EXAMINING HOW WE INCLUDE DIVERSITY

Transcription

1 EXAMINING HOW WE INCLUDE DIVERSITY It s about More than Content & It Matters for Student Learning in All Courses Thomas F. Nelson Laird Indiana University 4/26/11 Workshop at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

2 Before we begin How many of you are? Who has designed or facilitated a diversity course or program? Who teaches a course that fulfills the Cultural Diversity component of the Bacc Core?

3 Exercise: Brainstorm What distinguishes a diversity course or program from offerings that do not carry that label?

4 Some Initial Thoughts We focus a lot on content We simplify too much Diversity course or not Diversity is for certain fields We often lack ways to organize our thinking about this We know it when we see it

5 Goals For Today Change (at least a little) your thinking about how diversity is included in courses Acquaint you with a model of diversity inclusivity (organize your thinking) Help you understand different uses of the model Design, Improvement, Assessment

6 Session Outline Why include diversity? A model of diversity inclusivity Model development & description Examples of model use (+exercises) Design & improvement Course Assessment Assessing diversity requirements Discussion

7 Including Diversity: An Imperative Our campuses are diversifying Need ways to deal with diversity in our classrooms We face complex problems Evidence that including diversity yields Critical/complex thinking Perspective-taking (empathy) Social agency Awareness of inequality Tolerance & racial understanding

8 Model Development

9 Phases/Levels of Diversity Integration Contributions Approach Ethnic Additive Approach Transformation Approach Decision- Making & Social Justice Approach Source: Banks(2006)

10 Course Elements (diversity) Instructors Content Process Students Source: Marchesani & Adams (1992)

11 Course Elements (general) Purpose Content Sequence Instructional Resources Instructional Processes Evaluation Learners Adjustment Source: Lattuca & Stark (2009)

12 Diversity Course Elements Purpose/ Goals Content Foundations/ Perspectives Learners Instructor(s) Classroom Environment Pedagogy Assessment/ Evaluation Adjustment Source: Nelson Laird (2010)

13 Elements & Levels of Diversity Inclusion Purpose/ goals Prepare students Prepare students for diverse experiences Prepare students for active partic. in a diverse society Content Monocultural Additive Multicultural Foundations/ perspectives Unexplored Exposed Multiple found./persp. explored Learners Seen as passive acceptors Participants with some learning needs Collaborators with diverse learning needs Unexplored views, Instructor(s) biases, values Exploring own views, biases, values Understands own views, biases, values

14 Elements & Levels of Diversity Inclusion Pedagogy Filling students with knowledge Transitional: Using some new techniques Critical/equity Classroom environment Ignored Inclusive Empowering Assessment /Evaluation Standard Mixed methods Methods sensitive to student diversity Adjustment Adjustment to cover material Adjustment to some student needs Adjustment to diverse needs of students Source: Nelson Laird (2010)

15 Model Characteristics Promotes planning Content only one of nine elements Flexible Design your way (create your own path) Any course can include diversity somewhere Easily derive assessment tools Surveys, rubrics, and worksheets, oh my!

16 Design/Improvement Process

17 Making the Model Yours Arrange elements Identify key decision points or questions Try it out (for design and/or improvement) Adapt as needed

18 Purpose/goals Key Questions: -What s the main purpose? -What specific things should participants learn? -How do goals contribute to creating a more just society? Content Key Questions: -What will be covered? -In what order? -Materials from diff cultures? Foundations/ perspectives Key Questions: -Assumptions? Perspectives? -Diff approaches to problems? Instructor(s) Key Questions: -Any biases about material? -What instructor views or values are important? -How does it matter that I will be an instructor? Learners Key Questions: -What do I need to know? -How will I get the info? -How does learner diversity affect the plan? Classroom Env Key Questions: -What conditions would encourage engagement of all? -Adapt the actual setting? Pedagogy Key Questions: -What activities/processes will be most effective? -Upon what do I base answers to the first question? Assessment/ Evaluation Key Questions: -How will I know if the course/ program is effective for all? Adjustment Key Questions: -How and when to adjust? -Upon what will I base adjustments?

19 Diagnosing Areas to Improve Pick an element Describe it Identify how it could be more inclusive Try it out We could even imagine a worksheet

20 Course elements Purpose/goals Content Foundations/perspectives Learners Instructor(s) Pedagogy Classroom environment Assessment/evaluation Adjustment Current More Inclusive

21 Exercise: Improvement Think of a course or program that already exists (you run it or you ve helped) Pick an element of the course that can be more inclusive of diversity Work with a partner to think of ways to change that element to make it more inclusive? Consider how those changes could affect some of the other elements

22 Course Assessment

23 Some Possibilities Rubric for observations (peer eval?) Questions for interviews Self-assessment worksheets Like the one above Survey items For instructors and learners Other possibilities?

