assignment on inclusive education

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Why inclusive education is important for all students

Truly transformative education must be inclusive. The education we need in the 21st century should enable people of all genders, abilities, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds and ages to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for resilient and caring communities. In light of pandemics, climate crises, armed conflict and all challenges we face right now, transformative education that realizes every individual’s potential as part of society is critical to our health, sustainability, peace and happiness. 

To achieve that vision, we need to take action at a systemic level. If we are to get to the heart of tackling inequity, we need change to our education systems as a whole, including formal, non-formal and informal education spaces .

I grew up in the UK in the 1990s under a piece of legislation called Section 28 . This law sought to “ prohibit the promotion of homosexuality ” and those behind it spoke a lot about the wellbeing of children. However, this law did an immense amount of harm, as bullying based on narrow stereotypes of what it meant to be a girl or a boy became commonplace and teachers were disempowered from intervening. Education materials lacked a diversity of gender representation for fear of censure, and as a result, children weren’t given opportunities to develop understanding or empathy for people of diverse genders and sexualities. 

I have since found resonance with the term non-binary to describe my gender, but as an adolescent, what my peers saw was a disabled girl who did not fit the boxes of what was considered acceptable. Because of Section 28, any teacher’s attempts to intervene in the bullying were ineffective and, lacking any representation of others like me, I struggled to envisage my own future. Section 28 was repealed in late 2003; however, change in practice was slow, and I dropped out of formal education months later, struggling with my mental health. 

For cisgender (somebody whose gender identity matches their gender assigned at birth) and heterosexual girls and boys, the lack of representation was limiting to their imaginations and created pressure to follow certain paths. For LGBTQ+ young people, Section 28 was systemic violence leading to psychological, emotional and physical harm. Nobody is able to really learn to thrive whilst being forced to learn to survive. Psychological, emotional and physical safety are essential components of transformative education. 

After dropping out of secondary school, I found non-formal and informal education spaces that gave me the safety I needed to recover and the different kind of learning I needed to thrive. Through Guiding and Scouting activities, I found structured ways to develop not only knowledge, but also important skills in teamwork, leadership, cross-cultural understanding, advocacy and more. Through volunteering, I met adults who became my possibility models and enabled me to imagine not just one future but multiple possibilities of growing up and being part of a community. 

While I found those things through non-formal and informal education spaces (and we need to ensure those forms of education are invested in), we also need to create a formal education system that gives everyone the opportunity to aspire and thrive. 

My work now, with the Kite Trust , has two strands. The first is a youth work programme giving LGBTQ+ youth spaces to develop the confidence, self-esteem and peer connections that are still often lacking elsewhere. The second strand works with schools (as well as other service providers) to help them create those spaces themselves. We deliver the Rainbow Flag Award which takes a whole-school approach to inclusion. The underlying principle is that, if you want to ensure LGBTQ+ students are not being harmed by bullying, it goes far beyond responding to incidents as they occur. We work with schools to ensure that teachers are skilled in this area, that there is representation in the curriculum, that pastoral support in available to young people, that the school has adequate policies in place to ensure inclusion, that the wider community around the school are involved, and that (most importantly) students are given a meaningful voice. 

This initiative takes the school as the system we are working to change and focuses on LGBTQ+ inclusion, but the principles are transferable to thinking about how we create intersectional, inclusive education spaces in any community or across society as a whole. Those working in the system need to be knowledgeable in inclusive practices, the materials used and content covered needs to represent diverse and intersectional experiences and care needs to be a central ethos. All of these are enabled by inclusive policy making, and inclusive policy making is facilitated by the involvement of the full range of stakeholders, especially students themselves. 

If our communities and societies are to thrive in the face of tremendous challenges, we need to use these principles to ensure our education systems are fully inclusive. 

Pip Gardner (pronouns: They/them) is Chief Executive of the Kite Trust, and is a queer and trans activist with a focus on youth empowerment. They are based in the UK and were a member of the Generation Equality Youth Task Force from 2019-21. 

A Journey to the Stars

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Overview of Inclusive Teaching Practices

Main navigation.

We regard inclusive and equitable education as holistic and part of all learning, and so inclusive learning practices apply to many aspects of the learning experience throughout these guides.

The resources and strategies on this page act as a starting point for a wide variety of course design strategies, teaching practices, and support resources that all contribute towards an inclusive and equitable course.

Provide equitable access

Inclusive education is accessible: all students should be able to access the materials they need for their learning. While accessibility is often associated with providing access for people with disabilities, issues of access are universal and affect all learners. To develop a course that is inclusive for all, consider accessibility broadly and how it impacts everyone.

Accessibility takes many forms, including:

• Access to course materials for students with visual or hearing differences
• Access to technology tools, reliable connections, and consideration of international restrictions on technology use
• Affordability and the cost of course materials
• Temporal access for students juggling multiple priorities or in different time zones
• Access to multiple modalities regarding materials, activities, and learning assessments

The  Equitable Access  page has more details on these accessibility strategies.

Set norms and commitments

Collectively deciding on norms and making commitments for how students will interact with one another is an important step towards creating a respectful, supportive, and productive class learning environment.

Plan ahead before facilitating your norm setting activity with your students. There are many areas to consider for setting norms and commitments:

• Charged conversations or discussions of challenging topics
• Accountability, communication, and equitable work distribution during teamwork
• Peer review, feedback, and critique
• Office hours timing and modes of communication
• Online discussion forum expectations
• Managing video, minimizing distractions, and appropriate non-verbal communication in video conferencing 

See the page on Setting Norms and Commitments for more specific strategies.

Build inclusive learning communities

Research into the social and emotional dimensions of learning suggests that a sense of social disconnection from instructors and peers can impede learning and that this disproportionately impacts underrepresented students. Deliberately fostering a classroom community and helping students connect with one another can help students feel seen and valued, which can have positive impacts on learning, especially during online instruction.

Consider these general strategies for fostering an inclusive learning community:

• Be conscious of visual and other cues that send implicit signals about who belongs and who can succeed.
• Build opportunities for student choice and agency into the course.
• Adopt caring practices to enhance student motivation.
• Foster community and connection at all stages of the course experience.

See the page on Building Inclusive Community  for more details and links to additional resources.

Support students with disabilities

Faculty and teaching staff play an important role when a student requests or requires academic accommodation based on a disability.

Instructors can best support students and the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) by:

• Informing students of OAE and its services.
• Respecting students' privacy and being compassionate.
• Collaborating with OAE to modify and implement any recommended academic accommodation.

The  Supporting Students with Disabilities  page provides more details on how you can best work with OAE.

Facilitate inclusive and equitable discussions

Discussions are commonly used in actively engaged learning environments. These strategies can help to improve the quality of discussion in online as well as in-person formats:

• Support students when examining potentially upsetting content
• Use prompts or questions that elicit a variety of perspectives
• Adopt practices that ensure equitable participation
• Evaluate discussions along various dimensions

Go to  Inclusive and Equitable Discussions  for specific actions you can take to facilitate inclusive discussions.

Explore more inclusion and equity topics

The Teaching Commons Articles section offers a variety of additional resources organized under the  Inclusion & Equity topic tag.

