Inclusive Course Design Institute
Inclusive teaching is essential to support student success, so creating a culture that fosters Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI-A) in the classroom should be a priority for all educators. As part of the teaching process, inclusive course design that supports digital literacy plays a vital role in cultivating a fair and accessible learning environment and ensuring that pedagogy and curriculum are supportive of addressing the needs of all students, regardless of their backgrounds.
The Inclusive Course Design Institute (ICDI) is a faculty-led professional development program designed to support faculty in cultivating a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI-A) culture in the classroom. The Goal of the program is to provide pedagogical resources and encourage faculty discussion in the areas of inclusive excellence, transparency in course design, accessibility, humanizing teaching, and pedagogical wellness.
Sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s Confronting Extremism through Community, Thriving and Wellness grant, the first ICDI cohort will start exploring inclusive course design in the week of April 17, 2023. Seats are limited, please register for the program by March 31, 2023.
Program Highlights
To receive knowledge and resources in maintaining self-wellness while implementing digital literacy and inclusive teaching in the online learning environment to fulfill all students’ learning needs. Four discussion topics will be covered in the program:
Cultivating a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Culture in the Classroom
- What theories and principles of inclusive teaching are applicable to the courses you teach?
- Which specific methods might you use to enhance belonging in the day-to-day experiences of students?
Embracing Transparent Curriculum and Humanizing Teaching in Course Design
- How does “Transparency in Learning and Teaching” and “Humanizing Course Design” impact the student learning experience?
- What does Universal Course Design for Learning mean to you as an instructor?
Providing an Accessible Learning Environment for All Students
- How do you handle accommodations in your courses? What alternatives might you offer for students who have difficulty with traditional assignments and assessments?
- Have you been designing assessments and activities that are accessible to all students? Do you plan to make any changes?
Implementing Pedagogical Wellness Strategies to Enhance Student Well-Being
- How does wellness play a role in inclusive teaching?
- What can you do to support your own pedagogical wellness?
- What can you do to support students’’ wellness in the teaching and learning context?
Program Details
The ICDI is a faculty-led professional development program that will run in the Spring 2023 quarter from April 17, 2023 to May 26, 2023 (weeks 3 – 8). This program is designed in a flipped format, which will include self-paced Canvas content and weekly peer discussion sessions. Faculty peer coaches will facilitate the discussion as well as provide individual consultation to guide faculty in reframing their course design. All UCI senate faculty and an instructor of record between Summer 2023 to Spring 2024 are eligible to participate, especially for those teaching large enrollment (100+ students) or online/hybrid courses. Program participants will be expected to…
Attend Peer Discussion Sessions
Join peer discussion and share teaching experiences to embrace the DEI-A culture in teaching on Wednesday from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Lunch and beverages will be provided. Register for the program now!
Revise a Course Element
Identify and revise a course element(s), such as the course syllabus, to adapt DEI-A practices for teaching.
Write a Reflective Teaching Statement
Reflect on the learning process and describe the course redesign component(s) that you will implement to support the DEI-A culture.
About the Program
Professor David Trend from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts teaches a large lower-division undergraduate course with more than 1,000 enrolled students. He found pedagogical resources can be hard to find to make his teaching more inclusive and equitable. To address this issue, he partnered with Megan Linos, the Director of Learning Experience Design and Online Education from DTEI, and Meredith Ehrenberg, the Information Architect from ODIT, to submit a proposal to the Office of the Inclusive Excellence‘s Confronting Extremism grant to support the development of the Inclusive Course Design Institute. The purpose is to encourage peer discussion, provide teaching resources, and facilitate faculty reframing the course design components that embrace the DEI-A culture in the classroom. Theresa Duong, the Pedagogical Wellness Specialist at DTEI, joined the project team in Fall 2022 to contribute to the wellness component of the program after the grant was awarded.
PROGRAM CONTRIBUTORS (ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME)
Rhea Anastas, Associate Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Andrew Berk, ADA Coordinator at OEOD
Stacy Branham, Assistant Professor at the Donald Bren School of Info. & Comp. Sci.
Bo Choi, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Theresa Duong, Pedagogical Wellness Specialist, DTEI
Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Meredith Ehrenberg, Information Architect, at ODIT
Somphone Eno, Assistive Technology Manager at DSC
Adria Imada, Professor at the School of Humanities
Megan Linos, LX Design and Online Education, DTEI
Kelli Sharp, Associate Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
David Trend, Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Fannie Tsai, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Alfonso Valdez, Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences
