Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments

1. Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments Maureen S. Biggers, Ph.D School of Informatics Indiana University & National Center for Women & IT

2. Her College Experience is Not His • “Despite the fact that college women earn better grades and exhibit a stronger academic orientation than their male counterparts, they tend to suffer from comparatively low academic confidence. In fact, women rate themselves lower than men on nearly every assessment of their academic abilities. Further, these gender differences grow during college.”

3. “Compared with men, women enter college with higher levels of self-reported stress and lower ratings of their physical and emotional health.” • Faculty members should be aware that even when they believe they are treating students the same, the 2 genders may internalize differently.

4. Who is Likely to Persist? Some of your students will leave no matter what you do Some of your students will stay no matter what you do Some of your students will allow you to influence their decisions to stay or leave

5. Overview Defining an Inclusive Classroom Evidence of Chilly Climates for Women Strategies on one hand for classroom management

6. What is an inclusive classroom? • “…classrooms in which instructors, teaching assistants and students work to create and sustain an environment in which everyone feels safe, supported and valued for ideas and contributions.”

7. Inclusive Classroom Defined

8. Chilly Climate Research Findings:Presence of “Microinequities” • Men called on more frequently • More non-verbal affirmations with males when they talk than females • More likely to engage in dialog about male responses and to say “uh-huh” to female responses; more likely to ask the males to “tell me more about that” • Males are called by name more often

9. More Chilly Things • Women are interrupted more frequently in class (discourages their future participation) • Women are singled out for their opinion as a woman • Instructors/TA’s more likely to solve the problem for the women but only give hints to men • Calling males men and females “girls” of “gals”

10. A few more….. • Judging women who speak tentatively as being less competent or knowledgeable • Waiting longer for a male to respond to a question than a female • Giving women less constructive feedback and less praise*

11. Strategies for your Classroom Routinely facilitate academic success Promote community Support students TA/AI Training Monitor outcomes

12. Facilitate Academic success Routinely

13. Provide Feedback and Context Test early and often Put Performance in Context A llllllllll B llllllllllllllllllllll C lllllllllllllll D lll F ll A=75 – 100 B = 60 – 74

14. Emphasize Homework Skill building through Practice Practice Practice And promote study groups of some flavor

15. Research Experiences for Undergrads REU

16. Encourage Participation Find some truth in whatever students say Inhibit show-offs Promote asking questions Ask all to think first and raise hand when you say ok

17. Use praise, feedback and suggestions for improvement as deliberate strategies to encourage students to learn and participate.

18. Promote community

19. Use Collaborative Learning Peer led team learning Pair problem solving Think pair share Small group work

20. Collaborative Learning Benefits Retention and Community & academic achievement • Greater sense of academic community • Quality interaction with profs and peers • Higher test scores • Higher levels of student involvement • Higher levels of enthusiasm • Pursuit of topics to more advanced levels

21. Promote Peer Support Avoid isolating women and minorities in groups Facilitate student interaction • Study groups • Women’s groups • Peer mentoring

22. Create A Comfortable Climate Use inclusive language Spotlight women for their accomplishments, not their gender Intervene when students interrupt each other Avoid sexist humor Avoid sports analogies

23. Intervene and be Intrusive The first 3 - 6 weeks on your campus can make or break for program completion therefore . . . FRONTLOAD

24. Be Intrusive Early Warning System Call those who miss 2-3 consecutive classes Below “C” on first test Structure so that every student in your class speaks out loud within the first two weeks of class

25. Research says….. “TAs/AIs influence lab climate, course grades, and students' knowledge of careers, all of which have an effect on students' decisions to stay in or leave the course and or major.”

26. Train Teaching Assistants Critical to student experience • Awareness of microinequities • Feedback & context • Practice builds skill • Participation • Encourage persistence

27. Monitor outcomes

28. Collect Data to Track Results

29. Video your own class and have a colleague watch it to see if you are treating male and female students equally. • Try using the Inclusive Classroom Rubric resource

30. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CAT’s) Minute Paper • What is the most important thing you’ve learned in class today and what is the main, unanswered question you have? How do you feel about your participation today? Male or female? http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm

31. Assess Outcomes Track enrollment Track course outcomes

32. Strategies for your Classroom Routinely facilitate academic success Promote community Support students TA/AI Training Monitor outcomes