24 Indicate how much the following happen in your course or program. Very little Some Quite a bit Very much Students gain an understanding of how course topics connect to societal problems or issues o o o o Students develop skills necessary to work effectively with people from various backgrounds o o o o The course content covers contributions to the field by people from multiple cultures o o o o You emphasize using multiple approaches to understand problems o o o o You explore your own cultural and intellectual limitations as part of class preparation o o o o You address your potential biases about courserelated issues during class o o o o

25 Indicate how much the following happen in your course or program. Very little Some Quite a bit Very much You try to learn about student characteristics in order to improve class instruction o o o o You vary your teaching methods to allow for the multiple ways students learn o o o o The classroom atmosphere encourages the active participation of all students o o o o Students feel empowered in their learning o o o o You evaluate student learning using multiple techniques o o o o You adjust aspects of the course (e.g., pace, content, or assignments) based on student learning needs o o o o

26 Exercise: Survey Think of a course you teach Complete the survey items relatively to that course Compare your responses with a neighbor

27 Survey Items Used Faculty Survey of Student Engagement In 2007 About 9,000 faculty members From 100 U.S. colleges and universities In 2010 About 4,000 faculty members From 60 U.S. colleges and universities

28 Results from FSSE Diverse Grounding Very little Some Quite a bit Very much Students gain an understanding of how course topics connect to societal problems or issues 10% 24% 29% 37% Students develop skills necessary to work effectively with people from various backgrounds 16% 33% 28% 23% The course content covers contributions to the field by people from multiple cultures 21% 28% 24% 27% You emphasize using multiple approaches to understand problems 3% 19% 38% 40% You explore your own cultural and intellectual limitations as part of class preparation 18% 26% 26% 30% You address your potential biases about courserelated issues during class 24% 34% 24% 18%

29 Results from FSSE Inclusive Learning Very little Some Quite a bit Very much You try to learn about student characteristics in order to improve class instruction 5% 21% 34% 39% You vary your teaching methods to allow for the multiple ways students learn 4% 26% 35% 35% The classroom atmosphere encourages the active participation of all students 1% 10% 30% 59% Students feel empowered in their learning 1% 20% 42% 36% You evaluate student learning using multiple techniques 4% 20% 35% 41% You adjust aspects of the course (e.g., pace, content, or assignments) based on student learning needs 6% 23% 31% 40%

30 Results from FSSE Predicting Diversity Inclusivity Diverse Grounding Inclusive Learning Women Faculty of color Doctorate Years teaching Rank/employment status (FT Lect) + Course load + Curricular diversity Discipline (largely hard/soft split) Lower division courses Course size Diversity requirement

31 Disciplinary Differences in Diversity Inclusivity

32 Assessing Diversity Requirements

33 Exercise: Who Decides and How Who decided which courses met the Bacc Core Cultural Diversity requirement? Upon what were the decisions based? How should such decisions be made? What criteria would you use? Hint: The diversity inclusivity model might be useful here.

34 Types of Courses Compared Diversity requirements Highly inclusive non-requirements Less inclusive non-requirements Source: Nelson Laird & Engberg (in press)

35 Disproportionately Taught by/in Diversity Requirements Men, faculty of color, non-u.s. citizens, Part-timers Large classes Highly Inclusive Non-Requirements Women, assistant professors Upper division, small classes

36 Effective Teaching Scales Highly Inclusive Non-Req Less Inclusive Non-Req Diverse grounding Inclusive learning Diverse interactions Deep approaches to learning Active classroom practice Student-faculty contact Intellectual skills Practical skills Ind & social responsibility

37 Implications & Continuing from Here

38 Some Implications Assessment of diversity inclusivity possible Diversity is being included, but still room for improvement When working on improvement, start where there is agreement (class env)

39 Some More Implications Every course can include diversity Find discipline-based ways to include diversity into courses and programs Care about the selection criteria used for diversity requirements We should be mindful of who teaches what

40 Continuing from Here Revisit your courses, make some changes Curriculum committees Department/program meetings Assessment initiatives Faculty development programs/services More workshops Faculty learning communities

41 Discussion

42 References Banks, J. A. (2006). Cultural diversity and education: Foundations, curriculum, and teaching (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. Lattuca, L. R. & Stark, J. S. (2009). Shaping the college curriculum: Academic plans in context (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Marchesani, L. S. & Adams, M. (1992). Dynamics of diversity in the teaching-learning process: A faculty development model for analysis and action. In M. Adams (Ed.), Promoting diversity in college classrooms: Innovative responses for the curriculum, faculty, and institutions (pp. 9 19). New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 52. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Nelson Laird, T.F. (in press). Measuring the diversity inclusivity of college courses. Research in Higher Education.* Nelson Laird, T. F. & Engberg, M. E. (in press). Establishing differences between diversity requirements and other courses with varying degrees of diversity inclusivity. Journal of General Education.* Nelson Laird, T. F. (2010). A framework for conceptualizing and assessing diversity inclusivity in college courses.* *Contact author for a copy