Embracing Diversity in
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Mitigating Implicit Bias in an Online Environment
In an online environment, there are fewer physical cues about students’ backgrounds and identities than in
a face-to-face setting. However, research suggests that implicit or unconscious biases can still be triggered
simply by seeing a name and can impact how students are evaluated and judged (Baker, Dee, Evans, &
John, 2018; Moss-Racusin, Dovidio, Brescoll, Graham, & Handelsman, 2012; Reeves, 2015). Implicit
biases are often based on stereotypes and assumptions about groups of people. These stereotypes and
assumptions are also at the root of microaggressions.
Microaggressions are verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, invalidations, or insults, often
based on stereotypes and assumptions, directed at people from marginalized identity groups. Like
unconscious bias, microaggressions are often subtle and unintentional (Sue, 2010). In an online
environment, verbal microaggressions can take the form of something the instructor or another student
verbalizes or writes. Environmental microaggressions can include course materials or digital media that
portray negative stereotypes or erase or minimize certain identities.
Below are instructional practices that can help mitigate implicit bias and avoid microaggressions in
your online or classroom-based course.
1. Increase awareness of your own implicit biases. In order to mitigate implicit bias, we need to first
become aware of our own implicit biases. You may take Harvard’s Implicit Association Test to
learn more about yourself and any implicit biases you may have.
2. Acknowledge (then avoid) assumptions. We may unintentionally make inaccurate assumptions
about a student based on a name and/or profile picture. These assumptions can lead to positive or
negative biases when interacting with and evaluating a student’s participation or coursework. The
first step is to pay attention to and acknowledge (to yourself) any assumptions or ideas that you
might have about your online students based on their names and/or profile pictures. By bringing
these thoughts to your conscious awareness, you can more consciously avoid applying the
assumptions when interacting with or evaluating these students.
3. Avoid asking any one student to speak for a group. It is impossible to know what students’ group
identities mean to them or how that identity has impacted their life or point of view; therefore, avoid
asking students to speak for a culture or group to which they may belong. Instead, without calling
on or pointing out specific students, ask for input from varied perspectives. For example, you might
ask, “How does hospital privatization impact people in rural environments?” or, “What challenges
could this design idea present to a person with physical disabilities?” Students are then able to
choose if they want to share experiences of their own or someone close to them.
4. Pay attention to pronouns. When giving examples that refer to people, consider using a gender
pronoun that runs counter to the stereotype. For example, if you are giving an example about an
airline pilot, you might use the pronoun “she” to refer to the pilot.
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5. Identify people using identity characteristics only when relevant. In some cases, race is relevant,
such as “Dr. Massie Jr. was the first African American organic chemist to teach at the U.S. Naval
Academy.” However, in many cases, race is not relevant; for example, consider whether it is
important to refer to a person’s race in this sentence: “Dr. Gerald is an African American organic
chemist who helps develop solar cell mixtures.” If Dr. Gerald were White, his race would not be
mentioned. By mentioning his race, it makes it seem as if it is notable that an African American
man is an organic chemist.
6. Use visuals to broaden ideas about people. When choosing pictures or videos of people, try to
avoid images that reinforce stereotypes, and instead seek out images that broaden students’ ideas
about other people or places.
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22
Establishing Ground Rules for Productive Discourse
Setting expectations early in the course for how students should participate and regard
classroom discussions can help create a safe environment for all students.
Introduce a basic set of ground rules for students and facilitate a discussion about the rules.
Ask students if they would like to add to the list or revise any of the rules. Ensure everyone
has been heard and feels comfortable with the rules.
Some useful expectations, or ground rules, for students might include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
All students must maintain confidentiality (Tatum, 2012).
Students must demonstrate mutual respect and respect all viewpoints (Tatum,
2012).
Students should speak from their own experiences, and respect that others are
speaking from their own experiences as well (Tatum, 2012).
Students should direct all comments to their classmates, rather than to their
instructor (Tatum, 2012).
Students should learn each other’s names to avoid referring to each other as “he,”
“she,” or “the person in the red sweater” (Tatum, 2012). In large classes, students
can state their name before commenting so peers can respond to them by name
even if they don’t know each other.
When responding to a comment, students should articulate the other person’s
viewpoint. This can help prevent students from simply repeating their own
positions without genuinely listening to others (J. Williams, personal
communication, February 4, 2016).
