Angela Linse, Executive Director & Assoc. Dean
Suzanne Weinstein, Director
Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
POD Network Session
AAC&U Annual Meeting, January 20, 2016
STEM faculty motivated us to
develop this workshop
“I confess, my usual response to the
thought of a diversity workshop is …
well, you can guess. Not that I don't
value it (I do!), but in my experience
these workshops usually seem far afield
from what I can use in my course.”
̶ Science faculty member
What makes a classroom inclusive?
Each student feels like s/he is
respected, belongs, and can make
unique contributions to the course.
Adapted from Shore et al., 2010
In this workshop participants will:
• Recognize that individual faculty
can take action that matters
• Identify strategies most
relevant for their courses
• Explore two of the most
elusive challenges to inclusive teaching
You may already be using inclusive
teaching strategies!
1. Read the “Strategies” handout.
2. In the margin, mark each with the following:
 not appropriate
 I already do this
 I sort of do this
 I want to try it
3. Discuss one  with a partner.
4. Discuss strengthening a  or a * with a
partner.
Memberships Activity
1. Make a list of ≥ 5 groups to which you belong.
• Which are visible? Invisible?
• Which are innate? Chosen?
2. Find a partner that you do not know.
Without speaking, make a list of 5 possible
membership groups for your partner.
You will not share this list with your partner.
3. Share your own membership list with your
partner.
We all belong to many different groups.
Gardenswartz, Lee and Anita Rowe (2010) Managing Diversity, 3rd Ed. Alexandria, Va. : Society for Human
Resource Management.
What could explain the suppressed
performance in this example?
12
Mean items solved
(adjusted by SAT)
10
8
6
4
Black
White
Black
White
2
0
Diagnostic of
Intellectual Ability
Not Diagnostic of
Intellectual Ability
Steele, C.M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype Threat and the Intellectual Test Performance of African Americans.
Attitudes and Social Cognition, 797 – 811.
Does the same phenomenon explain
these performances?
Women’s Math Ability
White Male Math Ability
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
Men
Men
Women
5
Women
Items Solved Correctly ( )
Score Corrected for Guessing
45
0
No-Gender
Difference Gender-Difference
No Gender
Gender
Difference
Difference
Spencer, S. Steele, C, & Quinn, D. (1999) Journal of
Experimental Social Psychology, 35(4): 4-28.
Math
Ability
Math Ability
Relative to
Asians
Aronson, J. et al. (1999) Journal of Experimental
Social Psychology 35(1): 29–46.
What is Stereotype Threat?
The possibility of confirming a
negative stereotype about
your group in important
evaluative situations.
Purdie-Vaughns, 2015
Stereotype Threat: Key Points
1. We are all susceptible to stereotype threat.
2. We are most at risk when performing
challenging cognitive tasks.
3. Stereotype threat applies to those with:
• high ability / highly developed skills
• high self-esteem / confidence
• strong motivation to succeed
4. Primary triggers:
• Evaluation of an ability
• Importance of the ability to the individual
How can we reduce stereotype threat?
• Remind students that achievement is based on
learning and learning is a result of hard work and
persistence - not innate ability
• Set high standards and communicate that you
believe your students can meet them
• Grade based on standards, not perceptions
• Everyone struggles or does poorly sometimes
and struggle is not a sign of inability
Have you witnessed any of the following?
1. You speak English so well!
2. You don’t sound Black.
3. I don’t think of you as disabled.
4. You’re to pretty to be a lesbian.
5. That’s so retarded!
What are microaggressions?
Micro-aggressions are
indignities that harm.
They are:
•
•
•
•
brief
commonplace
verbal, behavioral, or environmental
intentional or unintentional
Microaggression Activity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Break into groups
Do the matching activity
Discuss your answers
Rewrite one of the statements
Each group will discuss one of the
questions
6. Report out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crAv5ttax2I
http://breakingprejudice.org/teaching/group-activities/microaggression-activity/
How can faculty minimize the
impact of microaggressions?
1. Establish ground rules for interacting in class
2. Address student micro-aggressions promptly
3. Don’t point out a student who might represent
a particular identity group
4. Don’t ask students to represent the
perspective of an entire identity group
5. Be aware that your identity might impact
students
Thank You!