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Tuesday, 13 July 2004: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM | |||
Australia 3 (Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel) | |||
A-5: Creating Inclusive Classrooms Online | |||
| Detailed Description: | Creating classrooms in which students feel respected and validated is difficult no matter what venue you teach in, but instructors teaching in online courses face a special set of challenges. This session provides specific strategies for designing more inclusive learning environments. It provides ideas for engaging students and instructors to work together to create and sustain an atmosphere in which everyone feels safe, supported, and encouraged to express her or his view. | ||
| Presentation Format: | Paper | ||
| Topic: | Driving student success: Attracting, supporting and retaining learners | ||
| Target Audience: | Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors, E-learning Managers | ||
| Appropriate Audience Level: | Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users | ||
| Abstract Text: | According to Smith, Johnson & Johnson “alienation, lack of involvement, marginalization, overt racism, insensitivity, sexual harassment, and discrimination tend to characterize the campus experience, the classroom, and the curriculum for students who are different . . . . In higher education, the condition of diversity is all too often a condition of alienation.” For students in online courses where face-to-face meetings rarely occur, this feeling of alienation is often heightened. What can be done to alleviate alienation and improve the educational experience for online students? One strategy is to create online classrooms that are more inclusive, honoring diverse learning styles, skills, and worldviews. According to Shari Saunders and Diana Kadia in their publication Creating Inclusive College Classrooms, an inclusive classroom is one in which both faculty and students feel respected and comfortable in expressing their views and concerns. An inclusive classroom uses materials that reflect the experiences of all students and strives to create an atmosphere in which no one feels marginalized due to physical abilities, race, class, or sexual orientation. Creating inclusive classrooms helps to foster diversity on the university campus and to alleviate the feeling of isolation that many students experience in the university setting. This paper begins by formulating a definition of an inclusive classroom followed by a discussion of how the idea of inclusion has manifested in online learning environments from a variety of courses across disciplines and platforms. The paper identifies five elements that need to be addressed in order to design online classes that embrace diversity. The session will include a showcase of WebCT courses that demonstrate the strategies and design features discussed and by demonstrating specific activities and assignments that can be used to foster diversity and create a more equitable education for all students, especially those students taking classes online.
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| Session Leader: | Adrienne M. Cassel Wright State University | ||
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