Diversity and inclusion
Inclusive teaching at the Faculty of Humanities
At university, lecturers and students from a wide range of personal, cultural and intellectual backgrounds come together. This diversity can be hugely enriching, but it does not automatically lead to a sense of community: insecurity, poor communication, inequality and exclusion are all consequences of diversity without inclusion. As a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, you play a crucial role in promoting inclusion with the aim of fostering “an ambitious academic culture within a rich learning environment that incorporates intercultural perspectives” (Institutional Plan 2021–2026).
What is inclusive teaching?
Inclusive teaching is a student-centred approach that recognises the positive contribution made by social, cultural and intellectual diversity in education. It strengthens interpersonal dynamics, fosters empathy and thus enriches the educational experience for both lecturers and students. Furthermore, inclusive teaching has many benefits in terms of subject content, particularly within the Humanities but also beyond: it prepares students for life after university in a society characterised by diversity. From a societal perspective, inclusive education thus indirectly contributes to minimising oppressive views of humanity and eliminating undesirable power dynamics, such as racism, sexism, stereotyping and prejudice.
At the FGw, we define inclusive teaching as:
- the learning environment (both on-site and online) is safe and accessible to everyone;
- teaching integrates and actively encourages diverse perspectives;
- students and staff treat one another with respect and adhere to the university’s code of conduct.
Inclusion therefore has to do with designing your syllabus, setting up your Canvas environment, your teaching style, assessment, the way you interact with students, the extent to which you are aware of certain biases, your choice of language, and so on. In addition, inclusion in teaching also relates to the (digital) accessibility of study facilities (e.g. buildings, but also the digital learning environment, the readability of the course handbook, etc.). And because individual differences such as socio-economic, gender and neurodiversity are often invisible, an inclusive learning environment is designed to be universal: without distinction, for all students.
Support
Inclusion at the UvA is organised in a decentralized manner: students are actively involved in diversity policy, and lecturers are given a great deal of freedom to determine how to implement that policy in practice. The Humanities TLC therefore works actively to provide effective support for lecturers by highlighting good practices among lecturers, sharing knowledge via this teaching theme, and exchanging experiences in various workshops on inclusion and diversity in education. Social safety and inclusion are also explicitly included in the range of professional development opportunities for lecturers, and are explicitly mentioned in teaching evaluations.
Our recommendations for lecturers are therefore strongly informed by the principles of Universal Design for Learning, inclusion models from other Dutch universities, and a wide range of evidence-based educational research.
Interesting links
Positionality statement
In een positionality statement reflecteer je als docent of vakcoördinator op de manier waarop bepaalde keuzes die je hebt gemaakt in de syllabus verbonden zijn met je eigen sociaal-culturele en disciplinaire ingesteldheid.
Inclusive assessment
Wil je zorgen dat jouw toetsing zo inclusief en toegankelijk mogelijk is? In dit artikel vind je belangrijke aandachtspunten, geordend aan de hand van de vier kwaliteitseisen aan toetsing.
Giving constructive and meaningful feedback - how do you teach students?
How do you give constructive feedback? Giving feedback is a skill that students need to develop.
Tips to create a safe learning environment
Hot Moments: navigating difficult moments in the classroom
Hoe garandeer je dat discussies in de les in alle vrijheid én met onderling respect gevoerd kunnen worden?
Content Notes
Een content note is een notitie die erkent en aankondigt dat bepaald lesmateriaal gevoelig kan liggen of een heftige emotionele reactie kan veroorzaken, zodat studenten zich hier op kunnen voorbereiden.