Topic 4 Diversity and inclusion in time of distance learning

Diversity generally refers to real or perceived physical or sociocultural differences, attributed to people.
Equity refers to the fair treatment of people in terms of both opportunity and outcome.
Lastly, inclusion refers to the creation of a culture that promotes ‘the integration of diverse groups’.

Diversity, equity and inclusion have become ubiquitous terms in academia and revolve around these axes of difference: gender, age and body; race and ethnicity; social class and social status; and religion and cultural identity.
These elements need to achieve greater fluidity; the more we talk about this in academia the greater the possibility of developing frameworks and tools to help society be more inclusive.
Promoting students’ ability even through distance learning, to increase the belief that ability is not fixed but can change. Encouraging students to keep trying.

Foster active learning to keep students engaged even in a remote classroom through technology tools available to create engaging activities.
If you teach through Zoom for example, you can conduct pair-and-share activities and other discussions using breakout rooms. Zoom can also host a live collaborative whiteboard where students can share ideas, you can also create live quiz games and other activities with other applications.
As with lectures or in-person courses, educators and faculty must continue to connect what is explained in distance learning lessons with real-world implications.

Students’ ability includes both their ability and perceived ability, or self-efficacy. In other words, students need to feel capable.
The extra challenges of distance learning, can damage students’ confidence; promoting students’ ability involves using a growth mindset, or the belief that ability is not fixed but can change, in order to encourage students to keep trying.

Not all students have access to the ideal conditions for distance learning. Educators must be aware of students’ resources: technology, time, living conditions, etc. and have a plan to accommodate students’ unique situations when necessary to maintain inclusion of all while also responding to special educational needs.
Providing constant feedback so that students can recognize their progress, just as in in-person courses.
The remote learning context also provides an opportunity to leverage self-assessment skills.

Educators and teachers, when creating assignments can break down problems, longer tasks and projects into distinct phases and micro objectives so that they are less overwhelming.
In addition, an important way in which students can gain confidence is through group work: to help alleviate communication problems among group members, you can create defined roles for group members and help groups establish a communication plan before starting work.