Laboratories are natural active learning environments where students are immersed in learning the cognitive and physical skills to apply the conceptual knowledge of the course. To create an inclusive environment that makes every student feel welcome and respected, we can use many methods to build a sense of belonging to a supportive learning environment that fosters their development as scientists. Introductory surveys based on the student?s values and barriers they face gives students the message that they are considered individuals and their opinions are encouraged. A classroom culture that encourages group work, generating big questions that they want answered by the course, flipped classroom activities that generate collaborative problem solving, and a lab culture that encourages peer teaching all contribute to a supportive learning experience. Organization of students in diverse assigned pods of four students, group in-lab assignments, peer review of draft student research papers before assessment by markers improve every student?s understanding and achievement. Additional benefits are the development of the student?s ability to critically evaluate their own work, respect viewpoints and abilities outside of their usual peer group and sometimes make new friends. Learning management systems designed with Universal Design for Learning principles provides choices for student?s pre-lab preparation and automatic marking of pre-lab quizzes frees TA time for assignment feedback and focusing on struggling students during laboratory sessions. Transformation of courses by small changes each term is possible with a phased-in approach of inclusive initiatives. Discussion and suggestions from participants were encouraged during the conference workshop and are included here.
Keywords: Belonging, inclusive, values, community, syllabus, group work, big questions, CURE.
University of California, San Diego (2023)
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