To ensure productive discourse, it would be helpful to define what “good” participation
looks like and how students will earn high grades for participation—for example, by seeking
more information about others’ positions and reasoning (S. D. Brookfield, personal
communication, January 25, 2016). If “hot moments” occur in the classroom, you can then
bring in any familiar discussion protocols. Say to students, “Let’s review our handout on
productive participation, which says XX. I’d like you to keep that in mind as we continue the
conversation” (S. D. Brookfield, personal communication, January 25, 2016).
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document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.
Managing “Hot Moments” in the Classroom
Hot moments can be defined as when “people's feelings—often conflictual—rise to a point
that threatens teaching and learning” (Warren, n.d.). These moments of conflict can occur in
any classroom, even when the instructor is not anticipating the reaction based on the
discussion content. To effectively handle “hot moments”:
1. Avoid the urge to move on quickly, as this can leave students feeling like they
haven’t been heard. Do not be dismissive of students, even if you don’t agree with
them (J. Williams, personal communication, February 4, 2016).
• For example, “What I hear you saying is . . . Is that correct? Can you provide us
with some information on how you came to that conclusion?”
2. Remind students of the guidelines for productive discourse that should be well
established (see our Instructor Resources for a link to Brookfield’s class
participation grading handout and to download “Establishing Ground Rules for
Productive Discourse”). Bring in any discussion protocols that are familiar to
students and can help to guide the discussion (S. D. Brookfield, personal
communication, January 25, 2015).
• For example, “Let’s review our handout on productive participation, which says
XX. I’d like you to keep that in mind as we continue the conversation.”
• Sample Discussion Protocol: Snowballing
Students begin this activity by responding to questions or issues as individuals.
They then create progressively larger dialogic groups by doubling the size of
these every few minutes until everyone is reconvened in the large group. At
each stage as students move from pairs to quartets and quartets to octets, they
recap the chief point of difference or the chief question that emerged in their
previous round of conversation (S. D. Brookfield, personal communication,
January 25, 2015).
3. Depersonalize the remarks by inviting the class to respond to the content of the
comment, not the commenter specifically. Ask for students to share alternate
experiences or to offer a similar opinion in different words (S. D. Brookfield,
personal communication, January 25, 2015)
• For example, “Has anyone in the class experienced a situation similar to YY or
an alternate experience they’d like to share?”
4. Model a response for students such as “My reaction was ______ because . . .,” “I
wanted to respond ______,” and “Next time, I might respond . . .” (S. D. Brookfield,
personal communication, January 25, 2015).
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document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.
Implicit Association Tests
What is an Implicit Association Test (IAT)?
The concept of implicit associations and the first IAT were introduced in the mid-1990s. The
test works by relying on the years of past experiences that your brain has stored and their
impact on how you pair words and images; for example, in the flower-insect IAT, this
“stored mental content is most likely to help you put flowers together with pleasant words
while interfering with your pairing flowers with unpleasant words” (Banaji & Greenwald,
2013, p. 39). Linking the categories of flowers and pleasant words is what psychologists call
valence. According to Banaji and Greenwald (2013), “positive valence, which is shared by
flower names and pleasant words, can function as a mental glue that bonds these two
categories into one” (p. 39). The Race IAT measures the association between African
Americans and European Americans with the pleasant and unpleasant words. There has
been an accumulation of research on the Race IAT in the last decade. Since its introduction,
several things have been learned:
• “White preference is pervasive in American society—almost 75 percent of those who
take the Race IAT on the internet or in laboratory studies reveal automatic White
preference” (Banaji & Greenwald, 2013, p. 47).
• “The automatic White preference expressed on the Race IAT is now established as
signaling discriminatory behavior” (Banaji & Greenwald, 2013, p. 47). (A 2009 metaanalysis of 184 independent samples clearly showed the Race IAT predicted racially
discriminatory behavior.)
Dissociation
Many people who take the Race IAT find a disconnect between their beliefs and their results.
