DIA Checklist Strategies

Inclusive teaching and learning respects diversity of the students and their experiences and actively engages, includes, and challenges all students. Our students come from all over the world with different backgrounds and experiences. The practice of inclusive teaching acknowledges and challenges biases and stereotypes that can undermine students’ success and sense of belonging. Inclusive teaching creates a better classroom for all learners.  

The following set of resources was created to complement the Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Inclusive Classroom Checklist. Each pulldown item corresponds to the numbered items in the checklist and provides additional, practical strategies and examples to try in your classroom or workplace. If you would prefer a printable PDF, please click on the button below. 

Contact Disability Support Services if you need support for students with disabilities.   

PDF

Create a welcoming environment

Examine assumptions

1. Reflect on your assumptions about students

Strategies:

  • Take an implicit bias testRemember, we all have implicit biases. Reflect on the following question: What stereotypical notions do you hold about some student groups or backgrounds?   
  • Read books and articles that challenge your assumptions and expand your views. View and reflect on the Talking About Race resources from the National Museum of African American History & Culture and/or the resources available from #ShutDownSTEM 

Establish an inclusive environment for all students

2. Include a syllabus statement that fosters an inclusive learning environment

Strategies:

  • Use the current Mines syllabus template for your class. The template includes text on fostering an inclusive classroom.

3. Be explicit about promoting equity and access for all students

General Strategies:

  • Remind students of office hours (and other available resources) throughout the semester (be explicit). 
  • When students express uncertainty or that they don’t understand something, respond in an encouraging  and supportive way (read this article on the importance of tone). 
  • Remember that equity is different from equality; see this visualization depicting the difference) 

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Discuss the syllabus, the statement of inclusion, and resources available with students on the first day of class.
  • Set a welcoming an inclusive tone from the beginning of the course: 1) introduce yourself (and talk about more than your credentials), 2) provide opportunities for students in the class to get to know each other (e.g., give students a short task to work on in pairs/small groups and remind students to introduce themselves before they start working). Read this article on how to teach a good first day of class for additional ideas.

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

  • Discuss the syllabus, the statement of inclusion, and resources available with students during a Zoom session and/or highlight these in an announcement/email.
  • Set a welcoming an inclusive tone from the beginning of the course: 1) create a video to introduce yourself (and talk about more than your credentials) and 2) create space (e.g., in a discussion) for students to introduce themselves in a video or a written post.
4. Respect, adhere to, and follow up (privately) on the disability accommodation letter for students. Maintain confidentiality.

General Strategies:

  • Reflect on your perception of accommodations. Remember that accommodations are not advantages, but a means of providing each student with full access to their education and an opportunity to effectively demonstrate what they have learned.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Discuss information about Disability Support Services on the first day of class (and include in the syllabus).
  • Invite students to talk with you if they have any questions or concerns.

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

  • Include information about Disability Support Services and the process for obtaining accommodations in your syllabus and/or course overview information.
  • Invite students to set up a time to talk with you if they have any questions or concerns.
5. Accommodate students. Life happens and students are people too. Be compassionate and understanding of illness, religious holidays, and other stresses.

General Strategies:

  • Add a questionnaire that students fill out to let you know about their current situation and circumstances. This information can help you refine your course and accommodate students.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Provide students with a course schedule that includes due dates. At the beginning of the semester, ask students to follow up with you by a particular date with conflicts that might affect their participation.

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

  • Add all assignments and due dates to Canvas. Ask students to follow up with you by a particular date with conflicts that might affect their participation.
6. Ensure that resources and assistance provided both in and outside of class is equally available and accessible to everyone.

General Strategies:

  • Use this web accessibility checklist to ensure that course materials are accessible.
  • Offer and record office hours with Zoom
  • Post relevant information for the whole class on Canvas.
7. Ensure that your TAs or graders are applying these tips, too.

General Strategies:

  • If a TA does not use these inclusive practices, address the behavior. Use these tips to structure the conversation

Reduce anonymity

8. Know and use preferred names and pronouns.

General Strategies:

  • Learn and use student names and pronouns (use name tents, send a message before the start of class and ask students what name they go by and what their pronouns are).
  • Ask students to fill out a survey at the beginning of the semester including a variety of questions (such as “What is a fun fact about you?”).
9. Build rapport and get to know students and their individual perspectives and experiences.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Greet students as they enter class
  • Interact with students before and/or after class
  • Learn and use student’s preferred names (use name tents for large classes).
  • Use polls/clickers to check in with students (e.g., how are you doing on a scale from 1–5?).

