Level 2: Choosing Inclusive Course Materials

This level provides steps for educators who have experience implementing inclusive practices or have engaged in minimal to moderate degree of training regarding how to implement inclusive teaching. These moderate-level practices include: 1) Being strategic in choosing inclusive class content that shows dominant and non-dominant perspectives 2) Setting expectations for inclusive thought prior to teaching highly debated topics

1. Choosing Inclusive Class Content

It is important that students are able to see aspects of themselves and learn about others throughout the semester.  Inclusive teaching calls for educators to ensure their class content is representative of a variety of groups and backgrounds prior to teaching. Presenting inclusive content primarily involves including non-dominant perspectives. This can be done by ensuring that readings and other learning media assigned or presented in class demonstrate variety of perspectives and include insight from marginalized populations or authors. It may also include discussing the hidden contribution of historical and current figures whose contributions have been systemically overlooked within your field. This latter practice seeks to incorporate topics that draw a connection between existing systematic disparities and the historical events related to marginalization within our respective fields. Below are some resource that  can assist you with selecting and incorporating inclusive topics.

1. • https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/inclusive-teaching
   • Incorporating Diverse Perspectives
   • Example: Presenting Non-Dominant Perspectives 

2. Setting Expectations for Inclusive Thought

It is important to explicitly communicate expectations around inclusive practices when addressing complex inclusive topics. It is of equal importance to model those same inclusive expectations within your instructional practices. Prior to the start of your courses, make a plan for what expectations you would like to set and how to communicate and continually enforces those expectations for inclusivity and inclusive thought. How do you want to present inclusive materials? What conversations would you like to have with the class before presenting complex inclusive material? Regarding modeling inclusive practices, you may want to make plans around: engaging in on-going rapport, providing discussing guidelines, using inclusive language. Please see the resource below for additional details

1. • https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/wp-content/uploads/sites/853/2021/08/Setting-the-Tone-for-Inclusive-Classrooms-Draft.pdf