The IAT can expose unwelcome dissociation. Individuals can even be members of the group
that they are implicitly biased against. Malcolm Gladwell, who is biracial, reflected on his
results when appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show:
I took it the first time, and it told me that I had a moderate preference for White
people. . . . I was biased—slightly biased—against Black people, toward White people,
which horrified me because my mom’s Jamaican. . . . The person in my life who I love
more than almost anyone else is Black, and here I was taking a test, which said,
frankly, I wasn’t too crazy about Black people, you know? So, I did what anyone else
would do: I took the test again! Maybe it was an error, right? Same result. Again,
same result, and it was this creepy, dispiriting, devastating moment. (Banaji &
Greenwald, 2013, p. 57)
Psychologists term this dissociation, defined as “the occurrence, in one and the same mind,
of mutually inconsistent ideas that remain isolated from one another” (Banaji & Greenwald,
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2013, p. 58). The IAT reveals this dissonance, which is one reason that the authors do not
encourage everyone to take the Race IAT: “For those who would rather not know about
their hidden biases, it may be better to let sleeping dissociations lie” (Banaji & Greenwald,
2013, p. 60).
In-Group Favoritism
Banaji and Greenwald (2013) write, “The brain, it turns out, engages two different clusters
of neurons in thinking about other people, and which cluster gets activated depends on the
degree to which one identifies with those others” (p. 138). The region of the brain that is
activated by others with whom we identify is the same region used when we think about
ourselves, but we have no way of knowing which region is being activated. Banaji and
Greenwald use the example of a judge who regularly makes decisions about other people.
How might the judge’s decisions be different for individuals with whom she identifies versus
those with whom she doesn’t identify?
Banaji and Greenwald use the work of Samuel Gaertner and Jack Dovidio to describe White
Americans who describe themselves as egalitarians and yet display subtle racism as
“uncomfortable egalitarians,” because interracial interactions often provoke anxiety and
discomfort. The authors estimate that approximately 40% or more of White Americans and
Asian Americans fall into this category, themselves included. Importantly, “their differential
behavior toward White and Black Americans can well be responsible for a substantial
portion of the disadvantage experienced by Black Americans” (Banaji & Greenwald, 2013, p.
159).
Can the Results Be Mitigated?
Some research has shown promise that small interventions can have an impact on
individuals’ associations. Research by Nilanjana Dasgupta investigated whether exposing
subjects to famous and highly esteemed Black Americans would mitigate their automatic
White preference. Before taking the Race IAT, subjects were shown images of individuals like
Martin Luther King Jr., Colin Powell, Michael Jordan, and Denzel Washington and were asked
to choose the correct description for them from two positive choices. (For example, when
shown Colin Powell, they were asked to choose between a Joint Chiefs of Staff title or U.S.
ambassador title.) In addition, the subjects were shown images of infamous White
Americans like Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson and asked to choose between two very
negative labels for them (e.g., the Unabomber, convicted pedophile). The subjects who
viewed these before taking the Race IAT had weaker associations between “White” and
“good” (Banaji & Greenwald, 2013).
Similarly, other researchers who asked subjects to imagine a strong woman and her skills
and hobbies saw a weaker association between “male” and “strong” on the Gender IAT
(Banaji & Greenwald, 2013). And Buju Dasgubta found a strengthening of “female” with
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document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.
“leader” and “female” with “math” when female college students had “sustained exposure
via their college courses to women faculty members,” with the greatest effect among those
who had taken more courses with female faculty (Banaji & Greenwald, 2013, p. 152).
While this research is promising, Banaji and Greenwald have argued that these associations
are extremely persistent, and we don’t yet know how to eliminate or outsmart the
“mindbugs,” or cognitive and social errors, that cause them.
Take the Tests
To see the IATs that are currently available, visit https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
selectatest.html, where you can also select and take any IAT.
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Ensure Your Syllabus and Curriculum Set the Tone for Diversity
and Inclusion
Creating an inclusive classroom or online environment means making an intentional and ongoing effort to
ensure that all students feel like they belong and can thrive in the learning environment. One step you can
take right at the beginning of your course is to set the tone for diversity and inclusion through your
syllabus by including the following:
1. Diversity Statement. Including a statement that explains why diversity and inclusion are important
to the educational process in general, and the course specifically. Writing a diversity statement is a
self-reflective process. To develop your own diversity statement, consider your own background,
your students' backgrounds, and the importance of diversity for the educational process. For
examples of diversity statements, visit https://ctl.yale.edu/DiversityStatements.
2. Expectations for respectful dialogue. Be explicit about your expectations for respectful
dialogue by including a statement, such as:
We all come to the table with differing experiences and viewpoints, which means that we
have so much to learn from each other! In order to get the most out of this opportunity,
it is important that we don’t shy away from differences. Rather, we should show respect
for differences by seeking to understand, asking questions, clarifying our understanding,
and/or respectfully explaining our own perspective. This way, everybody comes away
with new perspectives on the issue and respecting others with different values or beliefs.