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

  • Use Zoom polls to check in with students (e.g., how are you doing on a scale from 1–5?).
  • Start class by displaying a shared whiteboard with a question on it and invite students to write their answer on the whiteboard.
  • Build community. Check out this resource on creating a community of inquiry in online and remote classes
  • Check out these strategies that Mines faculty are using to build community in their remote and online classes.

Model inclusive language, behavior, and attitudes

10. Avoid using masculine pronouns for students, e.g. “Hey guys”

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Pay attention to the language and tone you use in class and in course materials, including emails, announcements, feedback, discussions, etc. Read this short article on the importance of tone and strategies to set a positive tone
  • Ask students to elaborate when providing an answer or making a statement to gain a better understanding of their perspective.
  • Avoid phrases such as “It’s easy to see that…” or “I’m sure this is obvious…”

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

11. Provide context when using idioms, metaphors, pop culture references, etc.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Pay attention to the language and tone you use in class and in course materials, including emails, announcements, feedback, discussions, etc. Read this short article on the importance of tone and strategies to set a positive tone
  • Ask students to elaborate when providing an answer or making a statement to gain a better understanding of their perspective.
  • Avoid phrases such as “It’s easy to see that…” or “I’m sure this is obvious…”

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

12. Use language that acknowledges and values different experiences/perspectives.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Pay attention to the language and tone you use in class and in course materials, including emails, announcements, feedback, discussions, etc. Read this short article on the importance of tone and strategies to set a positive tone
  • Ask students to elaborate when providing an answer or making a statement to gain a better understanding of their perspective.
  • Avoid phrases such as “It’s easy to see that…” or “I’m sure this is obvious…”

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes:

Incorporate multiple and diverse examples, resources, and perspectives.  

13. Identify whether certain perspectives are missing or underrepresented in course materials.

General Strategies:

  • Reflect on the following questions: 
    • Who is represented/highlighted in videos?  
    • Who are the authors of articles/books? 
    • What kinds of examples do I typically use? 
 
14. Use examples/illustrations across multiple domains and/or representing a variety of perspectives and populations to 1) help students understand the applicability of concepts in diverse contexts and 2) help students relate to the material.

General Strategies:

  • Highlight individuals from a variety of backgrounds who contributed to the field. 
  • Highlight current areas of research in a field and a variety of individuals in that field. 
  • Use or ask students to identify diverse examples. 
  • Review this document for examples of what this could look like. 
  • Review this relevant examples document. 
 
15. Include materials, readings, and images that reflect contributions and perspectives from groups historically underrepresented in the field.

General Strategies:

  • This item may require that you do a little exploring to better understand contributions and perspectives from groups historically underrepresented in your field. 
  • Try out this Scientist Spotlight assignment in your class.
 
16. When inviting guest lecturers/visitors, include diverse contributions/perspectives.

General Strategies:

  • When inviting guests, what identities are represented? 
  • Invite guests to share their background, including challenges, setbacks, etc.
 

Add Structure

Establish, communicate, and reinforce norms and expectations for interactions, participation, and engagement.  

17. Establish, use, and enforce established classroom norms that foster a positive and inclusive environment and establish ground rules for respectful interaction in the class.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Introduce (and/or develop) norms on the first day of class. 
  • Provide guidelines for class participation 
  • See this list of example norms 
  • If a student is disrespectful or does not follow norms, address the issue.  

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

18. Communicate expectations for participation and engagement early and often.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • At on the first day of class, outline expectations for participation and engagement 
  • Before a discussion/group activity, make norms visible. 

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

  • Send a note to students prior to the first day of class outlining how to access the course, how the course is organized, when due dates are, what the expectations are, etc. [link to example]. 
  • In a discussion description, remind students of the norms.
19. Encourage and monitor student participation during class and activities. Be aware when a few students (or students from one group [e.g., male students]) dominate a conversation in small groups or entire class discussions.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Move around the class during group work. Engage with individual students and/or groups. 
  • Use low-stakes assessments during activities to check students’ understanding of concepts. 
  • Adjust instruction based on student performance on formative assessments.

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

  • Facilitate Canvas discussions. Provide guidelines for participation. 
  • Provide opportunities for students to interact with other students and with you (the instructor).
20. Respond to classroom conflict/disruption promptly, consistently and respectfully.

General Strategies:

  • If a student is disrespectful or does not follow norms, address the issue (use these guidelines).
 