Equitable access

• Resources for Faculty & Teaching Staff , Office of Accessible Education (2020)
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) , Schwab Learning Center (2020)
• Stanford-approved Learning Technology Tools , Learning Technologies & Spaces (2020)
• Stanford Online Accessibility Program (SOAP) , Online Accessibility Program (2020)
• Stanford University Library services , Stanford University Library (2020)

Norms and commitments

• Suggested norms for online classes , GSE IT Teaching Resources
• "Please, let students turn their videos off in class" , The Stanford Daily
• Class Community Commitments: A Guide for Instructors , Center for Teaching and Learning
• Stanford SPARQtools , Stanford SPARQ

Inclusive community

• CARE for Inclusion and Equity Online , Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning (2020)
• Community building activities for agreement and norm-setting , Stanford Graduate School of Education IT Teaching Resources (2020)
• Informal trust-building in an online environment , Stanford Graduate School of Education IT Teaching Resources (2020)
• Facilitating class community building before the quarter begins , Stanford Graduate School of Education Information Technology Teaching Resources (2020)
• Stanford SPARQtools , Stanford SPARQ (2020)

Accommodations for students with disabilities

• Office of Accessible Education (OAE) , Stanford University (2020)
• Diversity and Access Office , Stanford University (2020)

Inclusive and equitable discussions

• 10 Strategies for Engaging Discussions Online , Center for Teaching and Learning (2020)
• Successful breakout rooms in Zoom , Teaching Commons (2020)
• Small group activities for Zoom breakout rooms , Teaching Commons (2020)
• Strive for JUSTICE in Course Learning , Center for Teaching and Learning (2020)

Learning for all: the essential role of teachers in inclusive education

Hanna alasuutari, hannu savolainen, petra engelbrecht.

Senior Education Specialist

Professor of special education at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South Africa and Emeritus Professor of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, England

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Inclusive Instruction

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Educators are tasked with ensuring that students with significant cognitive disabilities have access to and make progress in the general education curriculum. Research shows that these students can acquire knowledge and skills tied to a wide range of grade-level standards and in every content area utilizing a variety of instructional strategies. Inclusive instruction is instruction designed to be accessible to a wide variety of learners. Inclusive instruction ensures that students with significant cognitive disabilities are presented accessible and engaging instructional activities, and are provided the accommodations and modifications to complete learning tasks alongside their peers.

Resources on Inclusive Instruction

This Is Who We Are and What We Do: A Case Study of Two Districts Exemplifying Inclusivity

This study investigated districts that are positive outliers, that is, districts that have implemented inclusive education in a particularly robust and effective way. Two questions guided the research: (1) What are the experiences and viewpoints of district personnel and community members in exemplary districts? (2) How do district personnel and community members in exemplar districts perceive the community’s influence on inclusive education for students with significant cognitive disabilities? Interviews in two exemplar districts revealed that implementing an inclusive model of education for students with significant cognitive disabilities is not only feasible but results in positive outcomes for all students. Further, strong system-level practices and policies made an inclusive approach successful, but the specific policies and practices differed somewhat across districts as these were grounded in the particular district context. The particularity of context points to another key finding: that attentiveness to the community–in particular, enacting an inclusive model with community buy-in–proved essential in each district’s experience.

How Preparation Programs for Moderate-Severe Disabilities in Ohio Incorporate High-Leverage Instructional Practices

This study addresses the incorporation high-leverage practices or HLPs into higher education programs for preservice and practicing teachers who receive preparation in inclusive education at Ohio colleges and universities. Data were collected through four types of research activities: (1) a survey of Ohio faculty members from educator preparation programs, (2) focus-group interviews with Ohio in-service special education teachers, (3) an analysis of syllabi from Ohio educator preparation programs, (4) and focus-group interviews with Ohio parents. Findings suggest, overall, that responding faculty and institutions of higher education are inconsistently teaching HLPs. Those faculty and instructors who incorporated HLPs more consistently tended to include the easier-to-teach HLPs. Because the ability to use HLPs may be an important prerequisite to competence and comfort with inclusion, this inconsistency represents a serious setback for Ohio students with significant cognitive disabilities. Based on the findings, the report makes recommendation for both practice and research.

Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER)

The Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER) is a series of tools, guidance, and processes to be used by state, district, and school teams to build an inclusive system of education. The IER unpacks the complexities of how to create, expand, and sustain inclusive education systems.

TIP #24: Learners with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)

Students with Cerebral/Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) may have difficulty processing the images their eyes see, which can affect many areas of basic visual functions. This TIP focuses on students with CVI and how it relates to learners with significant cognitive disabilities who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication or AAC, with a particular focus on inclusive environments.

TIP #25: Preparing the AAC User for the Next Grade

For students who are non-speaking and communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), it is important to support their communication needs during grade level transitions to ensure that the academic, social, and communication gains continue into the next grade. This TIP provides concrete ideas to plan for successful grade level transitions for ACC Users.

Standards-Based Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

What are alternate achievement standards and general education academic standards? How do they align and differ? What should instruction look like for students with significant cognitive disabilities? This short video provides key information that clearly illustrates these concepts and their uses in instruction.  

Communication Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: What Parents Need to Know (TIES Center Brief #9)

This Brief describes how families and other members of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can help students get the supports they need to build their communicative competence in inclusive classrooms.

Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Practices: A Resource for Teacher Educators

The purpose of this resource is to support teacher educators as they develop inclusive course content by linking current TIES Center resources to teacher preparation standards across general and special education. Direct links to each resource on the TIES Center website are provided. This resource will be updated on an annual basis each spring.

Preparing School Psychologists to Promote Inclusive Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

School psychologists are expected to serve school-age children and youth with a wide range of needs. However, their preparation in graduate school tends to focus on supporting students experiencing the learning and behavioral concerns that are most prevalent in schools (e.g., learning disability, attention concerns, behavioral challenges). This report explores how graduate preparation in school psychology can be expanded to better equip school psychologists with the competencies and experiences needed to be strong advocates for the quality inclusion of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

PI #4: Providing Specially Designed Instruction with Considerations from Distance Learning

Through distance, hybrid and in-person learning, collaboration has remained a vital part of providing Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). This article provides key strategies for consideration when planning SDI.

TIP #22: Planning for Whole Group Discussions

This TIP will provide an example of how educators can work collaboratively to create more opportunities for all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, to actively participate in whole group discussions in an inclusive classroom.

The Power of Peers: Peer Engagement Implementation Guides

We invited leading experts to share their expertise on implementing these nine educational interventions to promote meaningful engagement and relationships among students with and without disabilities. They created short, practical implementation guides based on their extensive experience working with local schools.

Reading Literature Inclusive Lesson Planning (Inclusive Big Ideas)

Plan inclusive reading literature lessons for grades K-8 using grade-level standards.

Design for Each and Every Learner: Universal Design for Learning Modules

Designing inclusive instruction takes intentional planning and collaboration. The goal of these modules is to learn more about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST, and how to support educators to design learning experiences that are inclusive for each and every learner. 

PI #3: A Collaborative Start to Behavioral Supports When Returning to the School Building

Positive and consistent behavioral supports are needed by all students, and for some students, they are absolutely vital for meaningful engagement to be achieved. During distance learning it was important to know what behaviors could be supported through collaborating with families. When returning to school, it remains important to intentionally identify, collaboratively communicate, and consistently follow through on the identified supports for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Understanding the Role of Paraprofessionals in Your Child’s Education in Inclusive Classrooms (TIES Center Brief #7)

It is important for parents to know what paraprofessionals should be expected to do in inclusive classrooms. Parents should also know what qualities paraprofessionals should have, and what supports and training they need to be successful in their role. The purpose of this Brief is to address these points. It also pro-vides examples of appropriate use of paraprofessionals in inclusive classrooms and some red flags that might indicate a need to adjust paraprofessional support or training.

