.

Module 2 Worksheet

In this module, we will address the following questions:

What is Inclusive Course Design?

Meet Katie, a student whose instructor thought Katie had committed academic dishonesty. Listen to Katie's story as told by author and speaker Dr. Thomas Tobin (or download and read the transcript Download download and read the transcript

). As you listen to or read the story, think about how you would respond to Katie if she were a student in your class.

This is a feel-good story, right? The instructor reflected on his initial judgement, got to know Katie, and listened to her story. The instructor can now reflect on how his in-class assignments created an unintentional learning barrier for Katie. But this story may also make a lot of instructors feel exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed: How can we possibly attend to every unique need of every student?

Dr. Tobin uses this story to draw an important distinction between accommodations and inclusive course design practices. Making appropriate accommodations will always be a part of teaching. But taking an inclusive approach to the development of your course is NOT about accommodations, and it is NOT about adjusting our content and teaching methods to meet the unique needs of every student.

So what is inclusive course design?

Inclusive course design is a proactive approach that empowers instructors and students by reducing barriers to learning and maximizing accessibility for the widest range of students, all without lowering academic standards (inspired by and adapted from Meyer et al., 2014).

Thinking about inclusive practices in the design phase of your course means reflecting on the ways in which your plan for engaging students with the course content, activities, or assessment strategies might present unintentional barriers that can leave students feeling less powerful and less motivated, and can leave you with additional work. When we think about such barriers, we often think about physical barriers, like a classroom with fixed seating that challenges group activities, or rows too narrow to appropriately and comfortably include a person in a wheelchair. Such barriers are important to consider, but as Ralabate and Nelson (2017) note, there are other types of barriers that are essential to conversations about course design:

Communication Barriers

Systemic Barriers

Attitudinal Barriers

What are your implicit biases? Visit Project Implicit Links to an external site., an Implicit Association Test developed by Harvard psychologists, to learn more.

Who Is In Your Classroom? Anticipate & Embrace Diversity

For students who are developing their sense of identity, purpose, and competence, some of [the messages conveyed in course content] can be translated into messages about their own power, identity, and agency and can influence engagement and persistence in the field.”

- Ambrose et al., 2010, 179

Knowing the variety of students' intersecting identities (their backgrounds, experiences, etc.) can help you proactively reduce and eliminate barriers in your course. Review the information below to learn more about UT student identities and how you can adapt your instructional practices to meet the needs of UT students.

Download this information in a document Download Download this information in a document

or click on each word in the list to reveal this pop-up information:

