Category: and Diversity

Relational Communication Theory in Action: Enhancing Learning and Competence – Faculty Focus

Interpersonal communication theories not only help students navigate personal and professional relationships but also strengthen teacher-student connections. Drawing on Orón (2018) and Orón Semper & Blasco (2018), we encourage instructors to use this one-day activity to shift from a “student-centered” to an “interpersonal relationship-centered” pedagogy. This approach views instructor-student relationships as essential to learning and as a space for students to apply theory with relational intent. The activity promotes self-reflexivity, theory analysis, and collaborative dialogue, resulting in improved theory comprehension, stronger rapport, and communication practices that respect classroom diversity.

Student and instructor diversity in higher education has grown significantly in recent years (Li & Koedel, 2017), with over a million international students enrolled in U.S. universities (Urban, 2016). This diversity—across culture, gender, race, ability, and socioeconomic status—shapes classroom dynamics and presents unique challenges related to language, identity, and cultural differences (Jones et al., 2021). Instructors must respond by creating inclusive learning environments that support all students (Downing & Billotte Verhoff, 2023). Diversity also presents an opportunity to apply communication theories to foster intercultural empathy and improve collaboration. Students may initially struggle to understand and respect differing perspectives, affecting group work and engagement (Gray et al., 2020), but these challenges can become learning opportunities that deepen classroom inclusivity.

Communication scholars often apply interpersonal communication theories in the classroom to strengthen student–teacher relationships (Xie & Derakhshan, 2021). This single class activity integrates uncertainty management, self-disclosure, and communication accommodation theory (CAT) for undergraduate students to (a) to understand and (b) apply these theories to facilitate an inclusive and self-reflexive classroom. Teachers are the leading actors during everyday interaction and play a significant role in shaping communication and enhancing the teaching and learning process (Almas Rizkika Nabila, 2020). This activity encourages students to actively co-create a meaningful learning experience, highlighting the reciprocal nature of classroom interaction (Anyichie & Butler, 2023; Kong, 2021).

Self-disclosure: Communication Privacy Management

Self-disclosure is “any conversation about the self that a person communicates to others” (Ampong et al., 2018). Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory helps students understand how they set and manage privacy boundaries with peers and instructors (Petronio et al., 2021).  The intersection of privacy boundaries and the learning space is complicated as students and instructors navigate privacy. Instructors deliver the lecture and explain the course content, but they also intentionally and willingly share their personal stories (Liu & Zhu, 2021). For instance, the first author, an international graduate assistant, connects class discussions to experiences from his home country, helping students relate and engage. Such instructor self-disclosure encourages student participation and fosters more meaningful classroom communication (Goldstein, 1994) (Liu & Zhu, 2021). 

However, instructors and students rarely critically examine the disclosure norms in the classroom and their role in learning and relationship building. For example, disclosure boundaries (i.e., how far instructors can go to share their experiences) (Cayanus, 2004). Additionally, while students may attend to how much information they share in the classroom, this activity challenges them to apply CPM theory to examine their disclosure practices, expectations, and privacy boundary negotiations. 

Communication Accommodation Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) explains how individuals adjust their communication such as speech, tone, pace, gestures, or body language—to interact effectively with others. Instructors can use CAT to enhance student understanding during lectures (Howard Giles, 2023). The theory outlines two key strategies: convergence, where a speaker adapts to another’s communication style (e.g., simplifying vocabulary, repeating phrases, pausing, smiling, nodding), and divergence, where a speaker maintains differences by avoiding shared cues (e.g., using complex words, changing topics, or not adjusting speaking pace) (Marko Dragojevic, 2016) (Pardo et al., 2022).

Drawing on this research, the goal of this activity is 1) to understand the theories and analyze how they facilitate the teaching process, 2) to explore the perceptions of students about these theories and their inclusion in the classroom, 3) to determine the expectations of students related to characteristics of these theories. 

The Activity

This single-class activity applies to various undergraduate courses, such as public speaking, communication among cultures, communication in interpersonal relationships, argument analysis and advocacy, and persuasion. Instructors can do this activity during introduction week as they begin navigating disclosures about themselves and student expectations. Moreover, planning this activity at the beginning will challenge students to examine their positionalities, norms, and expectations critically.