PI #2: 5 Back to School Positive Behavior Strategies

Now that we are back to school, it is important to remember how to positively support behavior. It is especially important to consider those students who might need more support after being away from the school building last year. 

Creating Communities of Belonging for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Everyone wants to be valued and have a sense of belonging in their community.  The need for valued belonging is true for students in a school community as well.  Although belonging is equally important for all students, students with significant cognitive disabilities are less likely to experience a deep sense of belonging.

PI #1: Planning for Students Transitioning Back to School - Three Important Components

As teams manage various scenarios for when and how-to students will return to schools, proactive thinking about what needs to be considered to successfully transition students back to school is of utmost importance. This article will  facilitate this transition for school teams, students, and their families.

Pivot to In-Person Instruction: An Overview Framework

The TIES Distance Learning Series provides multiple strategies for supporting students with significant cognitive disabilities during distance and hybrid learning. The Pivot to In-Person Instruction Series applies the same principles, as most students are returning to in-person instruction. However, we expect that some schools will need to pivot between the various instruction models given the changing nature of the COVID-19 virus.

Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education and the Inclusive IEP

This resource is intended to guide IEP teams in a comprehensive inclusive education planning process based on the expectation that each student can actively participate, belong, contribute, and learn in the school and larger community. 

TIP #18: Choosing Accessible Grade-Level Texts for Use in Inclusive Classrooms

This TIP will outline considerations for choosing appropriate accessible grade-level texts for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

TIP #19: Creating Accessible Grade-level Texts for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

This TIP explains ways teachers can adapt text and provide scaffolding to ensure each and every student is provided access and opportunity to meet grade-level learning expectations.

TIES Brief 6: Grading My Child with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in an Inclusive Classroom

Grades are assigned and report cards given in inclusive classrooms. It is important that thought has been given to how work from students with significant cognitive disabilities will be graded and what will be in the report card. The purpose of this parent Brief is to (a) identify the IEP team’s role in grading and report cards, (b) provide ideas for how to talk to teachers about grades and their meaning, and (c) suggest what to do if the school or district has not yet identified grading and report card considerations for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

TIP #14: Academic Standards for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms: Same Content Standards, Alternate Achievement Standards

The purpose of this brief is to clarify what academic content standards and alternate achievement standards are, how they are different, and how they contribute to inclusive education.

TIP #15: Turn and Talk in the Inclusive Classroom

In this TIPS Brief, we show how to remove barriers to allow students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) to engage in Turn and Talk activities during instruction in general education classes through the UDL framework and examples from an inclusive classroom.

TIP #16: Making Inferences in the Inclusive Classroom

In this TIPS, we give suggestions for teachers on how to teach inferencing skills to all learners in an inclusive classroom.  The examples presented are reflective of a collaborative process required to plan the use of inferencing strategies in inclusive classrooms through a Universal Design for Learning framework.

DL #23: Pivoting Between Paraprofessional Support in Inclusive Schools and Distance Learning

Paraprofessionals are central to the success of educating students with disabilities in general education contexts, especially students with significant cognitive disabilities. Distance learning is pushing the field to consider how paraprofessionals can fulfill their roles in new and creative ways, particularly with the use of technology. Apply the Learning Components framework to clarify paraprofessional roles and how they can be carried out whether instruction is in-school or during distance learning. 

Lessons for All: The 5-15-45 Tool

This tool will help you go from a borrowed, bought, or mandated lesson to a more inclusive lesson for all.

TIES Brief 5: The General Education Curriculum–Not an Alternate Curriculum!

TIES Brief 4: Providing Meaningful General Education Curriculum Access to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Tip #10: the use of graphic organizers in inclusive classrooms for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Classroom teachers have used graphic organizers for years to help students gather, sift through, organize, and share information.

TIES Distance Learning #12: Promoting Engagement for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Group Learning Platforms

TIP #8: High Leverage Practices Crosswalk

High Leverage Practices (HLPs) are strategies every teacher should know and use. The purpose of this TIPs sheet is to provide ideas for inclusive general education classroom implementation of HLPs that are common to both general and special education.

TIES Distance Learning #3: Effective Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Within the Distance Learning Environment: What in the world does that look like?

TIES Distance Learning #1: Morning Meetings

TIP #7: Homework in the Inclusive Classroom

This TIP provides information and recommendations for collaborative educational teams on how to make homework successful for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms. 

Instructional Practices for Students with the Most Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Settings: A Review of the Literature (TIES Center Report #104)

The purpose of this report is to update previous literature reviews on pedagogical practices for students with the most significant disabilities in inclusive settings.

TIP #2: Using Collaborative Teams to Support Students with Significant Communication Needs in Inclusive Classrooms

This TIP outlines how to employ collaborative teams to support students with significant communication needs in inclusive classrooms. Collaborative teams will require additional planning for general and special education teachers as well as related service providers.

Creating Inclusive Schools: What Does the Research Say? | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

Review of the research on inclusion, presenting the essential practices that create inclusive schools as well the benefits of inclusive education.

TIES 101: Communication Supports in the Inclusive Class

TIES Communication 101 is a new asynchronous professional learning series created with our partners at the University of Kentucky (UKY). It provides evidence-based strategies for supporting AAC users in inclusive classrooms. One hour of ASHA credit is available for Speech-language pathologists at no charge.

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Implementing Inclusive Education

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This paper presents the case for inclusive education for children with disabilities as the entry point for policy development and implementation of inclusive education in the broad sense: inclusive, quality education for ALL children. The paper starts by providing a short historical perspective of the education of children with disabilities and continues with a description of the essential elements of an inclusive legislative framework, with a particular focus on General Comment no4 of Article 24 (CRPD). The benefits of inclusive education, as well as financing mechanisms, and required accountability measures for implementation, are also discussed. Then, the paper discusses the foundational basis of curriculum for inclusion, as well as issues related to a transformative teacher education practice. The final chapters describe what an inclusive school might look like, as well as the role of students, families and communities in creating an inclusive education system. It should be noted that this paper is substantiated with selective literature, with attention payed to an equitable geographic coverage.

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Inclusive teaching, learning and assessment

A guide on why it is important and tips on how to enhance inclusivity in your classroom.

27 April 2020

Hockings (2010) defines inclusive teaching, learning and assessment as:

“the ways in which pedagogy, curricula and assessment are designed and delivered to engage students in learning that is meaningful, relevant and accessible to all. It embraces a view of the individual and individual difference as the course of diversity that can enrich the lives and learning of others.” (p.1)

Why is inclusive teaching, learning and assessment important?

It prepares students to succeed in diverse working environments.

Evidence shows that organisations perform better if their workforce is more diverse (McKinsey & Company 2018). 

Through inclusive teaching and learning practices, for example, providing opportunities for students to work in diverse groups, we will equip our learners with the knowledge, skills and understanding to succeed in global working environments.

Students value an inclusive approach

Research by Hockings (2010) found “students value teaching that recognises their individual academic and social identities and that addresses their particular learning needs and interests” (p.6).

Our legal obligation

The Equality Act (2010) outlaws direct and indirect discrimination on grounds of protected characteristics.

Therefore, we have a legal obligation to provide education in a non-discriminatory way.