21. Facilitate active listening.

General Strategies:

  • Incorporate opportunities for discussion (either in your face-to-face class or on Canvas). Facilitate discussions and model the language you want students to use. 
  • Paraphrase what students say during discussions. 
  • Ask students to paraphrase what another student said during class discussions (paraphrasing is a way to monitor your comprehension of what was said). 
  • Ask questions to help students think more deeply, problem solve, and seek information on their own (what strategies did you try, what information do you not know in this problem and how could you find that information, etc.). 
 
22. Show respect for all questions and comments.

General Strategies:

  • Model the language you expect students to use. 
  • Avoid phrases such as “What should be obvious is…” 
  • Use (and remind students of) norms for discussions and classroom interactions.

Establish, communicate, and reinforce norms and expectations for group work.  

23. Ensure that leadership and roles for teams and group work are shared/rotated and clearly defined.

General Strategies:

  • When starting a long-term project, ask students to write and sign a contract outlining expectations and what will happen if a team member does not abide by those expectations (view this example team charter assignment, beginning on pg. 98] or this policies agreement example). 
  • Define roles (or ask students to define roles) and document these roles (e.g., in the team charter) 
  • Provide opportunities to rotate roles throughout the semester.  
  • Review these tips (in both face-to-face and online contexts) for helping students succeed in group work. 
24. Where appropriate for learning outcomes, use a variety of methods to assigning groups and change groups throughout the semester.

General Strategies:

Use varied active learning strategies.  

25. Use a variety of teaching strategies, such as active learning strategies.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Muddiest point: ask students to write what they are most confused about on a notecard. 
  • Think-Pair-Share: students answer a question individually, discuss in pairs, share with class. 
  • Self-Assessment Quiz: students take a quiz to determine their understanding of a topic. 
  • Polls: have students answer a question anonymously (e.g., iclickers, Poll Everywhere) or use student response cards (students have different colored cards corresponding to answer choices, each student holds up the color corresponding to the answer they think is correct).

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

26. Provide alternative means for contributing to the discussion.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Muddiest point: ask students to write what they are most confused about on a notecard. 
  • Think-Pair-Share: students answer a question individually, discuss in pairs, share with class. 
  • Self-Assessment Quiz: students take a quiz to determine their understanding of a topic. 
  • Polls: have students answer a question anonymously (e.g., iclickers, Poll Everywhere) or use student response cards (students have different colored cards corresponding to answer choices, each student holds up the color corresponding to the answer they think is correct).

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

Encourage a growth mindset/ Acknowledge that failure and struggle are a part of learning  

Promote a growth mindset about intelligence.  

27. Convey the idea that intelligence is not a reflection of fixed, natural abilities, but can change and grow over time (Dweck 2006).

General Strategies:

  • Reflect on your own beliefs about intelligence. Assess your own mindset (or assess your classroom mindset). 
  • Explain that mental effort actually changes the brain and increases its capacity (e.g., the brain responds to mental effort the way our muscles respond to exercise). 
  • Avoid describing student performance as a sign of natural ability (or lack of ability) 
  • Avoid statements like “some people have trouble with math/writing/critical thinking.” 
28. Cultivate an environment where it is okay to make mistakes, and leverage those mistakes to improve learning. Encourage cognitive risk-taking and dignify errors.

General Strategies:

  • Tell your students about your own struggles in the classroom or in research (check out Failure Fridays). 
  • Use the “muddiest point” activity at the end of class/topic (ask students to write 1 or 2 questions they still have about the material)Using this strategy regularly emphasizes that you expect everyone to have questions. 
  • Break large assignments into smaller pieces that students complete and receive feedback on prior to submitting a final version 
  • Use a rubric to provide feedback (and to grade). 
29. Help students develop a growth mindset (e.g. in office hours or during feedback, identify specific areas that are challenging and help students identify strategies to improve).

General Strategies:

  • Use language that emphasizes practice, study, persistence, and good strategies. For example: For the student who put in a lot of effort and didn’t do well: “You tried several different strategies. Let’s keep trying to find a strategy that works for you.” 
  • Recommend strategies for being successful in online classes.
30. Resist a single right answer. Ask students to generate and articulate multiple solutions and/or approaches to problems.

General Strategies:

31. Incorporate assignments and assessments that are low-stakes in addition to high stakes exams, papers, and projects.

General Strategies:

  • Incorporate open-ended discussions 
  • Incorporate frequent, small quizzes (use clickers, Canvas quizzes, etc.) 
  • Break down larger assignments and projects into smaller assignments  
  • Build in drafts for papers combined with peer reviews 
  • When incorporating group work, require students to reflect on their project and outline each group members’ responsibilities and their progress on the project

Provide feedback that helps students to improve.  