Step 1: Personal Reflection

Before implementing the activity, instructors should familiarize themselves with relevant communication theories and reflect on how their own identities shape their teaching assumptions (Nabila, 2020, Downing & Billotte Verhoff, 2023). We recommend engaging in self-reflexive questions, such as: What disclosure boundaries do I set and why? What uncertainties do I face around privacy or accommodation in teaching? What expectations exist between me and my students regarding communication and flexibility? Instructors should identify what personal information they’re willing to share, why they’re sharing it, and how it might impact classroom relationships. For example, the first author reflected on cultural and linguistic differences and adjusted his teaching by using simpler language, acknowledging English is not his first language, and setting shared guidelines to support mutual understanding and accommodation. This reflective process helps align instructional practices with inclusive, theory-informed pedagogy.

Step 2: Students’ Perceptions About Components of Theories

This activity takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes and is best suited for a full class session. Instructors should introduce the key theories with examples and explain the activity’s purpose and timing. For advanced courses, assigning theory readings beforehand can deepen analysis, making it more effective to conduct the activity later in the semester rather than at the start. During the session, students should be divided into groups of four and asked to write their expectations for the course and the instructor. To guide discussion, instructors can pose prompts such as:

What expectations do you have for your instructor when it comes to using different communication accommodation strategies?

How do you manage your own self-disclosure in the classroom? Where do you draw the line on what you choose to share?

What are your thoughts on instructors’ self-disclosure? What types of disclosures have a positive or negative impact on your learning experience?

How comfortable are you with classroom communication? What strategies could reduce uncertainty or discomfort?

How do you plan to engage with and accommodate diversity in terms of culture, race, gender identity, and sexual orientation in your classroom interactions?

Can you connect your responses to the core ideas of the communication theories we’ve discussed? How do these theories help explain disclosure and accommodation in the classroom context?

These questions will provide space for students to reflect on their experiences. Moreover, during that time, the instructor will also answer these questions from the instructor’s perspective and enlist the convergence techniques they perceive to accommodate. Instructors can give 15 to 20 minutes to answer the provided questions briefly. 

Step 3: Describing the Theories and Their Impact

Instructors will invite each group to share their responses, followed by the instructor’s own disclosure of planned strategies—such as accommodation, anticipated uncertainties, and boundaries around self-disclosure. A comparison table with two columns (students vs. instructor) can be used to visually display both perspectives. Instructors then lead a discussion with prompts like: Why do these expectations exist? What differences or overlaps emerge? How do these perspectives interact? This activity encourages students to (a) practice perspective-taking shaped by diverse identities, (b) apply key concepts like co-creating privacy boundaries (CPM), and (c) see how theory fosters a supportive learning environment. Since student familiarity with these theories may vary, instructors should first assess their basic understanding.

Debriefing

At the end of the activity on the same day. Instructors can initiate the debriefing by including the Q&A sessions such as: 

How did this activity impact, how you view self-disclosure and accommodation?

What do you understand about embedding these theories in the classroom?

How can this activity help to build a good student-teacher relationship and create an inclusive environment in the classroom?

Appraisal

In the second week, I (the first author) compiled all responses into a table and presented it to the class. I briefly discussed both student and instructor perspectives, then posted reflection prompts on Blackboard for feedback. Students responded positively, noting that the activity was enjoyable and helped them get to know one another. Many emphasized the importance of communication accommodation, agreeing that in a diverse classroom, convergence strategies are essential for fostering inclusion and mutual respect. One student highlighted that accommodation is key to ensuring understanding and promoting respectful interaction (see Table 1).

Table 1: Responses of Students and Instructor

	Communication Accommodation	Self-disclosure	Uncertainty
Students	-Speaking slower during a speech even when anxious -Staying away from slang words to avoid language barriers -Clear annunciation -Respectful of each other’s speaking language -Appropriate tone/voice -In class participation -Speaking clearly and loudly**** -Visual cue images if doing a speech. -Articulation -Be patient -Stay engaged -Ask him to repeat	-Disclose how comfortable you are speaking in front of a group, so the professor understands your anxiety or emotion towards speech presentation -Disclosing where you are from, what languages you, speak, and how much you understand a topic will be very important to critiquing your peers on their speeches -Safe space -No personal information** -No social media -Should disclose important and relevant events that could affect quality -Establish boundaries	-Topics that peers choose to speak about throughout the semester may be understood less or more by others -How to write a speech -How we will be graded -How heavy the workload will be -Fear of asking questions -Ask for help when needed -Talking in front of people preparation -Speech topics (Range of issues) -Comfort -What is expected of us from the professor -Memorizing speeches -Deadlines -Clear instructions for assignments -Reminders of important dates -Remember to submit assignments -Nervous
Instructor	-Speak slowly -Use clear words -Allow students to ask questions -Repeat my words without asking -Take a break during lecture and ask students if they have any concern or not -Making good eye contact -Listen everyone carefully -Give everyone chance to speak	-If you are comfortable to share your personal information you can, we can make a rule that whatever you share in this class will stay in this class	-How do you feel when I show attendance sheet on BB -How do you feel about forgetting your name -What do you think when it takes time to respond to your email -How you think when you meet me outside of class at court street on weekends