An inclusive approach benefits all students

O’Neill (2011) argues that inclusive assessment benefits all students as offering a range of assessment takes into account students’ different learning styles, strengths, time constraints and personal or employment commitments.

Tips for inclusive teaching, learning and assessment

A selection of practical tips are provided to help you reflect on the inclusivity of your teaching, learning and assessment practice.

Additional guidance, tips and resources are provided in the full PDF guide .

These include:

• Reflect on your assumptions about students
• Set explicit expectations for your students
• Avoid ignoring or singling out students to speak for an entire group
• Build staff-student and student-student rapport
• Conduct a prior knowledge assessment
• Design and facilitate effective groups
• Offer a diverse range of assessment methods

1. Reflect on your assumptions about students

Do not assume a students’ background, ability, point of view or preexisting knowledge of a subject, as these assumptions influence the way we interact with our students, which in turn impacts their learning (Ambrose et al. 2010).

Hockings et al (2008) found that when teachers based their lessons on their own interests or assumptions about students (in the absence of knowledge about students identities, prior education, experiences etc.), this left some students bored, under challenged or overwhelmed.

Therefore, create opportunities to get to know your students and reflect on any assumptions you may hold.

2. Set explicit expectations for your students

Clearly articulate and help all students understand course:

• objectives;
• expectations; and
• assessment criteria. 

This will enable students to prioritise their work and ability to meet conflicting priorities. 

Ambrose et al (2010) asserts that it is important to “explicitly identify discipline specific conventions”, as in the absence of this guidance, “students may analogise from other experiences of fields that they feel most competent in, regardless of whether the experiences are appropriate to the current context” (p.36).

3. Avoid ignoring or singling out students to speak for an entire group

Students of underrepresented identities often report either feeling invisible in class, or sticking out like a sore thumb as the token member (Ambrose et al. 2010).

This experience is heightened when they are addressed as spokespeople for their whole group, and can have implications on performance (Lord & Saenz, 1985).

The Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in their PDF Teaching for Inclusion: Diversity in the College Classroom , suggest teachers avoid the extremes of ignoring and singling out students, and instead focus on ensuring that students feel recognized as individuals from the outset of the course.

In doing so, they may feel more comfortable voluntarily offering their opinions during class discussions or in lectures.

Ambrose et al. (2010) propose that ways to make students feel recognised as individuals include, learning names and encouraging all students to use office hours.

Example from UCL’s Inclusive Curriculum Health Check: Electric and Electronic Engineering

“The Department carries out Strength Finder exercises and teamwork-based projects with the undergraduate students. 

The Strength Finder exercises allow the students to identify their top five strengths, which they are encouraged to share with their peers in their team-working activities in the first and second years. Then students are asked to reflect on the benefits of diversity within the team. 

To improve, the Strength Finder exercise leaders could ask the students to describe experiences and views, originating directly from their personal culture, ethnicity and background, which can contribute to the teamwork, and share it with their peers.”

4. Build staff-student and student-student rapport

Endeavour to build staff-student rapport, as well as student-student rapport in the classroom.

Get to know your students by learning their names, sharing your own interests and personal learning process. 

Also provide students with opportunities to get to know each other, for example, through group work. 

Ellis (2004) found that building rapport and creating a positive classroom climate leads to positive student outcomes, including increased student motivation and reduced student apprehension.

5. Conduct a prior knowledge assessment

Students come into university with a range of preexisting knowledge, skills and competencies.

It is important to understand students’ strengths and weaknesses in order to determine the appropriate level of challenge for each cohort. 

Ambrose et al. (2010, p.86) states that students will not be motivated to engage with an assignment, if they do not expect they will be successful with reasonable effort. However, if the assignment is too easy, students will not think it has value or is worth their time to engage with.

Therefore, Ambrose et al. (2010, p.145) suggest conducting an early performance based (formative) assessment. 

This will not only help you pitch your teaching and future assignments at the right level, but also enable students to understand their own strengths and weaknesses. 

Conducting this assessment early in term is important, as it will give students the opportunity to learn from your feedback, and address any knowledge and/or skill gaps ahead of summative (final) assessments.

6. Design and facilitate effective groups

Whilst it may be easier to allow students to self-select their group during group work, research indicates there are benefits to randomly allocating groups and enabling students from diverse backgrounds to work together. 

For example, McClelland (2012) found that randomly allocated groups enhance both an individual’s task capabilities and their team working capabilities.

Employ facilitation strategies to create a collaborative environment and ensure that group work improves all students learning. 

For example, clearly establish expectations for group work that promote inclusive and respectful interactions amongst students. 

Ambrose et al (2010) suggest involving students in the process of establishing expectations to maximise their buy-in. 

Also consider defining and allocating students roles, as this has been shown to promote greater learning gains (Bailey et al. 2012) and student satisfaction (Brown, 2010).

• See the teaching toolkit: Assessing group work

7. Offer a diverse range of assessment methods

Using a diverse range of assessment methods will ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged or advantaged by a specific form of assessment (University of Plymouth, 2014). 

For example, traditional exam conditions work well for students who have good recall under-pressure, but not for others.

Assessment methods could involve:

• in-class tests
• group/individual presentations
• creation of audio-visual material
• multiple choice tests
• coursework etc.

Offering a range of assessment methods not only reflects the needs and prior experiences of a diverse student body, but also enables students to develop a broader range of personal and employability skills (Brown and Glasner, 2013).

The student perspective

Views from ucl students.

“I feel some teachers are not comfortable approaching BAME students. They avoid eye contact and if a BAME student and a White student have a question at the same time, the teacher will address the White student first.” UCL’s Race Equality Charter (REC) Student Survey

“I feel teachers generally are not ready to accept BAME students and come with assumptions.” REC Student Survey

“As a BAME and non-UK/EU student, I often feel excluded from group discussions. Some people are polite on the surface, but do not give a genuine sense of friendliness or inclusion.” REC Student Survey

“I’ve received comments from professors about how my English is ‘very good’ apart from some things a ‘native speaker would not say…I am a native speaker! There are variations of English outside of British English. Comments like these reinforce my sense of being perceived as an inferior ‘Other’.” Challenge Consultancy, focus group

“I am comfortable contributing to group discussions but only if I know the answer. Being picked on when I don’t know the answer makes me feel stupid and makes me not want to go.” REC Student Survey

“As a BME student, I feel like my voice isn’t valued or respected.” REC Student Survey

Views from other students in the sector

“There was a class where the seminar became a space to share experiences. This was lovely at first but after a few lessons I was looked upon as the spokesperson for all black women.” Degrees of Freedom, SOAS

“I felt I didn’t have any friends in the class. Group work was a good way to make friends with people. I wish the teacher could have mixed us up.” Exploring the BME Student Attainment Gap, Leeds Beckett University

“Sometimes when my opinion was the same as another white student, my voice was tended to be ignored but the white student’s was heard.” Insider-Outsider, The Role of Race in Shaping the Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Students at Goldsmiths

“Often, I have said something in a seminar and a white peer will repeat my same point but will get praise and acknowledgement. Also, I have noticed that my white peers often speak over and speak more in seminars than me and my people of colour peers.” Insider-Outsider, The Role of Race in Shaping the Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Students at Goldsmiths

“It has always typically been white males that will talk dominating conversation and tutors actually allow that to happen…sometimes they kind of get intimidated themselves… rather than saying hey, this is a conversation that should be led by everyone.” Degrees of Racism, SOAS

Using peer-assisted learning to support attainment in Pharmacy at Kingston A case study discussing how the use of peer- assisted learning resulted in higher progression, retention and module pass rates at Kingston University

Making and using video for teaching at UCL Professor Andrea Sella (UCL Chemistry) discusses the various ways in which creating his own teaching videos help him to ‘shake things up and make things different.’

