Accessible Education: Mediating Social Barriers

• Facilitate a class conversation about classroom norms and guidelines to set up transparent expectations for respect and inclusion. Return to these guidelines periodically and as needed over the term to ensure they are upheld (Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, 2016).

• Be explicit about any attendance requirements, why they exist, and the essential learning outcomes that can only be achieved through in-person attendance.
  • Consider and make clearly available to students any appropriate alternatives to in-person attendance (including varied access to course materials presented during class) for those who need to miss one or several classes, and how students can access these options. This information will help students prepare for your course and identify when to approach you with specific concerns.

• Provide explicit instructions and expectations for participation and discussion in both your syllabus and first class, and offer students ongoing feedback on the quality and form of their participation as a group. This helps students know which behaviours are expected and encouraged, and demystifies academic conventions around communication in the classroom (Price, 2011).

• When you’ve expressed a commitment to equity and inclusion, it’s important to align your actions with these intentions. Pay attention to values and ideas expressed in the classroom and take real efforts to respond to prejudice and equity issues as they emerge. This will go a long way towards fostering a collegial and inclusive learning environment where all students feel welcome.

• For further ideas, read McMaster’s tipsheet on Engaging Diversity in the Classroom (Office of Human Rights & Equity Services, n.d.), and check out these Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity, written from the perspective of biology education (Tanner, 2013).

Continue Your Learning

• Have you ever thought, “My courses have nothing to do with diversity?” Give Armstrong (2014) a chance to persuade you otherwise.

• Listen to Dr. Ann Fudge Schormans discuss the importance of responding to ableist and hurtful language use in the classroom in this film clip.

• Examine policy papers the McMaster Students Union has published on student concerns, including the classroom and curriculum experiences of students from equity-seeking groups, and resulting recommendations.

• Review the Anti-Racism Action Initiative’s recommendations for addressing racism in Hamilton, which were developed by over 250 attendees of the 2016 event organized by the McMaster Womanists student group.

• Classroom relationships that include and welcome disabled and marginalized students may not happen automatically, so don’t leave them to chance!
  • Spend some time reflecting on who is in your class and classroom dynamics.
  • Plan and prepare a strategy for fostering classroom connections, as Dr. Catherine Anderson highlights in this film clip.

• Demonstrate an interest in student learning by actively cultivating relationships with students, rather than waiting for them to approach you (Vancouver Island University, n.d.).

Value Diverse Knowledges:

• Show appreciation for the life experiences and backgrounds that students bring with them to the classroom by:
  • Inviting and encouraging students to share experiential knowledge during class discussions (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009); and
  • Encouraging opportunities for collaboration and cooperation, such as through the facilitation of active learning strategies. Engaging and non-competitive group activities can be particularly effective and motivating for non-traditional learners, and can help students develop classroom relationships (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009; Paul, 2015).
  • Support students in being able to engage with the broader community beyond the classroom, as Dr. Vanessa Watt’s describes in this film clip.

Continue Your Learning

• Listen to Dr. Ann Fudge Schormans discuss the importance of valuing diverse student knowledge and encouraging its expression through varied teaching and learning approaches.

• Learn from Dr. Philippa Carter as she explains her flexible approach to group work.

• Hear how Dr. Vanessa Watts develops relationships with students and works with them to meet their learning goals.

• Browse the Multimodality In Motion project for further ideas on designing academic communities and social infrastructure where everyone is welcome and able to participate (Yergeau et al., 2013).