If someone says something that bothers you for any reason, assume that your peer did
not mean to be offensive and ask your peer to clarify what he or she meant. Then explain
the impact it had on you. If your classmates tell you that something you said or wrote
bothered them, assume that they are not attacking you, but rather that they are sharing
something that might be important for you to know.
3. Inclusive resources. In addition to the subject matter content in your curriculum, the topics
and texts you select communicate to your students the ideas and types of knowledge that are
considered important, as well as who are considered legitimate producers of such
knowledge. Take an inventory of the texts, films, and articles that you include in your
current curriculum and ask yourself the following questions:
•
Who is being represented, studied, or discussed? Who is the knowledge about?
•
Who is the information directed towards?
•
What type of knowledge is considered important?
•
Who is the producer of the knowledge?
•
Are there other perspectives (e.g. racial, gender, geographic, socio-economic
status, ability, etc.) that could be offered on this topic?
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4. Policies, statements, and/or resource information that address the needs and concerns
of all of your students. Including information in your syllabus that supports students from
different identity groups communicates to them that you are aware and that you care. It is
important to try to address the concerns of all students who may need additional support by
providing them with relevant information and resources.
Examples of Information
and Resources to Add to Syllabus
Students with
disabilities
•
•
•
Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] policy
Location of disability services
Invitation to speak to you about accommodations
Students who have
mental health
issues
•
•
•
Location of on-campus mental health services
Online mental health resources
Helpline information
Students who
celebrate nonChristian holidays
•
•
Acknowledgement of major holidays (avoid scheduling
exams or presentations on major Muslim or Jewish holidays)
Religious accommodations policy
•
Preferred name policy
•
Usage of preferred pronouns
•
Locations of gender-neutral bathrooms
•
Designated work spaces on campus
•
Food pantry or other assistance available on campus or in the
community
•
Open-source or other free resources
•
Options to buy expensive equipment from previous students or
financial assistance program
•
List of resources on campus or online that help students
navigate the financial and academic complexities of higher
education
Transgender
students
Students with
financial challenges
First-generation
college students
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c
c
It is best practice for online courses to include digital resources to help make the course engaging
and visually appealing (Nilson & Goodson, 2018). Curating the digital media (e.g., visual
images, videos, web pages) for your course is an opportunity to expose students to and promote
their thinking about the beauty and complexity of our diverse nation and world. Here are some
practices to consider when choosing visuals for your course.
Be mindful of stereotypes. When choosing pictures or videos of people, avoid images
that reinforce stereotypes, and seek out images that broaden students’ ideas about other
people or places. For example,
•
If you are showing pictures of doctors or scientists, try to find images of women
and people of color fulfilling those roles.
•
If you are showing a picture of a woman, a person of color, a person with
disabilities, a Muslim, or an immigrant, ask yourself if there are any stereotypes
being reinforced with that image (e.g., if you want to show pictures related to
poverty, make sure that all the images do not reflect people of color).
Seek out images that reflect diversity. When choosing visual aids and materials, be
intentional about representing a wide variety of cultural perspectives. For example,
•
Use video clips that show life and culture in other countries.
•
Look for pictures that include people with disabilities in different work contexts.
•
Include pictures of families that represent diverse family formations.
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Engaging students in a discussion about online communication norms and guidelines at the very
beginning of a course is an essential step in fostering community and creating a productive
learning environment (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016; Palloff & Pratt, 2007; Stavredes, 2011).
Below is a practice for engaging students in these important discussions and setting community
norms for online discussions.
Collaboratively Creating Community Norms
1.
In a text or video announcement, explain the need for community norms in an online
environment and the importance of creating those norms together as a group. For
example, you might say,
“Every single one of us brings a wealth of knowledge and ideas from the perspective
of our own lived experiences. While some of our experiences and backgrounds might
be similar in some ways, I can guarantee that there are just as many differences. And
that is a good thing! It means we have a lot to learn from each other. In fact, the
success of this course depends on every individual contributing his or her ideas and
perspectives to the online discussions. To this end, we first need to set some ground
rules or norms that will foster the kind of online space where engaging, respectful,
and thought-provoking discussions can occur. Please proceed to the online discussion
on Creating Community Norms and post your contribution.”
2.
Create a discussion forum that asks students to respond to the following prompts (and
consider giving some participation points):
ik th i id as and ont i tions
. What kinds of ha io s ak
o f
a
a d and s t d in an on in dis ssion
What kinds of ha io s ak
o f
ik th i id as and
ont i tions a not a d and s t d in an on in dis ssion
3.