Did you know? 2019 statistics report that 53.3% of the UT undergraduate population is women; 46.7% are men. UT does not yet count the number of nonbinary students; there are nonbinary students at UT as well. Students who are nonbinary, women, or men might be cisgender or transgender. Anyone might also be gender nonconforming. Be proactive: You can show respect for students by asking for and using the name and pronouns they want to have used for them in class and on assignments; this might not be the name on the roll sheet, and/or who share pronouns for you to use. Learn more: http://diversity.utexas.edu/genderandsexuality/education/ Links to an external site.	Did you know? According to a fall 2016 student profile report, the racial and ethnic break-down of the UT student population is: White: 39.9% Hispanic: 21.7% Asian: 19.5% Foreign: 10% Black: 4.1% 2 or more (excl. Hispanic/Black): 2.7% Unknown: 1.2% Black (2 or more, excl. Hispanic): .8% American Indian: 0.1% Hawaiian/Pac. Islander: 0.1% Be proactive: When choosing content, you are (unconsciously) sending a message about whose perspective counts, whose voice is valued, and who counts as an expert. As much as possible, include materials written or created by people of different backgrounds and/or perspectives.	Did you know? Socioeconomic status (SES) is defined by the American Psychological Association as a characterization derived from a “combination of education, income and occupation.” A 2007 study by Spencer and Castano found that the observed achievement gap in standardized testing between high- and low-SES American students was due, in part, to stereotype threat–the phenomenon which occurs when “members of a stigmatized group perform poorly on a task because they fear confirming a negative stereotype that is associated with their ingroup.” In addition, a study by Langhout, Drake, and Rosselli in 2009 found that simply identifying as part of a lower, working class in college has been associated with feelings of not belonging in school and intentions to dropout of school before graduation (https://ctl.yale.edu/SocioeconomicDiversityAwareness Links to an external site.). Be proactive: Consider providing a list of key vocabulary words and their definition for each class lesson so that students can reference them during class lecture and discussion. Better yet, encourage students to co-create such a list during lecture using Google Docs or another collaborative program. At the end of class, you can review the document to see where there might be some confusion or need for clarity of terminology at the beginning of the next class.
Did you know? It is important to remember that in the context of the ADA, “disability” is a legal term rather than a medical one. Because it has a legal definition, the ADA’s definition of disability is different from how disability is defined under some other laws. The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability (http://adata.org/faq/what-definition-disability-under-ada Links to an external site.). 3, 023 students registered with SSD during 2018-2019. These disabilities may be "invisible," meaning you may not know students have a disability unless they disclose it to you. Types of diagnoses and conditions that can be considered disabilities include: Attention-Deficity/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) Links to an external site. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Links to an external site. Blind & Visually Impaired Links to an external site. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Links to an external site. Learning Disabilities (LD) Links to an external site. Medical Disabilities Links to an external site. Physical Disabilities Links to an external site. Psychological Disabilities Links to an external site. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) Links to an external site. Temporary Disabilities Links to an external site. At UT, 58% of students have more than one diagnosis on file with SSD. 72% of all students registering with SSD in 2-18-2019 were using accommodations for the first time. It is estimated that 60% of students have undisclosed disabilities (Newman, 2005). Learn more: http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/ssd-statistics/ Links to an external site. Be proactive: Include a statement on your syllabus that provides support for students with disabilities. For example: This class respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. If there are circumstances that make our learning environment and activities difficult, or if you need specific arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please let me know. I am committed to creating an effective learning environment for all students, but I can only do so if you discuss your needs with me as early as possible. I promise to maintain the confidentiality of these discussions. If you need accommodations due to a disability you will also need to contact Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259 (voice) or 512-410-6644 (videophone) http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/ Links to an external site.	Did you know? Communication differences can relate to hearing abilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, English language learners, and a variety of other cultural factors, even including age. Be proactive: Rapid in-class discussions or online video chats may present challenges to some students. Pace your lecture and provide multiple means of accessing course content. Author and speaker Tom Tobin suggests thinking about "plus 1" when designing a course: for example, what’s one thing you can do to provide one more way to access content? Perhaps captioning a video and providing a transcript!	Did you know? There are many identities across the human sexuality spectrum, and not every identity has a label. Many textbooks, etc., represent, and reinforce as standard, heterosexual people. For students who are asexual, pansexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, or queer, this means they are not seeing themselves represented in the world. Learn more: http://diversity.utexas.edu/genderandsexuality/education/ Links to an external site. Be proactive: Include examples of asexual, pansexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, and queer people, along with heterosexual people, in the materials in your class case studies, texts, problem sets, etc.
Did you know? 68.2% of students at UT fall in the 18-21 age bracket. However, about 2% of undergraduates are older than 25. According to the American Council on Education Links to an external site., only 34% of students who fall into the 25+ age group complete their degrees. Be proactive: For older students, exposure to culturally relevant pedagogy--pedagogy that “empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes"--can be the difference in whether they complete their degree or not (Ladson-Billings, 1995). A good rule of thumb is to recognize that all students bring prior experience and knowledge into the classroom, so be mindful of your cultural references--will everyone understand and connect to them? Additionally, when older students make connections between something in your course and something they learned elsewhere, celebrate and encourage that behavior. Learn more about support for older students in the student-generated and student-led organization, Students Over 25 Links to an external site..	Did you know? As Alison Lighthall emphasizes in "Ten Things You Should Know About Today's Student Veteran Links to an external site.," veterans vary widely in terms of their race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political persuasion. Be proactive: Lighthall proposes ways instructors can connect with student veterans as individuals in order to support their transition to life in a civilian setting. These include respectfully accommodating any disabilities they have, as well as deliberately planning any class discussions about recent military engagements to include a full range of student perspectives. Learn more from UT Student Veteran Services: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/veterans/index.php Links to an external site.	Did you know? According to the Office of Admissions, 1 in 5 UT students is a First-generation college student. Be proactive: Active learning has been empirically shown to decrease the achievement gap for underrepresented minorities and first generation college students, particularly in STEM fields. Active learning strategies include clarification pauses, collaborative note-taking, think-pair-share activities, demonstrations, and discussions. Additionally, teach transparently. For example, clarify assignment expectations and connect assignments to learning outcomes. Also, when you make a mistake during class, acknowledge it and be open about the steps you take to improve.
Did you know? UT student diversity includes religious diversity. Be proactive: Do not assume all students (or even the majority of students) share the same faith. Be mindful of course content that may emphasize (and privilege) certain religious perspectives.	Did you know? Students come to UT from across Texas, the U.S. and the world. Approximately 10.1% of all UT students are classified as international students and nearly 55% of graduate students are international students. Students who were not born in the U.S. hold variety of immigration statuses; some may have student visas, other students' immigration statuses may be through their parents, or they may have a different type of status. Different visa statuses have different regulations that can affect their ability to work, intern, or even leave the country. Be proactive: Depending on local and national political climates, some students may not feel safe on campus. Deliberately plan any class discussions about recent political events to include a full range of student perspectives. Learn about how the Longhorn Dreamers Project, a collaborative effort between the International Office and the University Leadership Initiative, supports undocumented students enrolled at UT: https://utexas.app.box.com/v/SHB16-17Complete Links to an external site. & https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures Links to an external site.	Did you know? The undergraduate student body comes from 50 states and 52 countries! 89.2% of undergraduates come from Texas. UT automatically admits "top 7 percenters," who are admitted based on their class rank in their high school. According to UT Office of Admissions, the fall 2018 freshman class came from 167 Texas counties. Be proactive: Students are entering your course with different levels of skills like writing, communicating, and critical thinking. Some students may be the top 7% of some of the largest high schools in Texas, whereas others are the top 7% from small, rural schools. If you teach freshman, bring attention to the ways in which high school and college are different. Consider creating a diagnostic quiz to gauge what students know about the content, and provide resources for students who may want extra practice or refreshers on particular concepts or skills.

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This resource is evolving: It is meant to grow and develop. Please share with us your ideas and suggestions. We would love to collaborate with you!