5th Annual Sparking Success: Faculty Development Conference

Even when we care deeply about equity and inclusion, we may not be reaching as many students as we think. Diverse students bring different assumptions about you, your material, themselves and our world. Taking the time to consider inclusion issues (yes, even in STEM fields) can make you a better teacher for everyone. All good teaching is inclusive teaching, and there are some easy and practical things you can do today (like greater transparency, belonging, scaffolding and engagement) that will improve learning for all but dramatically change the experience of under-represented students in your classes.

The breakout digs deeper into the learning consequences of human bias, limited cognitive load and cultural differences. The bulk of this workshop examines the problems of thinking for yourself and how we can create structures for better discussions. We will also examine how to approach contentious issues and practice creating group rules, mapping polarities and designing discussion scaffolding. It is understandable that many faculty will want to avoid difficult topics, but here are safe ways to get students talking about the issues that most divide us. We will also consider if there are departmental practices or curricular pathways that lead to unintended consequences.