One limitation of this activity is the time required to develop and implement it during the first week of the semester, making early planning essential. Second, the activity is best suited for small classes; in larger classrooms, it may be difficult to follow all steps without modification. Lastly, delayed feedback or response-sharing may reduce the activity’s impact, as students may forget key details over time.

Athar Memon, MBBS, MSPH, is a graduate student in the PhD program in the Scripps School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Athar Memon research interest is related to health communication specifically health care access, behaviors to access healthcare services among marginalized population, barriers related to patient-provider interpersonal communication, health literacy and its relationship with health outcomes and healthy behaviors. His work has been published in various journals including Professional Medical Journal, Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Journal of Public Health, PEC Innovation, and Eastern Mediterranean Journal.

China C. Billotte Verhoff, PhD, (Purdue University) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Dr. Billotte Verhoff’s research agenda lies at the intersections of interpersonal and organizational communication. Specifically, she explores how individuals with marginalized and stigmatized identities navigate self-disclosure and social support processes to identify the associated relational, career, and health outcomes. Dr. Billotte Verhoff’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Communication Monographs, the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Communication Studies, Sex Roles, Women and Language, and Health Communication.

References

Almas Rizkika Nabila, A. M., Syafi’ul Anam. 2020. “TEACHER’S MOTIVES IN APPLYING COMMUNICATION ACCOMMODATION STRATEGIES IN SECONDARY ELT CLASS. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal, 3(2), 373-384.”

Ampong, G. O. A., Mensah, A., Adu, A. S. Y, Addae, J. A., Omoregie, O. K., & Ofori, K. S. 2018. “Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective. Behav Sci (Basel), 8(6).”

Anyichie, A. C., & Butler, D. L.. 2023. Examining culturally diverse learners’ motivation and engagement processes as situated in the context of a complex task. Frontiers in Education,

Cayanus, J. L.. 2004. “Effective Instructional Practice: Using Teacher Self-Disclosure as an Instructional Tool. Communication Teacher, 18(1), 6-9.”

Downing, S. S., & Billotte Verhoff, C. C. 2023. “Incorporating mini lessons on the hidden curriculum in communication classrooms. Communication Teacher, 37(3), 246-253.”

Ewa Urban, L. B. P.. 2016. “International Students’ Perceptions of the Value of U.S. Higher Education Journal of International Students, 6(1), 153-174.”

Gray, D. L., McElveen, T. L., Green, B. P., & Bryant, L. H.. 2020. Engaging Black and Latinx students through communal learning opportunities: A relevance intervention for middle schoolers in STEM elective classrooms. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101833.

Howard Giles, A. L. E., Joseph B. Walther. 2023. Communication accommodation theory: Past accomplishments, current trends, and future prospects.

Jones, B. D., Krost, K., & Jones, M. W.. 2021. Relationships between students’ course perceptions, effort, and achievement in an online course. Computers and Education Open, 2, 100051.

Kong, Y. 2021. The Role of Experiential Learning on Students’ Motivation and Classroom Engagement. Front Psychol, 12, 771272.

Li, D., & Koedel, C. 2017. “Representation and salary gaps by race-ethnicity and gender at selective public universities. Educational researcher, 46(7), 343-354.”

Liu, X., & Zhu, L. 2021. The Role of EFL Teachers’ Self-Disclosure as Predictors of Student’s Willingness to Communicate and Their Engagement. Front Psychol, 12, 748744.

Marko Dragojevic, J. G., Howard Giles. 2016. Accommodative Strategies as Core of the Theory. Communication Accommodation Theory: Negotiating Personal Relationships and Social Identities across Contexts, 36-59.

Pardo, J. S., Pellegrino, E., Dellwo, V., & Möbius, B. 2022. Special issue: Vocal accommodation in speech communication. Journal of Phonetics, 95, 101196.

