Welcome to the CIRTL Network’s Virtual Coffee Hour
TEACHING IN DIVERSE CLASSROOMS
A. T. Miller
Yanqiao Chen
Session begins at: 1 PM CT
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TEACHING IN DIVERSE
CLASSROOMS
A. T. Miller, Associate Vice Provost for
Academic Diversity Initiatives, Senior
Lecturer, Department of English, Cornell
University
Yanqiao Chen, Undergraduate in the Dept of
Chemistry, McNair Scholar, Chemistry &
Physics TA & Tutor, Office of Academic
Diversity Initiatives, Cornell University
www.cirtl.net
Using Classroom Diversity to
Enhance Learning
Recognize variations among student
preferences and strengths
Help students understand and value the
differences between each other
Make sure that student assignments
and participation are open to all equally
Don’t make spokespeople or examples
of any particular students.
Some Principles for Teaching
Inclusively
Use dynamics of group work
Avoid gate keeping/tracking
Concept-based AND problem-based
Study groups outside of class
Avoid “under-teaching”
Relevant and varied modeling, topics,
examples, and projects
Dynamics of Group Work
Instructor chooses groups and teams
Change groups at least once
Provide roles, structures, procedures
Heterogeneous ‘ability’ within groups
Grade the group
Varied learning styles
http://www.ncsu.edu/felderpublic/ILSpage.html
Avoid Gate Keeping
Be the coach, not the judge
Don’t set up students in competition
with each other (never grade on a curve,
avoid “winners” and “losers”)
Grade to clear standards and
expectations
Use exams as group goals
Problem vs. Concept-based
Balance these approaches
Recognize the biases of the material
and field you teach and compensate
Allow for varied methods that achieve
correct results
Include plenty of examples and
applications
Study Groups
Encourage students to work together
outside of class in regular study groups
Provide structure, roles, and guidance
to such groups
Assign and change groups at least once
a semester
“Under-teaching”
Monitor your own behavior, or ask a
colleague to observe you
Be sure to rotate classroom roles and
expectations in a regular pattern
throughout all students
Be aware of those students you identify
with and those who put you off
Constant Relevant Variation
Draw on variety of resources for
problems, examples, procedures.
Make room for student contributions,
especially in areas unfamiliar to you
Exchange ideas with colleagues of
varied backgrounds
Take students into the community
General Climate
Open and challenging atmosphere
Use differences constructively
Give students shared responsibility
Encourage full participation
Provide a variety of modalities
Guide and support students to apply
learning to their individual experiences
Reframe to take ‘heat’ off surprising or
unpopular individual contributions
TEACHING IN DIVERSE
CLASSROOMS
A. T. Miller, Associate Vice Provost for
Academic Diversity Initiatives, Senior
Lecturer, Department of English, Cornell
University
Yanqiao Chen, Undergraduate in the Dept of
Chemistry, McNair Scholar, Chemistry &
Physics TA & Tutor, Office of Academic
Diversity Initiatives, Cornell University
www.cirtl.net
UPCOMING CIRTL EVENTS
BUILDING AN ACADEMIC CAREER
COFFEE HOUR SERIES
Developing a Work-Life Balance for Sustaining a
Productive Career and your Sanity
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE
STEM CLASSROOM COFFEE HOUR
SERIES
Teaching and Using Writing Skills in the STEM
Classroom
February 27th, 2013, 1-2pm CT
March 20th, 2013, 1-2pm CT
Facilitated by:
Facilitated by:
Michelle Sulikowski, Professor, Department of
Chemistry, Vanderbilt University
Kathryn Miller, Professor, Department of Biology,
Washington University in St Louis
Brian Chabot, Professor, Dept of Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
Rique Campa, Professor, Dept of Fisheries and Wildfire
Ecology, Associate Dean of the Graduate School,
Michigan State University
CIRTLCAST
SERIES
Issues Confronting Minority Graduate Students: Examining the Issues and Responses
through Case Studies
March 12th, 2012 , 11am-noon CT
Facilitated by:
Kermin Martinez, Assistant Professor, Dept of Chemistry, St. John Fisher College
(Rochester, NY)
www.cirtl.net
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