After all students have posted, have students propose one community norm to a group
wiki with the following instructions:
. Read through your peers’ comments about respectful and disrespectful online
communication.
Based on what has been identified as respectful and disrespectful online
discussion behaviors, propose one norm that would contribute to an environment
where we can have meaningful and respectful online discussions.
Post your guideline to our Community Norms Wiki. You can post a new norm or
suggest a revision or addition to a norm you already see posted. You are free to
make comments on any posting, but please do not delete anything that someone
else has posted.
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4.
After all the students have given their input, clean up the document ensuring h o
re
of he ideas without unnecessary repetition. Using the announcement tool or
a new discussion board, post the proposed norms with a brief note. For example,
Thank you for the thoughtful discussion on our learning community norms for
communicating with each other! This list represents what you have identified as
important norms for our online discussions; these norms are our commitment to
each other. Please keep them in mind in all your discussion postings. I may
occasionally provide a reminder, and you can also remind each other. In
addition, please remember the netiquette guidelines in our syllabus. Abiding by
these norms and guidelines will help you learn more through the high-quality
discussions we will have, which is why the discussion participation portion of
your grade is worth 20% of the overall grade for the course.
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i
i
Instructors must intervene when a student makes an offensive comment or joke based on race,
gender, disability, religious background, etc. Such remarks may not always be intentional, but if
left unaddressed, they can create a hostile or an unwelcoming environment for all students, not
just the students targeted by the comments. Below are some basic guidelines for addressing
these situations.
Addressing unintentionally offensive comments. If the behavior involves something
unintentionally offensive, such as using out-of-date terminology that is offensive to some
identity groups, you should first reach out to the offending student and explain that although the
n might not mean any offense,
comments could have had a negative impact. Let
the
n know that you are going to post a response on the discussion board because other
students might need the information. Then post to the discussion board without mentioning the
student, but rather focusing on what was said with the corrected information. For example,
Incident: A student posts a comment about “the Indians” who were protesting the Dakota
Access Pipeline.
Instructor Response to Student via Email: Hi Sally! Thank you for your discussion post
about the protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline. In addition to raising an important
topic, you have unintentionally provided an additional learning opportunity for the class
by using the word “Indian.” Although this label is still used in many places, the more
widely preferred term is “Native American.” This raises an important topic about
preferred labels and changing terminology that is important for everyone to consider, so I
am going to address it on the discussion board. I think everyone will really benefit from
this discussion, so thank you again. Please let me know if you have any questions or
concerns.
Instructor Response to Group Discussion Board: Hi all! I wanted to take this
opportunity to discuss an important issue under the broad topic of “inclusive language.”
At the heart of it, inclusive language is about using terminology (or labels) preferred by
the people about whom you are writing. This is one way to show respect for people who
are different from you in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, etc. This isn’t always
easy, because preferred terminology often evolves and changes. For example, while the
term “Indian” was widely used for centuries, today it is more appropriate to use the term
“Native American.” That said, not every person of Native American decent is going to
prefer that term either, so there is no hard-and-fast rule. I’ve attached a few resources in
our additional resources section for those who want to explore more. I’ll continue to post
information as opportunities arise!
Addressing intentionally offensive comments. If the behavior involves direct attacks or
intentionally offensive language, remove the post immediately. To make sure that students who
saw the offending post know that you are handling the situation, you can post a comment
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referring to the community norms or netiquette guidelines and any other campus policies that
might apply. Then reach out to the individual student who made the offensive comment and give
the
n the opportunity to discuss the behavior. It is important to remember how little we
may know about some students, their troubles, or their mental health. In the best case, these
students might just need some additional support. In the worst case, they could be a danger to
themselves or others. As a starting point, you can prepare for this conversation by using the
planning prompts below. If the student persists in the disruptive behavior and/or reacts
negatively to your attempts to have a discussion, contact
academic advisor to seek
input and support. You might also consider other mental health or safety resources available at
your institution.
Preparing for conversations about offensive behavior. To address the offensive behavior, you
should have a meeting or phone call with the student. In most cases, your basic goals for this
conversation will be to help the student understand the negative impact of
behavior, to
understand more clearly what may have led to this behavior, and to provide both support and
consequences. Below are some prompts to help you think through how to approach this
conversation. It may be helpful for you to script out what you would like to say ahead of time.