Petronio, S., Child, J. T., & Hall, R. D. 2021. Communication privacy management theory: Significance for interpersonal communication. In Engaging theories in interpersonal communication (pp. 314-327). Routledge.

Xie, F., & Derakhshan, A. 2021. A Conceptual Review of Positive Teacher Interpersonal Communication Behaviors in the Instructional Context. Front Psychol, 12, 708490.

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October 31, 2025

There Are No “Shy Students”, Only Poor Learning Environments – Faculty Focus
As we learn more about how to improve classrooms in higher education, the concept of the “shy student” is a recurring one that serves as a convenient shorthand for describing students who don’t speak up. As a result, some faculty members may be frustrated with students who are less vocal in group activities and conclude that it’s part of a student’s personality.

But what if the problem is not with the student but the classroom itself? Insights in educational sciences suggest that engagement in the classroom isn’t just about a student’s innate disposition. In fact, it’s more likely to be a result of poor instructional practices or a failure to understand differences in context or culture. We can create more equitable spaces that value a broader range of student voices by rethinking how we define engagement and redesigning our learning environments.

The Research on Participation and Personality

Popular writing on the topic of education styles sometimes reinforces the idea of a “shy student”. It’s common when referring to students who are more forthcoming with answers or discussion that we use the words “extroverted” or “introverted”. However, although these traits can sometimes be visible in the actions of students, research suggests that this isn’t in fact an obstacle for all students to participate in meaningful and mutually beneficial interactions. Traditional classroom settings have often rewarded more rapid and spontaneous verbal responses, but this can unintentionally privilege extroverted communication styles.

Susan Cain’s well-known work on introversion explains how, although some students seem reserved, their presence in the classroom can complement more outgoing students. This is particularly true when conversations between the two veer between the lighthearted and the serious. “Extroverts need to know that introverts…may be only too happy to be tugged along to a more lighthearted place,” Cain writes about the variety in classroom conversations, adding that quieter students “should know that they make it safe for others to get serious.”

Analyses in educational psychology suggest that classroom participation is less about innate personality and more about whether students feel psychologically safe and intellectually respected to speak out.

Research by scholars such as Mary-Ann Winkelmes on transparency in learning and teaching (known as the TILT framework) boosts students’ motivation by showing them the purpose behind their work. Students that understand the reason and method of a given task and connect it to their learning are more inclined to invest in it fully and participate more actively.

Similarly, the concept of “academic behavioral confidence” (or ABC), explored by researchers like Paul Sander suggests that confidence in higher education is malleable and responsive to classroom environments. Rather than assuming students are shy, we must ask whether we’ve fostered a learning environment in which students feel secure in sharing their thoughts.

The Role of the Classroom Environment

The design of a classroom plays a crucial role in shaping student participation. Lecture halls at traditional universities, with imposing tiered seating, can sometimes reinforce passivity. We all remember the time when lecturers would insist on the Socratic method and ask us questions point-blank as a means to illustrate knowledge! On the other hand, an active learning environment encourages dynamic learning spaces, smaller group discussions, and alternative forms of communication (through text or anonymous participation, for example).

The use of calling on students in the lecture room can inadvertently silence students who need more time to process. Inclusive teaching practices, such as think-pair-share, anonymous polling, or discussion boards, provide multiple modalities for students to contribute.

To this end, Cognitive Psychologist Stanislas Dehaene’s four pillars of learning—attention, active engagement, error feedback, and consolidation—can help articulate the design of a better higher education classroom. By fostering environments that capture students’ attention, be it through interactive or varied teaching methods, educators can cater to diverse learning styles.

Getting students to actively engage can be encouraged through collaborative activities or real-time responses. This ensures that all students participate and learn at their own pace. Providing immediate and constructive feedback on errors will additionally bolster students in their understanding of a topic.

Lastly, creating opportunities for consolidation, such as through spaced repetition or reflection sessions, allows all learners to reinforce and retain knowledge. This makes learning accessible and effective for everyone. Educators can scaffold this participation by providing low-risk entry points into discussion, validating diverse contributions, and offering constructive feedback that encourages further exploration.