Using research-based blogging to develop students’ skills at UCL Dr Kerstin Sailer (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture) discusses how her students have benefited from hands-on teaching and learning by visiting specific buildings and writing a weekly blog.

A full list of resources is available in the  full PDF guide .

Resources to help close the awarding gap  on the project website also has many more resources and further reading.

This guide has been produced by the  BAME Awarding Gap Project for the  UCL Arena Centre for Research-based Education  toolkits. You are welcome to use this guide if you are from another educational facility, but you must credit the project. 

Further information

More teaching toolkits  - back to the toolkits menu

BAME Awarding Gap Project: supporting student success

Resources to help close the awarding gap

The UCL Inclusive Curriculum Health Check

Related toolkits

Creating an inclusive curriculum for BAME students

Creating a sense of belonging for your students

Creating safe spaces for students in the classroom

Inclusive teaching

Download the full BAME toolkit PDF (2MB)

Sign up to the monthly UCL education e-newsletter  to get the latest teaching news, events and resources.  

Inclusive case studies

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Inclusive events

Inclusive Practice

Assignments are not a neutral component to student experience in your class. Along with course syllabi, policies, rubrics, and more, assignments are part of a larger “ecology” of assessment—that is, systems of judging student learning and performance. [1] The assessment ecology of your course shapes not only what but how students learn, and it does so in ways that can be either inclusionary or exclusionary.

Consider the different ways in which an assignment’s purpose might be conceptualized (see Table 1):

The purposes in the first column prioritize “gatekeeping,” which is the conscious or unconscious determination of whether students belong in an exclusive group of “top students” or “future professionals.” The purposes in the second column, on the other hand, prioritize student learning and inclusion over exclusion. An inclusive approach reorients the purpose of an assignment to ask not “How can this assignment weed out those who didn’t do the work?” but rather “How can this assignment help everyone in the class access, engage, and learn course concepts?”

Inclusive assignment design foregrounds an understanding of learning as a complex process abetted by multiple and recursive means of engagement. It also acknowledges the social and affective (as well as cognitive) dimensions of learning. In short, truly effective assignments help to ensure equitable education across a diverse student body.

Characteristics of Inclusive Assignment Design

Transparency.

Effective assignments clearly state what the expectations are, how students can achieve those expectations, and why those expectations matter. This includes transparency around an assignment’s purpose, its genre, the steps needed to complete it, and criteria for success. You might also share support resources with students, such as the Writing Center, UW Libraries, or Design Lab.

Learn more : Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Ed (TILT)

Effective assignments show that research and writing are processes requiring ongoing conversation and recalibration. They do this by providing time and space for those conversations to take place, most commonly through opportunities for feedback and revision.

Learn more : The Meaningful Writing Project

Flexibility

Effective assignments offer options for how students might access and engage with major tasks. For instance, students might have the option to create a video or audio file rather than a written text, or they might have the option to choose which of three prompts to respond to. When possible, use more frequent, ungraded (“low-stakes”) assignments—an approach that has been found to reduce opportunity gaps. [2]

Learn more : Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines

Linguistic Justice

Truly effective—that is, inclusive and equitable—assignments support rather than penalize the diverse varieties of English used by our students. This can be accomplished by providing transparency around the myth of “standard” English (i.e. even formal, written English varies across contexts); opportunities for translanguaging , when possible; and feedback on conventions in English grammar, syntax, and idiom.

Learn more : Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy

Click “next” in the bottom right corner to continue reading this chapter.

• Inoue, Asao B. Antiracist Writing Assessment Ecologies: Teaching and Assessing Writing for a Socially Just Future. WAC Clearinghouse. Fort Collins: 2015. ↵
• Eddy, Sarah L. and Kelly Hogan. “Getting Under the Hood: How and for Whom does Increased Course Structure Work.” CBE Life Sciences Education, 2014, Vol.13 (3): p.453-468. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.14-03-0050 ↵

Locally Sourced: Writing Across the Curriculum Sourcebook Copyright © by [email protected] is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Considering the potential of inclusive education at your school? Perhaps you are currently working in an inclusive classroom and looking for effective strategies. Lean into this deep-dive article on inclusive education to gather a solid understanding of what it means, what the research shows, and proven strategies that bring out the benefits for everyone.

What is inclusive education? What does it mean?

Inclusive education is when all students, regardless of any challenges they may have, are placed in age-appropriate general education classes that are in their own neighborhood schools to receive high-quality instruction, interventions, and supports that enable them to meet success in the core curriculum (Bui, Quirk, Almazan, & Valenti, 2010; Alquraini & Gut, 2012).

The school and classroom operate on the premise that students with disabilities are as fundamentally competent as students without disabilities. Therefore, all students can be full participants in their classrooms and in the local school community. Much of the movement is related to legislation that students receive their education in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This means they are with their peers without disabilities to the maximum degree possible, with general education the placement of first choice for all students (Alquraini & Gut, 2012).

Successful inclusive education happens primarily through accepting, understanding, and attending to student differences and diversity, which can include physical, cognitive, academic, social, and emotional. This is not to say that students never need to spend time out of regular education classes, because sometimes they do for a very particular purpose — for instance, for speech or occupational therapy. But the goal is this should be the exception.

The driving principle is to make all students feel welcomed, appropriately challenged, and supported in their efforts. It’s also critically important that the adults are supported, too. This includes the regular education teacher and the special education teacher , as well as all other staff and faculty who are key stakeholders — and that also includes parents.

The research basis for inclusive education

Inclusive education and inclusive classrooms are gaining steam because there is so much research-based evidence around the benefits. Take a look.

Benefits for students

Simply put, both students with and without disabilities learn more . Many studies over the past three decades have found that students with disabilities have higher achievement and improved skills through inclusive education, and their peers without challenges benefit, too (Bui, et al., 2010; Dupuis, Barclay, Holms, Platt, Shaha, & Lewis, 2006; Newman, 2006; Alquraini & Gut, 2012).

For students with disabilities ( SWD ), this includes academic gains in literacy (reading and writing), math, and social studies — both in grades and on standardized tests — better communication skills, and improved social skills and more friendships. More time in the general classroom for SWD is also associated with fewer absences and referrals for disruptive behavior. This could be related to findings about attitude — they have a higher self-concept, they like school and their teachers more, and are more motivated around working and learning.

Their peers without disabilities also show more positive attitudes in these same areas when in inclusive classrooms. They make greater academic gains in reading and math. Research shows the presence of SWD gives non-SWD new kinds of learning opportunities. One of these is when they serve as peer-coaches. By learning how to help another student, their own performance improves. Another is that as teachers take into greater consideration their diverse SWD learners, they provide instruction in a wider range of learning modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), which benefits their regular ed students as well.

Researchers often explore concerns and potential pitfalls that might make instruction less effective in inclusion classrooms (Bui et al., 2010; Dupois et al., 2006). But findings show this is not the case. Neither instructional time nor how much time students are engaged differs between inclusive and non-inclusive classrooms. In fact, in many instances, regular ed students report little to no awareness that there even are students with disabilities in their classes. When they are aware, they demonstrate more acceptance and tolerance for SWD when they all experience an inclusive education together.