Even if you do not follow the script, thinking out the words you would like to use can help you
in the heat of the moment.
1. Describe the situation in objective terms. It is also helpful to refer to any policies or
course norms that were violated.
We need to talk about what happened this week on the discussion board. As you
know, the use of racial slurs is completely prohibited in our learning community
as well as by the student code of conduct.
2. Describe the student’s previous behaviors, both positive and negative. This gives
context to the incident and lets the student know that you do not only see
negative behavior.
Although you have made some important contributions to our discussions, I’ve
also spoken to you a few times about how your tone and use of sarcasm can
sometimes be off-putting. Your use of racial slurs is an escalation of
inappropriate behavior and crosses a line.
3. Describe the impact of the behavior on you and/or the other students in the course.
It is important that the student understand the impact of
behavior in real
practical terms, rather than emotional terms, which the student may simply deny or
dismiss. In other words, rather than telling
n that
hurt someone’s
feelings, tell the
n that
had a negative impact on the educational
experience.
This language is hurtful to your peers and destructive to our learning process.
Just like you, everyone is paying money and investing time to be here, so everyone
has the right to a respectful learning environment.
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4. Describe the options the student has or the actions you will take in response.
Depending on how severe the incident was, it may be possible to bring the student back
into the community, if the
n willing to take responsibility for
actions.
Severe incidents likely violate student conduct policies and may need to be referred to
the appropriate office. Discuss the issue with the chair of your department to find out
the appropriate processes.
I would like to work with you to remain in the course, but we will need to do some
work to repair the impact of your behavior on our learning community. Please let
me know if you are willing to discuss this further. I will be notifying your
academic advisor so she can follow up with you and see if there are other
support resources that might be helpful to you.
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3
Foster Respect for Diverse Student Identities
According to the Center for American Progress, “Research shows that the overall academic and social effects of
increased racial diversity on campus are likely to be positive, ranging from higher levels of academic achievement to
the improvement of near- and long-term intergroup relations” (Kerby, 2012, reason 7).
Diverse campuses give college students the opportunity to learn from peers with different perspectives shaped by a
variety of life experiences. Diverse courses present students with opportunities to engage with people of different
backgrounds, helping them develop an appreciation for people different from themselves. For many students,
college is an opportunity to challenge stereotypes that may have been developed by being raised around people of
similar socioeconomic, racial, or cultural characteristics.
To foster respect for diverse student identities in your courses, consider taking the following steps:
Establish and model clear expectations for the type of language students are expected to use in your course
environment
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Model the standards you expect to observe between students.
Explain the type of language you expect students to use.
Remind students to avoid statements that appear to judge or offend others such as, “that’s dumb,” “you’re
crazy,” or “you must be stupid if you believe that.”
Ask students to refer to others by name, not by labels or physical characteristics. For example, avoid such
phrases as, “those people” or “that girl with the…”
Remind students to use the preferred pronouns and names of their peers and to ask for clarification if
needed.
Intervene when you observe students who are not following your expectations for respectful language.
For additional information on setting classroom norms with students, please see 2G Online PG_HotMoments.
Reference
Kerby, S. (2012, October 10). 10 reasons why we need diversity on college campuses. Center for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/10/09/41004/10-reasons-why-we-needdiversity-on-college-campuses/
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Copyright © 2020 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.
Invite Diverse Perspectives and Viewpoints
According to the Center for American Progress, “Research shows that the overall academic and social effects of
increased racial diversity on campus are likely to be positive, ranging from higher levels of academic achievement to
the improvement of near- and long-term intergroup relations” (Kerby, 2012, reason 7).
The number of students engaging in online education has rapidly increased in the last two decades in most colleges
and universities across the United States (Allen & Seaman, 2017). Larger numbers of students bring more diversity
to the online learning environment with different cultural, educational, and social experiences that can enrich
learning in all content areas.
Encouraging students to share their diverse viewpoints enriches discussions, encourages creative problem-solving,
and helps students develop critical thinking skills. Students also learn to listen respectfully and respond to various
viewpoints, a key career-ready skill.
Use the ideas below to encourage students to share their diverse perspectives and viewpoints.
Create a Supportive Learning Environment
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Acknowledge that there will be differences between peers and these differences can be powerful learning
opportunities.
Establish a “judgment-free” zone that allows for the open exchange of ideas.
Encourage students to share their viewpoints and experiences.