Strategies for More Engaging Classrooms

Fostering participation among students who choose not to speak up requires careful planning and collaboration within higher education departments. As Head of Learning Innovation at Wooclap, here are several strategies that I’ve seen in action to help promote more engagement in the classroom:
1. Redefine Participation: Expand the definition of participation to include active listening, written reflections, online discussion posts, as well as creative endeavors. Make these forms of engagement visible and valued when grading a student.
1. Use Diverse Modalities: Offer students different ways to contribute. This can be done verbally, in writing, through technology, or in small groups. Digital Tools that allow for non-verbal or anonymous engagement can be leveraged to make quieter voices more audible.
1. Set Clear Expectations: Use transparent teaching methods to clarify what participation looks like and why it matters. Share examples and model respectful discourse to encourage more engaging discussions.
1. Create Psychological Safety: Cultivate an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks. This can include normalizing uncertainty, encouraging questions, and quickly intervening against microaggressions or dominance in discussions.
1. Solicit Feedback and Adapt: Regularly check in on students to see how classroom structures are working for them. Use anonymous surveys to gauge comfort levels and adjust practices accordingly.
Designing for All Voices

Higher education instructors shouldn’t be quick to judge students who are less vocal during class. In many cases, choosing not to speak up might be a rational response to a classroom design that is overbearing or limiting in its structure for more thoughtful and reflective judgment.

Designing great learning environments that adhere to the four pillars of education, as articulated by Stanislas Dehaene, can help educators support all students and not just those who are the quickest to speak. By doing so, we can shift the narrative away from having “shy students” to fixing the systems that fail to engage them. We can improve on these systems by reimagining participation, embracing diverse communication styles, and prioritizing inclusion in our pedagogy.

Arlène Botokro has a decade of experience at the crossroads of pedagogy and digital transformation, working internationally. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Wooclap’s impact in higher education since joining the company in 2020. As Senior Manager of Education Partnerships and Innovation Projects Lead, she built strategic collaborations with leading universities, ensuring Wooclap’s solutions align with research-driven best practices. Her international experience spans the U.S., France, and Ghana with projects across multiple countries, including previous roles at Sciences Po and consulting in innovation for the publishing sector. This diverse background has given her a deep understanding of how digital learning practices can be adapted across different educational and corporate environments. Arlène continues to expand her knowledge in neuroeducation through coursework at Harvard University, reinforcing her commitment to integrating cutting-edge research into EdTech solutions.

References

Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, (Penguin Books, 2012).
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October 3, 2025
Harnessing Intercultural Expertise in an International Classroom – Faculty Focus
The increasing internationalization of higher education does not automatically lead to global knowledge and skill exchange in the classroom. Hierarchical barriers in pedagogy and classroom geography impede peer-to-peer learning. This article outlines the benefits of using a community cultural wealth approach – with an example – to disrupt academic and cultural hierarchies by drawing on the multiplicity of students’ assets, skills, and knowledge bases within international cohorts. Such a method enables international students to share their diverse expertise and breakdown assumptions about where and in whom relevant knowledge and information lies.

The Challenge of Hierarchy

I have been asking myself the following questions with increasing frequency as I grapple with teaching international cohorts of learners:
- How can I move away from being considered the sole source of knowledge in the classroom?
- How can I enable my international students to benefit from each other’s knowledge and insights?
- How can I support students to co-construct their learning?
As an educator, working out how to center students in the process of learning remains an ongoing challenge, whether working with international or domestic students. For international students, their diverse expertise and experiences add significant value to the learning community. Yet, many of these students have experienced the banking model (Freire 1996) in their previous educational experience, where they were likely considered empty vessels to be filled with information by their instructors. Thus, when confronted with the liberal expectations of a Western education, where students are expected to engage with new people and evaluate and apply new knowledge, many feel underequipped to succeed, as they wrongly assume they have nothing to contribute. This fear of lack may further drive international students to remain in cultural enclaves within the classroom, to mask their concerns. In the grips of this fear, the benefits of an international education are not immediately granted by proximity in the classroom space.

A community cultural wealth model may help to overcome these challenges. This model, developed by Yosso (2005), foregrounds other than academic assets that students possess, including linguistic, familial, navigational, cultural, resistant, and community “capitals”.

This model disrupts the banking model of education as students are affirmed as arriving replete with assets and releases students from their fears by affirming a diverse array of expertise and in whom this expertise may reside. As social theory arises from daily life (hooks, 1994), in response to the circumstances of one’s existence and its connection to history, politics, and power, the community cultural wealth model enables students to connect their life experiences with their learning. Not only does this model transform student-to-student learning, but it also transforms instructor-to-student learning, upending the classroom hierarchy around who in the room holds relevant and useful information (Schoen 1991), and reducing reliance on the instructor as the arbitral of knowledge.

