Inclusive Teaching Resources
On this page:
Inclusive teaching is a topic that has received increased attention on college campuses around the country and the world. Instructors are increasingly expected to understand how course climate— the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environment of a class—impacts their students, and respond to calls for inclusive classroom environments from both students and administrators.1 Despite the fact that research has shown that creating an inclusive teaching environment is beneficial for all students’ learning, issues around inclusion and disinclusion are rarely discussed in practical terms, and it can be challenging to know where to start.
In response, the Columbia CTL created the Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia, the massive open online course (MOOC) Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom, and a comprehensive Accessibility in Teaching and Learning resource.
Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom MOOC
In June 2019, the Columbia CTL launched the first ever MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated entirely to the topic of inclusive teaching in higher education. The MOOC, titled Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom, provides practical, accessible, and usable strategies that instructors can implement in their classrooms to create and maintain a supportive learning environment for all students. The self-paced course is open to all.
This course aims to provide instructors with tools that are immediately applicable to their teaching contexts. The course was created following the success of the Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia, written and released in 2017.
Columbia faculty, staff and students can receive extended access to the MOOC (for one year instead of six weeks) and free verified certificates. Please fill out this form to receive your verified certificate access code.
Watch the trailer for Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom
Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia
The Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia offers five inclusive teaching principles derived from research and evidence-based practices. In addition, the guide contains practical, accessible, and usable strategies that instructors can use immediately. We invite you to contact the CTL with questions, suggestions, or ideas for collaborating with us on this initiative at columbiaCTL@columbia.edu.
“Excellence in teaching and learning necessitates the inclusion of every student’s unique identities, experiences, and talents. The Center for Teaching and Learning’s Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia is a great resource for our faculty and graduate instructors to better understand different facets of inclusive teaching and make meaningful changes to their classrooms. As President Bollinger reminds us in his Diversity Mission Statement, ‘building a diverse university community is not the work of a moment. It requires sustained commitment, concerted effort, and the attention of us all.’ I hope that the guide and related CTL programming will provide you with the resources you need to improve learning for all.”
Inclusive Teaching Principles
Principle 2
Accessibility in Teaching and Learning Resource
Accessibility in Teaching and Learning: This resource provides instructors with an overview of accessibility in teaching and learning and general “getting started” strategies for making learning resources, tools, experiences, and opportunities accessible to all learners. Creating an accessible learning environment for your students is part of an inclusive practice.
Pronoun Use Resources
The Office of University Life has two resources designed to help students, faculty, and staff familiarize themselves with pronoun use on Columbia’s campus. For information about pronoun use for transgender and nonbinary students, please refer to “Pronouns in Our Community: A Guide from University Life.” To learn about the CourseWorks (Canvas) tool “Pronouns in Use,” which allows students to indicate their pronouns on course rosters, and for tips about using your students’ correct pronouns, please refer to the “Pronouns in Use” Frequently Asked Questions webpage. [Note: “Pronouns in Use” is currently in a limited pilot phase.]
Resources:
The CTL researches and experiments.
The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning provides an array of resources and tools for instructional activities.
- Ambrose, Susan A., Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman. How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 180 ↩