Parent’s feelings and attitudes

Parents, of course, have a big part to play. A comprehensive review of the literature (de Boer, Pijl, & Minnaert, 2010) found that on average, parents are somewhat uncertain if inclusion is a good option for their SWD . On the upside, the more experience with inclusive education they had, the more positive parents of SWD were about it. Additionally, parents of regular ed students held a decidedly positive attitude toward inclusive education.

Now that we’ve seen the research highlights on outcomes, let’s take a look at strategies to put inclusive education in practice.

Inclusive classroom strategies

There is a definite need for teachers to be supported in implementing an inclusive classroom. A rigorous literature review of studies found most teachers had either neutral or negative attitudes about inclusive education (de Boer, Pijl, & Minnaert, 2011). It turns out that much of this is because they do not feel they are very knowledgeable, competent, or confident about how to educate SWD .

However, similar to parents, teachers with more experience — and, in the case of teachers, more training with inclusive education — were significantly more positive about it. Evidence supports that to be effective, teachers need an understanding of best practices in teaching and of adapted instruction for SWD ; but positive attitudes toward inclusion are also among the most important for creating an inclusive classroom that works (Savage & Erten, 2015).

Of course, a modest blog article like this is only going to give the highlights of what have been found to be effective inclusive strategies. For there to be true long-term success necessitates formal training. To give you an idea though, here are strategies recommended by several research studies and applied experience (Morningstar, Shogren, Lee, & Born, 2015; Alquraini, & Gut, 2012).

Use a variety of instructional formats

Start with whole-group instruction and transition to flexible groupings which could be small groups, stations/centers, and paired learning. With regard to the whole group, using technology such as interactive whiteboards is related to high student engagement. Regarding flexible groupings: for younger students, these are often teacher-led but for older students, they can be student-led with teacher monitoring. Peer-supported learning can be very effective and engaging and take the form of pair-work, cooperative grouping, peer tutoring, and student-led demonstrations.

Ensure access to academic curricular content

All students need the opportunity to have learning experiences in line with the same learning goals. This will necessitate thinking about what supports individual SWDs need, but overall strategies are making sure all students hear instructions, that they do indeed start activities, that all students participate in large group instruction, and that students transition in and out of the classroom at the same time. For this latter point, not only will it keep students on track with the lessons, their non-SWD peers do not see them leaving or entering in the middle of lessons, which can really highlight their differences.

Apply universal design for learning

These are methods that are varied and that support many learners’ needs. They include multiple ways of representing content to students and for students to represent learning back, such as modeling, images, objectives and manipulatives, graphic organizers, oral and written responses, and technology. These can also be adapted as modifications for SWDs where they have large print, use headphones, are allowed to have a peer write their dictated response, draw a picture instead, use calculators, or just have extra time. Think too about the power of project-based and inquiry learning where students individually or collectively investigate an experience.

Now let’s put it all together by looking at how a regular education teacher addresses the challenge and succeeds in using inclusive education in her classroom.

A case study of inclusive practices in schools and classes

Mrs. Brown has been teaching for several years now and is both excited and a little nervous about her school’s decision to implement inclusive education. Over the years she has had several special education students in her class but they either got pulled out for time with specialists or just joined for activities like art, music, P.E., lunch, and sometimes for selected academics.

She has always found this method a bit disjointed and has wanted to be much more involved in educating these students and finding ways they can take part more fully in her classroom. She knows she needs guidance in designing and implementing her inclusive classroom, but she’s ready for the challenge and looking forward to seeing the many benefits she’s been reading and hearing about for the children, their families, their peers, herself, and the school as a whole.

During the month before school starts, Mrs. Brown meets with the special education teacher, Mr. Lopez — and other teachers and staff who work with her students — to coordinate the instructional plan that is based on the IEPs (Individual Educational Plan) of the three students with disabilities who will be in her class the upcoming year.

About two weeks before school starts, she invites each of the three children and their families to come into the classroom for individual tours and get-to-know-you sessions with both herself and the special education teacher. She makes sure to provide information about back-to-school night and extends a personal invitation to them to attend so they can meet the other families and children. She feels very good about how this is coming together and how excited and happy the children and their families are feeling. One student really summed it up when he told her, “You and I are going to have a great year!”

The school district and the principal have sent out communications to all the parents about the move to inclusion education at Mrs. Brown’s school. Now she wants to make sure she really communicates effectively with the parents, especially as some of the parents of both SWD and regular ed students have expressed hesitation that having their child in an inclusive classroom would work.

She talks to the administration and other teachers and, with their okay, sends out a joint communication after about two months into the school year with some questions provided by the book Creating Inclusive Classrooms (Salend, 2001 referenced in Salend & Garrick-Duhaney, 2001) such as, “How has being in an inclusion classroom affected your child academically, socially, and behaviorally? Please describe any benefits or negative consequences you have observed in your child. What factors led to these changes?” and “How has your child’s placement in an inclusion classroom affected you? Please describe any benefits or any negative consequences for you.” and “What additional information would you like to have about inclusion and your child’s class?” She plans to look for trends and prepare a communication that she will share with parents. She also plans to send out a questionnaire with different questions every couple of months throughout the school year.

Since she found out about the move to an inclusive education approach at her school, Mrs. Brown has been working closely with the special education teacher, Mr. Lopez, and reading a great deal about the benefits and the challenges. Determined to be successful, she is especially focused on effective inclusive classroom strategies.

Her hard work is paying off. Her mid-year and end-of-year results are very positive. The SWDs are meeting their IEP goals. Her regular ed students are excelling. A spirit of collaboration and positive energy pervades her classroom and she feels this in the whole school as they practice inclusive education. The children are happy and proud of their accomplishments. The principal regularly compliments her. The parents are positive, relaxed, and supportive.

Mrs. Brown knows she has more to learn and do, but her confidence and satisfaction are high. She is especially delighted that she has been selected to be a part of her district’s team to train other regular education teachers about inclusive education and classrooms.

The future is very bright indeed for this approach. The evidence is mounting that inclusive education and classrooms are able to not only meet the requirements of LRE for students with disabilities, but to benefit regular education students as well. We see that with exposure both parents and teachers become more positive. Training and support allow regular education teachers to implement inclusive education with ease and success. All around it’s a win-win!

Lilla Dale McManis, MEd, PhD has a BS in child development, an MEd in special education, and a PhD in educational psychology. She was a K-12 public school special education teacher for many years and has worked at universities, state agencies, and in industry teaching prospective teachers, conducting research and evaluation with at-risk populations, and designing educational technology. Currently, she is President of Parent in the Know where she works with families in need and also does business consulting.

You may also like to read

• Inclusive Education for Special Needs Students
• Teaching Strategies in Early Childhood Education and Pre-K
• Mainstreaming Special Education in the Classroom
• Five Reasons to Study Early Childhood Education
• Effective Teaching Strategies for Special Education
• 6 Strategies for Teaching Special Education Classes

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Curriculum and Instruction ,  High School (Grades: 9-12) ,  Middle School (Grades: 6-8) ,  Pros and Cons ,  Teacher-Parent Relationships ,  The Inclusive Classroom

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Inclusive Curriculum Design and Assessment Practices

Often, inclusive classroom practices focus solely on what takes place in the learning environment itself, or in the act of teaching. Equally important to pedagogical practices, however, are curriculum design—the content, policies, and expectations that guide the course —as well as assessment practices, or how students are asked to demonstrate their learning. Inclusive curriculum design encourages us to ask:

• Do the policies take into account the different challenges students may encounter, especially during a pandemic?
• Does the content provide diverse perspectives, including those that are often marginalized?
• Do students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in more than one way?
• Are the assessments designed for improvement or only to evaluate mastery of content?

