Teaching for Inclusion Anne Russof, Denbigh Starkey, and Carolyn Plumb The first in a series of discussions about teaching and learning Sponsored by the College of Engineering

What is “Teaching for Inclusion” Teaching that does not exclude (accidentally or intentionally) any student from the opportunity to learn.

What excludes students? Conveying disrespect, unfairness, or lack of confidence Interacting with only a subset of students Teaching in ways that favor particular backgrounds or approaches

Why Do We Hear More about Inclusion Recently? More diverse students The need to prepare students to live and work in a global society The focus on learner-centered environments What we now know about how people learn

What Does Inclusion Have To Do with How People Learn? Learners construct their own meaning, based on the prior knowledge and experience they bring to the learning event. “If teaching is conceived as constructing a bridge between the subject matter and the students, learner-centered teachers keep a constant eye on both ends of the bridge.” (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, 2002)

Where Can I Get More Information? College of Engineering web site Faculty and Staff Tab Teaching Resources Contact Carolyn Plumb

One Way to Think about Learning Styles Why learners What learners How learners What-if learners (Anson et al., Empowerment to Learn in Engineering: Preparation for an Urgently-Needed Paradigm Shift, Global Journal of Engineering Education, 7(2), 2003.)

One Way to Think about Learning Styles Why learners Prefer listening and discussing ideas Learn best by relating new information to prior knowledge and experience Learn best in environments that promote divergent thinking and subjective interpretations

One Way to Think about Learning Styles What learners Prefer to form judgments on verifiable data Learn best by assimilating abstract facts into coherent theories Most comfortable in situations that allow them to use their tough mindedness to deduce correct and precise answers

One Way to Think about Learning Styles How learners (most common—49% in a recent study) Prefer experimenting and testing ideas Learn best by using down-to-earth problem- solving strategies to make sense of ideas Like to work with concrete, real-life circumstances

One Way to Think about Learning Styles What-if learners Prefer trial-and-error problem solving Learn best by looking for patterns and relationships that connect personal experience to new information Do best in environments where there is a convergence of ideas and a respect for the unconventional

Distribution of Learning Styles of Engineering Students

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Relate course content to previous and future content and to students’ experience Why and What-if learners

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Balance concrete information with abstract concepts All learners

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Balance practical problem-solving methods with material that emphasizes fundamental understanding All learners

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Provide concrete examples of the phenomena the theory describes or predicts (What), then develop the theory (Why and What-if), show how the theory can be validated (What-if and How) and present applications (How)

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Allow students to reflect on or write about what they are learning Why and What-if learners

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Ask students to solve problems in groups Why, How, and What-if learners

Strategies to Accommodate Different Learning Styles Connect abstract theories to practical applications How learners

Where Can I Get More Information? College of Engineering web site Faculty and Staff Tab Teaching Resources Contact Carolyn Plumb