Inclusivity: Universal Design Strategies for the Online Classroom

The importance of inclusivity work is backed by the Association of American Colleges & Universities, who in 2005 charged higher education institutions to work toward inclusive excellence by promoting a positive campus climate, establishing diversity as a core component in achieving desired student learning outcomes, linking diversity with quality, and rethinking and modifying pedagogy to reflect and support goals for inclusion and excellence (Williams, Berger, & McClendon, 2005). In addition, research conducted at higher education institutions have demonstrated that the extent to which students felt their institution had a nondiscriminatory environment positively impacted students\u27 openness to diversity and taking on challenges (Pascarella et al., 1996). In this session, presenters will define and make a case for the importance of inclusivity as a Universal Design strategy in the online classroom. Presenters will provide several examples of how the Rothenberger Institute (RI) currently practices inclusivity in their high enrollment online courses, during both course development and facilitation, as well as discuss other inclusive practices that instructors, instructional designers, and teaching or graduate assistants can implement. Presenters will discuss current identity-related and sensitive language and why it matters. Presenters will also discuss areas of opportunity to increase inclusivity, including course content, syllabus statements, media production, citations and sources, exam questions, survey design, grading rubrics, grading processes, course policies, and interactions with students. Finally, responses from course evaluations from students who reported directly benefiting from inclusive practices will also be shared. Williams, D. A., Berger, J. B., & McClendon, S. A. (2005). Toward a model of inclusive excellence and change in postsecondary institutions. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Pascarella, E. T., Edison, M., Nora, A., Hagedorn, L. S., & Terenzini, P. T. (1996). Influences on students\u27 openness to diversity and challenge in the first year of college. The Journal of Higher Education, 67(2), 174-195. Multiple Audiences