Asset Recognition and Intercultural Exchange

In both the USA and the UK, I have taught Master level courses in public health ethics. In these courses, I help the students to consider ethics applying theory and using evaluation tools to assess degrees of harm or benefit a given policy might cause. Regardless of country, Master’s cohorts consist of students from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, in varying proportions. Most of these students have trained as clinicians or hold degrees in the hard sciences.

One semester, Indian students were in the majority. I shared a case that helped students to consider the impacts of Indian government policy, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which provides financial incentives for poorer, rural Indian women to give birth in a hospital. The case, developed by D. K. Bhati (2016, section 4.12, case 4), highlights the clash between traditional birth practices and hospital birth incentivization and the various challenges it poses, amid the benefits. Underpinning information in the case included cultural nuances around marriage migration to the husband’s region, traditional practices of returning to the wife’s homestead to deliver, maternal consent, maternal control over financial resources, as well as logistical issues around lack of continuous emergency care for obstetrics and the exclusion of private health care provision from the program.

My intention was to explore the risks and benefits of incentivization through a case that would foreground the strengths of Indian cultural expertise. I gave each student a number from one to five to allocate them away from their comfort situations into ones in which each group formed a diverse assemblage of backgrounds. There, they were to discuss the case, by working through a set of questions. These included questions Bhati (2016) provided in the case:
- Who are the various stakeholders involved and what are their values and perspectives?
- What are the pros and cons of using cash incentives for a public health program?
- Given her status as poor, young, married, and pregnant, how could the young wife’s autonomy have been upheld?
- Should there be different notions of autonomy depending on context – individualist (Euro-American) sensibilities or interdependent (non-individualist, non-Euro-American) sensibilities?
To these, I added the following questions:
- Given her lack of status societally, how might the cash incentive remain in the mother’s care?
- The JSY policy recommends that fathers or mothers be sterilized to prevent future pregnancies; should this be incentivized with cash? Is this a just incentivization? Explain.
As anticipated, some Indian students were able to provide context for the case and speak from a place of knowing, about rural birthing practices, marriage migration, lack of health literacy, and power imbalances between husbands and wives and their respective families. Unexpected outcomes, which arose in the dialogues, were supplemental knowledge from across the cohort. These included familiarity with other governments’ policies on maternal health, similar situations involving poor rural women in other geographical locations, related experiences from those practicing obstetrics, and insights from the academic theory. Further unexpected outcomes arose through students’ recognition of their educational and social differences between those represented in the case, and themselves, revealing gaps that the ‘cultural experts’ could not fully broker. Interestingly, the recognition of this gap increased senses of connection across the cohort, as the students realized that amid their differences of language, culture, and nation, they shared class, wealth, and education-based assets.

I highlight this example as a watershed moment. Following these intercultural conversations, students’ confidence increased over their capacity to understand, to integrate different voices, and to use and critique evidence, exemplified in their individual coursework. Throughout the semester, students more readily reorganized themselves into small groups, without my explicit directing, suggesting that once nudged across boundaries, the benefits of learning to and from one another outweighed emotional resistance. Informally, students expressed their appreciation of learning together and further related that this approach would support them as public health practitioners, where they would need to connect to, communicate with, and learn from people different from themselves. The community cultural wealth approach further enabled me as instructor to overcome my internalized hierarchies of knowledge creation by allowing learning to unfold in accordance with the various skills in the room, and to arrive at unanticipated and novel outcomes.

By breaking down academic and cultural hierarchies in the international classroom, both the students and instructors can acknowledge and advance diverse understandings and harness the richness of an international cultural, professional, and educational encounter.

Julie Botticello holds a PhD in Anthropology and has taught in the UK and the USA for the past 20 years, predominately to diverse and international cohorts of students, on subjects relevant to the social sciences and to public health. Julie holds a teaching fellowship at the University of New Haven on inclusive pedagogy, teaches a group of incarcerated women at a Federal Prison, and serves as the program director for the undergraduate Health Sciences BS degree.