In this section, we will offer key strategies to help you answer these questions so that you can design curriculum and implement assessments that center inclusive practices in the remote, hybrid, and face-to-face learning environment.

Curriculum Design: Crafting an Inclusive Syllabus

Implementing inclusive assessment practices, related resources.

Consult syllabus review resources before redesigning a syllabus for inclusivity.

• Inclusive Excellence and Our Teaching , University of Denver
• Creating an Inclusive Syllabus , The University of Kansas
• Developing an Inclusive Syllabus , The University of Utah

Evaluate classroom policies and expectations for inclusivity.

• For the virtual learning environment, are you requiring that all students have their video cameras on? Not all students will be comfortable with or able to turn on their video cameras for the whole class session, for a variety of reasons, including access to high bandwidth, not being out (as part of the LGBTQ+ community) to their families in the same ways as they are with their peers, differing cultural norms about privacy, early morning or late night time zone differences, etc. Consider allowing students to choose from a variety of participation options, such as audio-only, through chat, or through reactions and polling tools on Zoom.
• With deadlines and late work, aim to provide some flexibility so that students can plan ahead of time for particularly busy times in the semester and can alert you to any anticipated challenges.
• Use a positive and supportive tone, rather than a punitive one. For example, instead of saying “No late work will be accepted” you could write “All assignments are expected to be handed in by the stated deadline. If you anticipate any challenges meeting these deadlines, please reach out to me so that we can consider your options together.” Aim to strike a balance between structure and timeliness and an understanding of the competing demands on students’ time.
• Solicit student feedback on any policies and expectations outlined in the syllabus to gather information about what they might need more clarity about or where they might have other ideas to contribute.

Consider adding a statement about your commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Invite students to inform you of any learning needs that may arise for them and include information about how students can connect with the Moses Center for Student Accessibility .

Sample syllabus statement Disability Accommodations: I am committed to creating an inclusive and accessible classroom environment for students of all abilities. Students who may need academic accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center for Student Accessibility as early as possible in the semester for assistance. Knowing that ability status may shift during our time together, please let me know how I can best support your learning needs. If you need any support in connecting with the Moses Center or other resources, please also let me know.

Consider how much work is assigned .

While it may seem that students now have more time on their hands to focus on school, many of them are providing care for younger siblings, elder relatives, or community members; actively searching for employment opportunities; working (either remotely or in-person) while attending school; navigating mental health challenges; trying to make sense of an uncertain world; grieving the loss of loved ones. All of this means that faculty should assign only as much work as needed to help meet learning goals and should consider adjusting that workload as needed.

Provide a combination of synchronous and asynchronous assignments and activities.

• Consider which aspects of the course require synchronous instruction and which can be done asynchronously: How will you maximize the time you spend together online to allow students to collaborate, ask questions, and test out ideas? How will the asynchronous assignments help them synthesize their learning, identify gaps, and engage in collaboration? Often, asynchronous assignments—such as discussion posts, problem sets, and data visualizations where students can comment on each other’s work—can help students meet the same learning goals as synchronous class time, so strive to strike a balance between the two.
• “Our class is designed to meet synchronously to best meet the learning objectives articulated and to create a shared learning environment for all of us. Synchronous meetings will allow us to discuss your questions more deeply, identify any challenges you are running into, and to maximize collaboration. Your attendance within this synchronous format is therefore highly encouraged (or required). If you will be unable to meet synchronously, however, please reach out to me so that we can explore other arrangements together.”
• Also be sure to record any synchronous sessions for students to review at a later time.

Ensure representation of diverse perspectives.

• Ask which voices and perspectives are usually included in your syllabus and discipline. Then work to intentionally incorporate perspectives that are often marginalized or left out of the conversation.
• Consider including contemporary scholars who hold diverse social identities through videos, articles, and guest lectures. When students see themselves represented in a discipline, they feel motivated and strong feelings of belonging.
• Talk to students about barriers to inclusion, invite them to investigate and add new perspectives, and encourage them to contribute their own perspectives to the course.

Help students see the relevance of the course and field of study.

• Students may not always understand the connection between your course and their own curiosities, their lived experiences, and current events. Making these connections clearer to them provides them with a better understanding of how what they are learning in your course will provide them with unique skills and insights to analyze the world around them.
• Often, faculty have inherent notions about why their fields of study and subfields are relevant and important to the world, and it’s encouraging for students when these notions are made explicit. For example, how might the course you are teaching help students understand the impact of COVID-19 in a new way? Or the relationship between humans, the earth, and/or the larger universe? 

Build in more opportunities for formative assessments throughout the course.

Formative assessments are assessments for learning and development instead of for evaluation. These types of assessments help faculty check for students’ understanding of concepts and progress towards skills development and provide students with an opportunity to track their own learning.

• In the virtual learning environment, consider using polling tools and breakout rooms to implement formative assessments.

Suggest multiple options for students to demonstrate their learning.

Are all students expected to demonstrate their learning in the same way? Offering multiple options for students to showcase their learning ensures that each student can successfully meet the course objectives.

• Writing-based assignments - offer creative writing, video essays, or podcast options with short analysis in addition to academic papers
• Problem-based assignments - allow for collaborative hands-on projects, simulations, chalk talks, multimedia projects in addition to standard exams.
• If you are unsure of what kinds of assignment options to include, or want to give students more autonomy, share the criteria with them and ask them how they would like to demonstrate their learning in alignment with the criteria.

Provide timely and consistent feedback on student work.

• In order for students to learn from faculty input on their work, they must receive timely and consistent feedback.
• When designing assignments, be sure to break them into smaller parts so that you can provide feedback along the way that students can incorporate into the final product.
• Consider assigning shorter, more frequent tasks so that both you and students have a sense of how they are progressing with their learning.
• Use an encouraging and supportive tone when writing feedback—identify 2-3 areas for improvement, convey your confidence in students’ ability to improve, and follow up with any additional resources or support they might need.

Address imposter syndrome and stereotype threat.

Many students, especially those who are underrepresented in the classroom, struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome, or not feeling like they belong in a particular class or at NYU in general. They may also struggle with stereotype threat , or the fear of confirming stereotypes about their social group. Faculty can help mitigate both of these phenomena by helping students understand their strengths, engaging students in values affirmation writing before taking tests, reshaping narratives of success, and encouraging students to develop a growth mindset.

• “ Inclusive Approaches to Supporting Student Assignments During Times of Disruption .” The Harriet J. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University.
• NYU Remote Assessment Methods and Practices
• Stanford, Daniel. “ Videoconferencing Alternatives: How Low Bandwidth Teaching Will Save Us All ," iddblog . Center for Teaching and Learning, DePaul University, March 16, 2020.
• Supiano, Becky. "What Do Final Exams Mean in a Pandemic?" The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 27, 2020.
• “Tips for Exams and Alternative Assessments.” SAS Office of Undergraduate Education, Rutgers University.  

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Equitable Assignment Design

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Why is equity important in assignment design?

