Inclusive Teaching in the Sciences

Inclusive teaching is an approach to develop equitable, inclusive, and engaging learning opportunities for all students across disciplines. It draws on universal design of learning as well as anti-colonial and critical curricula and pedagogies to facilitate active, student-centered, and authentic learning experiences that value multiple ways of knowing. For UBC Science students, an inclusive teaching environment is one where they feel a sense of belonging and feel supported by their instructors and peers in their learning.

Overview

Since 2019, Skylight team members have worked to understand the needs of students, faculty members, senior leadership, departments, and the Faculty with respect to EDI within the Faculty of Science at UBC. We have gathered information through interviews and focus groups. Skylight team members have also helped to build capacity by creating workshops and other resources and networking opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to share best practices in inclusive teaching and leverage diversity within disciplines to broaden and enrich learning. These efforts align with UBC’s campus-wide Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Framework, Inclusive Excellence approach, and Indigenous Strategic Plan, and map to the 2021 UBC Science Strategic Plan’s commitment to infusing inclusion within curriculum, pedagogy, and culture and to support faculty in their engagement and training with inclusive teaching.

“An inclusive classroom means that people in the classroom environment feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and confusions, and that the class generally moves together, as in people ideally do not feel left behind, and if they do, they feel as though they have the ability to resolve their misconceptions comfortably and without judgement.”

“[An inclusive classroom is one] that (1) tries to welcome and include all students regardless of ability or background; (2) gives students an accessible means of voicing suggestions, concerns, or questions; (3) providing multiple forms of learning to help students that learn differently.”

Student quotes from Enhancing Equity Across Active-Learning Introductory Science Courses, an Equity and Inclusion Scholars Program project in UBC Science, which aims to enhance equity across introductory science courses that use active learning (Goedhart et al. 2021).

Inclusive teaching resources

Please visit our Inclusive Teaching Resources page for suggestions and resources on different ways in which you can make your course and classroom environment more inclusive.

We have resources related to the following topics:

Getting started with inclusive teaching
Creating an inclusive syllabus
Building community within classrooms
Inclusive course assessments
Indigenizing our curriculum
Enhancing course accessibility
Creating spaces for marginalized groups in STEM
Supporting students in crisis

Support for inclusive teaching at UBC Science

The Skylight team can provide consultation and tailored support on curriculum, course design, course content, assessments, pedagogy, and learning technologies in order to better engage students, support student well-being, and encourage academic success.

For further information on resources or consultation with specific questions related to inclusive teaching within UBC Science, please reach out to your departmental Science Education Specialist or to Ashley Welsh, Faculty Liaison (ashley.welsh@ubc.ca).

Funding opportunities

UBC offers many funding opportunities for inclusive teaching and learning projects.

Inclusive Teaching in the Sciences

Overview

Inclusive teaching resources

Support for inclusive teaching at UBC Science

Funding opportunities

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

Skylight: Science Centre for Learning and Teaching

Faculty of Science