32. Promote fairness and transparency by sharing the criteria (rubrics) by which you use to evaluate students’ work.

General Strategies:

  • Share rubrics with students in the assignment description/Canvas assignment page. 
  • Use this guide to help you design rubrics 
  • Check out these examples of rubrics used in engineering contexts
33. Provide constructive and encouraging feedback on how to improve comprehension or performance.

General Strategies:

  • Break the assignment or task into small steps and identify specific missteps that the student made 
  • Explain that your feedback 1) identifies where students have not yet met standards and 2) provides guidance for how to meet those standards.  
  • Explain that you are holding students to high standards and that you have confidence that they can reach those standards through effort and use of effective strategies. Expressing confidence that students can reach standards is very important. 
  • Use rubrics to share feedback.  

Encourage students to utilize resources (available through course and campus).  

34. Help students learn about and encourage all to take advantage of academic assistance resources. Not all students are aware of or comfortable seeking out campus resources.

STRATEGIES FOR FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES:

  • Include a list of available resources in your syllabus (e.g., tutoring via CASA). 
  • Routinely remind students of resources available throughout the semester. 

STRATEGIES FOR REMOTE OR ONLINE CLASSES:

  • Include a list of available resources in your syllabus. 
  • Point students to resources that students can access online. 
  • Routinely remind students of resources available throughout the semester. 
35. Reduce the stigma of office hours and encourage students to take advantage of out of class support

STRATEGIES FOR FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES:

  • Explicitly tell students the value of attending office hours. 
  • Routinely remind students of office hours (and other available resources) throughout the semester (be explicit). 
  • Encourage students to schedule a meeting if they aren’t available during office hours. 
  • Consider requiring students to come to office hours. 
  • During office hours, respond to student questions in an encouraging and supportive way (read this article on the importance of tone). 

STRATEGIES FOR REMOTE OR ONLINE CLASSES:

  • Use Zoom for office hours. 
  • Explicitly tell students the value of attending office hours. 
  • Routinely remind students of office hours (and other available resources) throughout the semester (be explicit). 
  • Encourage students to schedule a meeting if they aren’t available during office hours. 
  • During office hours, respond to student questions in an encouraging and supportive way (read this article on the importance of tone). 

Work to refine and improve your teaching practices. 

Set up processes to get feedback on the course climate.  

36. Ask a colleague or Trefny staff to observe your teaching and provide feedback.

General Strategies:

  • Reach out to the Trefny Center if you have questions. 
37. Participate in workshops (e.g. Trefny Center) or conferences (e.g. ASEE) to learn new teaching strategies and improve your teaching.

General Strategies:

  • Visit the Trefny Center website for upcoming events. 
38. Provide opportunities for students to reflect on the course and give feedback (e.g. an anonymous mid-semester survey) and reflect on integrating those changes into your class.

Strategies for Face-to-Face Classes:

  • Invite a Trefny colleague to collect student feedback during an Early Course Feedback (ECF) session. 
  • Or incorporate a mid-semester survey to collect feedback from students. 
  • Debrief student feedback with the class. 

Strategies for Remote or Online Classes

  • Incorporate a mid-semester survey to collect feedback from students. 
  • Debrief student feedback with the class. 

These tips were compiled from the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (they also have an inclusive classroom practices checklist), Imperial College LondonWashington University in St. LouisUniversity of Arizona, and University of Michigan.   

Sample statement for your syllabus:   

Diversity & Inclusion at Mines and in this Class  

At Colorado School of Mines, we understand that a diverse and inclusive learning environment inspires creativity and innovation, which are essential to the engineering process. We also know that in order to address current and emerging national and global challenges, it is important to learn with and from people who have different backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences.  

Our students represent every state in the nation and more than 90 countries around the world, and we continue to make progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion by providing Diversity and Inclusion programs and services to support these efforts. 

In an ideal world, science would be objective. However, much of science is subjective and is historically built on a small subset of privileged voices. In this class, we will make an effort to read papers from a diverse group of scientists, but limits still exist on this diversity. I acknowledge that it is possible that there may be both overt and covert biases in the material due to the lens with which it was written, even though the material is primarily of a scientific nature. Integrating a diverse set of experiences is important for a more comprehensive understanding of science. I would like to discuss issues of diversity in our field as part of the course from time to time.  

If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don’t hesitate to come and talk with me. I want to be a resource for you. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, visit the Mines counseling center. I (like many people) am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said in class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to me about it.