Many instructors have taken a renewed interest in the equity and fairness of their courses. Although all aspects of teaching and learning merit such a focus, it is particularly important in the area of assignment design. Assignments designed with equity in mind ensure that all students have optimal conditions in which to demonstrate their learning; this in turn helps faculty evaluate students’ knowledge and skills fairly and accurately. 

What makes an assignment equitable?

Among the features of assignment that can make assignments more equitable are flexibility and variety, an emphasis on the process of learning, application of principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) , transparency, and equitable grading. Below we define each of these terms and provide some specific examples.

Flexibility and Variety

Constructing assignments with flexibility and variety in mind can allow students to show what they have learned regardless of their academic strengths or familiarity with particular assignment types. These features require that faculty think through how each assignment (in all its variations) aligns with the learning outcomes for the course, to ensure that all students have an opportunity to achieve those outcomes.

• Within an assignment, allow students to choose from several different formats for their response that all meet the assignment goals
• Across a course, provide a variety of types of assignments
• If a major project includes several different components (a written paper and an oral presentation, for example), allow students to determine the weight of each component
• If you must use multiple-choice exams to assess students’ learning, consider offering an alternative assignment for students who don’t test well, or who have slow internet connections

An Emphasis on the Process of Learning

With careful assignment construction, instructors can hep students engage in and prioritize the process of learning. This will not only improve students’ performance; it can also increase their time on task, which can benefit all students.

• Adopt a growth mindset in your teaching by emphasizing that students can succeed in your course with hard work and effort
• Give students frequent opportunities to demonstrate their learning, including low-stakes chances to practice skills and assess their own progress toward course goals
• Scaffold students’ work to facilitate building skills, and offer frequent feedback on students’ progress
• Allow students to revise their work to respond to your feedback
• Help students reflect on the processes they used to respond to major assignments or to study for exams

Application of Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a set of principles to guide the creation of inclusive and accessible courses and learning experiences. When these principles are applied to assignment design, they can benefit all students, not only those with disabilities.

• Provide assignment instructions in writing and verbally
• Simplify the navigation in your course Canvas site so students can find assignments easily
• Give students some choice in how they can show their learning
• Consider alternatives to traditional multiple-choice exams
• Provide ample time for exams and online assignments to be completed

Transparency

This is the concept of making clear to students the purpose of assignments and activities and how to succeed on them. Being transparent with students ensures that all students can succeed, not only those with privileged educational backgrounds.

• For assignments that include a rubric, share it with students when they start to work on the assignment; you can even involve students in rubric creation
• Be transparent in your assignment design by specifying in each assignment its purpose, the process or task students should engage it, and the criteria that will be used to evaluate it
• The concept of transparency in teaching includes other pedagogical strategies in addition to transparent assignment design. For more information, see the page on Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) .

Equitable Grading

Along with equitable assignment design, faculty can grade students equitably on the basis of their learning and performance, and without allowing factors such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, abilities, rural/urban location, or internet access to influence grades. In this way grades can be used not to sort and rank students, but instead to guide all students to achieve course learning outcomes.

• If you will use a rubric or grading standards to evaluate students’ work, share it when making an assignment so that all students understand how their work will be evaluated
• Provide feedback along with grades to help students understand the strengths and weaknesses of their work and how to improve it
• Avoid “magical grading”: grading on the basis of factors or traits that are not articulated, or that are assumed to be “implicit”
• Consider whether it is more equitable to weight assignments done early in the semester more lightly and those done later more heavily, after students have had a chance to learn about your standards and expectations 

For more help with applying any of these concepts to your teaching, contact the CITL .

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Inclusive Education | Concept and Principles | b.ed notes

Concept of inclusive education:.

Education is the basic human right. Everyone has the right to access quality education. And there are some group of people. Who are excluded to access quality education on grounds of some disabilities or special causes. Discrimination is the great threat to these group of people. Inclusive Education which helps for the harmonies development of a society.

There is a need  of  development or change in the education system. Its essential to change this educational approach from exclusion to inclusion . making a reality of the universal right to equality of education.

To cater learning is the basic human rights of the children with dignity and equity is possible through ‘Inclusive education ’’.

Lets know what is inclusive education ?. And what are the principles of inclusive education ? In details.

Inclusive education is a process of education. Which ensures the equal participation of all children in teaching learning process including with those disabilities.

Inclusive education also known as universal education or integrated education. The concept of integrated education is wider and broad.  It means all children are educated in regular classroom. It defines as learning environment which provides all aspects of development including personal, academic and professional development of all learners. Irrespective of their race, color, gender, sex. It leads to a sense of belongingness within classroom community.  As integrated education allows all the children to read together, play together, learn together. Which also develops a sense of cooperation, togetherness etc. thus integrated educationi a new concept in education. It is the best method of promoting social acceptance, peace and cooperation.

Definition of Inclusive Education by UNESCO (1994):

Inclusive education involves changes and modification in content, approaches, structures and strategies with a common vision which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular syIstem to educate all children.

What are the key principles of inclusive education?.

Inclusive education is based on the principle of the followings-

1.Principle of Togetherness:

Inclusive education provides such learning environment that promotes all round development of all learners together in the same educational setting. Irrespective of their caste, color and gender. So it is an approach which brings all children together in a common educational community.

2. Principle of Equality:

Another key principle is the Principle of equality . Everyone has the right to access knowledge skill and information. Indian constitution guarantees some educational rights for the children. In spite of these provisions there are some group of people who are deprived of education because of some special causes or factor. But inclusive education includes all those section of people  and provides equality to all.

3.Principle of Participation:

Inclusive education is based on the principle of participation. Inclusive education includes all the children in common educational settings where they can learn together without any discrimination. It provides opportunities for the students with disabilities for the active participation equally. Thus inclusive education promotes the participation for all children or adults in teaching learning process.

4.Principle of acceptance:

It is another principle of inclusive education. Every parents wants to their child to lean or educate with all other students in a regular classroom and become able to lead their life independently. And it is base on this principle of acceptance of all children in education process irrespective of their disabilities.

5. Rejection of special classroom:

It is a process education which strongly rejects the concept of special classroom in special school. Rather it emphasis on togetherness or integration between the normal child and the children with disabilities.

6.Individual differences:

It is another principle of integrated education. Each child is different and unique. It considers this principle of individual differences of the children in learning atmosphere. And that is why it benefits all the children.

7.Opposite of exclusion:

The inclusion is a contrast to exclusion, discrimination and limitation  on ground of any differences. All the children who are who are disabled should educate with normal children and have equal access to quality education.

8.Principle of change:

Inclusive educatio n is based on the principle of change. It tries to change the system of education to meet the requirement of the child and not about the change of the children to fit the education system. It tries to include all the children for equal education irrespective of their differences.

Conclusion :

Thus, it is a new concept, covering wide range of areas. It includes all the children with or without disabilities and educate them in the same learning environment. which provides personal, academic and professional development of all learners. Irrespective of their race, color, gender, sex. It leads to a sense of belongingness within classroom community. It is the process of education which promotes social acceptance, peace and cooperation. For more info Wikipedia.

• Teaching of English
• Gender issues
• Inclusive education is based on the principle of——?

Ans: Inclusive e ducation is based on the principle of Equity and the Equal opportunity for all. Inclusive e ducation is a process of e ducation. Which ensures the equal participation of all children in teaching learning process including with those with disabilities. See above to know in details.

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