Intervene as soon as possible when students violate respectful communication expectations.
Provide Opportunities for Students to Share Their Viewpoints and Experiences in Discussion Forums
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Create prompts that invite students to share their experiences, viewpoints, and opinions.
Use LMS functions to require students to post before they can read other students’ contributions.
Encourage students to respond to someone with a different point of view.
Engage in the discussion forum or assign a student to engage as a “devil’s advocate” to encourage deeper
dialogue.
In synchronous discussions, ask directly for opposing viewpoints.
References
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2017, May). Digital compass learning: Distance education enrollment report 2017. Babson
Survey Research Group, eLiterate, and WCET.
https://onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/digitallearningcompassenrollment2017.pdf
Kerby, S. (2012, October 10). 10 reasons why we need diversity on college campuses. Center for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/10/09/41004/10-reasons-why-we-needdiversity-on-college-campuses/
www.acue.org | info@acue.org
Copyright © 2020 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.
Using Language to Validate Students
As instructors, the language we use can work toward or against building an inclusive learning environment. For
example, research has shown that using “he” to indicate “he or she” in professional settings affects women’s sense
of belonging and lowers motivation (Sczesny, Formanowicz, & Moser, 2016). Consider the topics below when
reflecting on the impact of your language.
Share Your Pronouns
Gender pronouns are the words that an individual would like others to use when talking about them or to them.
People who are transgender or who do not conform to male or female gender categories may choose to use
pronouns that fall outside the categorizations of male or female, such as “they, them, theirs.” You can’t always tell
what gender pronouns a person prefers just by their appearance. To start the conversation, share your own
pronouns and encourage your students to do the same.
When people take the lead in sharing their pronouns, it reduces the stigma associated with talking about gender
pronouns and signals to others that you are an ally (Blackburn Center, 2020). Begin by changing your email signature
line to note your gender pronouns and do the same on other social media profiles. Offer your pronouns to others
when you first meet them, and ask for their preferred pronouns.
Learn the Preferred Names of Students and Pronounce Them Correctly
Learning student names is the first step in knowing who they are, and calling them by their preferred names
communicates respect and helps them feel recognized as individuals. Helping students learn and use each other’s
names builds community. Consider some of these activities to help both yourself and your students learn and
remember the names of people in the course.
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Use student video introductions to help learn the names and pronunciations of online students.
Ask students to include their preferred name, pronouns, and pronunciation in their Zoom and LMS
profiles.
Use student interviews as an ice-breaker. Divide the class into pairs and have them interview each
other using a video platform. Each member of the pair can post their videos to a discussion forum.
Use the Name Story as an ice-breaker. Ask students to share the background of their name in an
introductory discussion forum. Be sure to impress upon the students that they are free to use the
name they wish to be called in the course. This is an important consideration, as some students
may not be comfortable with the “official” name on their student ID. (Click the link to read
additional details about using this practice.)
Use Gender-Neutral Language
Binary phrases such as “hey, guys” and “ladies and gentlemen” creep into our conversations all the time. Although it
might seem frivolous, according to Lera Boroditsky, a professor of cognitive science at University of California, San
Diego, for those students who do not identify as male or female, these references to binary groupings can be
alienating. Furthermore, she shares that “constantly dividing everyone into male and female categories may make
us perceive men and women as more different than we really are” (Elsesser, 2020).
Examples of Nonbinary Alternatives
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Instead of “hey guys” use “hello team”
Use “they” instead of “he” or “she”
Use “partner,” “sibling,” and “child” instead of gendered familial labels
Use “Latinx” instead of “Latino” or “Latina”
Use gender-neutral forms of occupations, such as servers instead of waitresses and waiters, or
mail carrier instead of mailman (Elsesser, 2020)
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References
Blackburn Center. (2020, March 4). Why sharing your gender pronouns is important.
https://www.blackburncenter.org/post/2020/03/04/why-sharing-your-gender-pronouns-is-important
Elsesser, K. (2020, July 8). How to use gender-neutral language, and why it’s important to try. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2020/07/08/how-to-use-gender-neutral-language-and-why-itsimportant-to-try/
Sczesny, S., Formanowicz, M., & Moser, F. (2016). Can gender-fair language reduce gender stereotyping and
discrimination? Frontiers in Psychology, 7, Article 25. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00025
www.acue.org | info@acue.org
Copyright © 2020 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be disclosed to a third party without the prior written consent of ACUE.