This document summarizes a presentation about encouraging inclusiveness and diversity in online education. It discusses the importance of diversity in education and common assumptions made about online environments. It also provides strategies for instructors to create an inclusive online environment through awareness of their own biases, establishing community standards and expectations for civil discourse, and managing potential conflicts respectfully by addressing issues rather than attacking individuals.
4. Why Diversity Matters Is the online environment the great equalizer? Creating an inclusive environment leads to better retention. Students learn from each other. Diverse student backgrounds & experiences lead to more opportunities for increased critical thinking.
5. Why Diversity Matters Women received 58% of bachelors degrees granted in 2009 34% of the people with ADA-defined disabilities have college degrees compared to 26% of the general population By 2017, 70% of the US workforce will be women and/or Black and Latino/a Pew Foundation Report, 2010
6. Assumptions About Digital Literacy According to Pew Research Center: While non-Hispanics (ages 16-25) have a 96% internet use, Hispanics in the same age range have a 77% access rate. This rate drops to 50% for foreign-born Hispanics.
7. The great thing about an online course is that it is a color-blind environment and gender neutral. Too common, this is an assumption:
8. BUT, is this really the case? Read the quotes on the following slides:
9. This case study baffles me. When I was working at Intel, we never saw this kind of thing. Sex outside of matrimony with someone of my faith is sinful. I was gaffing a Blue on my lush chesterfield, and I remembered my summer jigging on Fundy. yall b crazy. IDK the thing about chicks? I dont think they have a handle on the fundamentals of what it takes 2 B a chemist, ya know what I mean?
10. AND do instructors always treat their students in a neutral manner? Read the quotes on the following slides:
11. For this assignment, write about a time when you and your parents went boating or camping? Discussion topic: What draws African-Americans to vulgar hip-hop music? Describe what it was like to win the last race you ran? Men, how do you disagree with your lady? Girls, in what conflicts do you often find yourself having with a boyfriend?
12. Frequent issues for online inclusiveness Faculty assumptions Sense of anonymity for majority students Sense of isolation for under-represented Lack of community building and communication expectations Challenges of asynchronous communication
13. Instructor Awareness as a Starting Point Think about ones own positionality our own social/cultural locations assumptions about students/populations Think about the types of diversities that our students have Think about course content, the language we use and the examples invoked
15. Question: What is the difference between treating everyone the same & treating every one fairly?
16. Treating everyone the same is not always fair. Often times, this really means treating everyone as if they are me and have the same background as I do.
20. Raise Student Awareness at the Beginning of Every Course Spend time to point out that diversity matters to you and how it should matter for students Professionalism Beyond the course Frame a community
21. Creating an Inclusive Online Environment Ask students to Think before typing. Do not give guidelines, set expectations. Reinforce good cooperative work & language early and frequently. Provide reminders if/when someone goes off-track
22. Establish Community Highlight professional conduct Encourage multiplicity Use names as often as possible Frame the uniqueness of the class
27. Conflict Is it a bad thing? How can we navigate difficult conversations? How do we recover from a breach in civility?
28. Conflict Take time to couch difficult conversations Explain the introduction of controversy Model tactful engagement Stress 3rd-party perspective Recourse for offense.
29. Breaches Make it about the breach, not the people or the sanction. A breach is a learning opportunity. Explain inappropriateness. Check in with involved parties. Its ok to apologize for offensive language that occurred - not because it was your fault, but that it occurred.