Inclusive Excellence
"Even though some of us might wish to conceptualize our classrooms as culturally neutral or might choose to ignore the cultural dimensions, students cannot check their sociocultural identities at the door, nor can they instantly transcend their current level of development鈥t is important that the pedagogical strategies we employ in the classroom reflect an understanding of social identity development so that we can anticipate the tensions that might occur in the classroom and be proactive about them."
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M.W., DiPietro, M. & Lovett, M.C. (2010).
How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching
How does inclusive teaching improve student engagement and learning?
- You can connect with and engage with a variety of students.
- You are prepared for 鈥渟park moments鈥 or issues that arise when controversial material is discussed.
- Students connect with course materials that are relevant to them.
- Students feel comfortable in the classroom environment to voice their ideas/thoughts/questions.
- Students are more likely to experience success in your course through activities that support their learning styles, abilities, and backgrounds.
What are some strategies for engaging in inclusive teaching and learning?
The Faculty Center at Western Washington University offers a great, comprehensive resource called the .
You'll find a wide variety of resources here to assist you in determining inclusive teaching strategies for various problems, situations, or general use.
Additional resources to help you achieve an inclusive classroom:
- Big Data Big Picture: Opportunities and Challenges for Diversifying the Faculty
- Teaching for Inclusion [DOC]
This document provides multiple practical strategies for inclusivity - including teaching strategies that foster learning for all learning styles. It is a MUST-READ for anyone who teaches in the multicultural classroom. - High Impact Practices for Underserved Students (PPT)
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (DOC)
Most faculty believe that being culturally responsive will take valuable "time" away from course content, to the contrary, being culturally responsive will engage students as learners and they will be more likely to engage with the course content and you! I've written a brief for you to frame our conversation about what it means to be culturally responsive at CSULB. This lesson contains some of the most compelling research, to date, on why and how we MUST teach in culturally responsive ways to foster student learning.
The Beach provides many 鈥渘on-course鈥 opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to learn about facets of our diverse community. Additional learning opportunities provided by our campus include the following:
Understanding Your Student Audience: Millennials and Generation Z
Why are generational characterizations important?
An individual鈥檚 age is one of the most common predictors of differences in attitudes and behaviors. Generational characterizations help scholars and others understand how different formative experiences interact with the life cycle and aging process to shape people鈥檚 view of the world. The Pew Trust's offers a more in-depth look at generational characterizations.
Readings on Generation Z
For Generation Z, computer technologies and the Internet is the commonplace. All their communication takes place on the internet and they show very little verbal communication skills. Most of their formative years are spent on the Internet. They are used to instant action and satisfaction due to internet technology. Importantly, they are more aware than any other generation about their presentation of self on social media.
Adjusting Expectations: Faculty and Student Expectations: The College Preparation Myth
Entering freshmen have much to be prepared for in starting college - but WHAT constitutes college preparation? White (2017) claims 鈥淗olding on to the college-ready paradigm serves only to provide a crutch that prevents us from putting forth the full measure of creative energy, resources, and accountability required to significantly expand college attainment. It is time to abandon the college-ready myth and adopt, wholesale, a student-ready paradigm, which means rejecting policies that label students as 鈥渞emedial鈥 and discarding the notion that initiatives to assist them require some extraordinary act of charity that is beyond the legitimate role of higher education.鈥
Faculty Practices for First-Year Student Success
- One of the most important strategies or working with students today is inclusive teaching. Why is diversity and inclusion important to teaching and learning?
- Many of us teaching at the college level may not really know what inclusive teaching entails. If you are interested in some basic definitions and terms related to inclusive teaching, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is helpful
- Western Washington University offers a useful site called the and it is highly recommended that faculty bookmark this site 鈥 it is a comprehensive resource
Student Practices for First-Year Student Success
Challenging and Supporting Students: Establishing Foundations for Learning/College Success
How Challenging Students and Facilitating Academic Adjustment Results in Success
Dweck, Walton, & Cohen (2017) provide a compelling synthesis of the research literature on fostering and scaffolding student learning and adjustment. Their work is the centerpiece of this module. Upon completing this module, faculty should be able to:
- Identify why challenging and supporting students is fundamental to student success in the first two years of college and beyond.
- Recognize that foundation courses establish more than content foundations and are vital to student academic and social adjustment in college.
- Understand the role academic tenacity plays in student success.
- Learn how good teachers foster academic tenacity as an integral part of teaching and learning.
Dweck Texts
- Defining Academic Tenacity
- Interventions that Improve Academic Achievement by Developing Tenacity
- How Good Teachers and Schools Foster Academic Tenacity
Additional Resources
The resources below provide links to basic information and services required for all CSULB faculty to know about accessibility.
- CSU
- CSULB Policy on Faculty Accessibility Responsibilities
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- What are some things I can do to make my instructional materials accessible?
- is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminate unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. This means developing a flexible learning environment in which information is presented in multiple ways, students engage in learning in a variety of ways, and students are provided options when demonstrating their learning.
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- is the campus policy governing all issues related to cheating and plagiarism.
- is provided for faculty to report specific instances of cheating and plagiarism so that the university can track students who engage in multiple offenses.
- Turnitin is a plagiarism prevention service available in Canvas instructors can use to review documents.