References

Bhati, D. K. 2016. Case 4: Decoding Public Health Ethics and Inequity in India: A Conditional Cash Incentive Scheme—Janani Suraksha Yojana, in H. Barrett, D. W. Ortmann L, Dawson A, et al., editors. Public Health Ethics: Cases Spanning the Globe. PubMed. Cham (CH): Springer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435775/#ch4.Sec21

Freire, P. 1996 [1970]. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Hammondsworth: Penguin.

Hooks, Bell. 1994. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge.

‌Schön, D. 1991 [1983]. The Reflective Practitioner, How Professionals Think in Action, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.

Yosso, Tara J. 2005. “Whose Culture Has Capital? A Critical Race Theory Discussion of Community Cultural Wealth.” Race Ethnicity and Education 8 (1): 69–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006.
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July 25, 2025
Harnessing Intercultural Expertise in an International Classroom – Faculty Focus
The increasing internationalization of higher education does not automatically lead to global knowledge and skill exchange in the classroom. Hierarchical barriers in pedagogy and classroom geography impede peer-to-peer learning. This article outlines the benefits of using a community cultural wealth approach – with an example – to disrupt academic and cultural hierarchies by drawing on the multiplicity of students’ assets, skills, and knowledge bases within international cohorts. Such a method enables international students to share their diverse expertise and breakdown assumptions about where and in whom relevant knowledge and information lies.

The Challenge of Hierarchy

I have been asking myself the following questions with increasing frequency as I grapple with teaching international cohorts of learners:
- How can I move away from being considered the sole source of knowledge in the classroom?
- How can I enable my international students to benefit from each other’s knowledge and insights?
- How can I support students to co-construct their learning?
As an educator, working out how to center students in the process of learning remains an ongoing challenge, whether working with international or domestic students. For international students, their diverse expertise and experiences add significant value to the learning community. Yet, many of these students have experienced the banking model (Freire 1996) in their previous educational experience, where they were likely considered empty vessels to be filled with information by their instructors. Thus, when confronted with the liberal expectations of a Western education, where students are expected to engage with new people and evaluate and apply new knowledge, many feel underequipped to succeed, as they wrongly assume they have nothing to contribute. This fear of lack may further drive international students to remain in cultural enclaves within the classroom, to mask their concerns. In the grips of this fear, the benefits of an international education are not immediately granted by proximity in the classroom space.

A community cultural wealth model may help to overcome these challenges. This model, developed by Yosso (2005), foregrounds other than academic assets that students possess, including linguistic, familial, navigational, cultural, resistant, and community “capitals”.

This model disrupts the banking model of education as students are affirmed as arriving replete with assets and releases students from their fears by affirming a diverse array of expertise and in whom this expertise may reside. As social theory arises from daily life (hooks, 1994), in response to the circumstances of one’s existence and its connection to history, politics, and power, the community cultural wealth model enables students to connect their life experiences with their learning. Not only does this model transform student-to-student learning, but it also transforms instructor-to-student learning, upending the classroom hierarchy around who in the room holds relevant and useful information (Schoen 1991), and reducing reliance on the instructor as the arbitral of knowledge.

Asset Recognition and Intercultural Exchange

In both the USA and the UK, I have taught Master level courses in public health ethics. In these courses, I help the students to consider ethics applying theory and using evaluation tools to assess degrees of harm or benefit a given policy might cause. Regardless of country, Master’s cohorts consist of students from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, in varying proportions. Most of these students have trained as clinicians or hold degrees in the hard sciences.

One semester, Indian students were in the majority. I shared a case that helped students to consider the impacts of Indian government policy, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which provides financial incentives for poorer, rural Indian women to give birth in a hospital. The case, developed by D. K. Bhati (2016, section 4.12, case 4), highlights the clash between traditional birth practices and hospital birth incentivization and the various challenges it poses, amid the benefits. Underpinning information in the case included cultural nuances around marriage migration to the husband’s region, traditional practices of returning to the wife’s homestead to deliver, maternal consent, maternal control over financial resources, as well as logistical issues around lack of continuous emergency care for obstetrics and the exclusion of private health care provision from the program.

My intention was to explore the risks and benefits of incentivization through a case that would foreground the strengths of Indian cultural expertise. I gave each student a number from one to five to allocate them away from their comfort situations into ones in which each group formed a diverse assemblage of backgrounds. There, they were to discuss the case, by working through a set of questions. These included questions Bhati (2016) provided in the case:
- Who are the various stakeholders involved and what are their values and perspectives?
- What are the pros and cons of using cash incentives for a public health program?
- Given her status as poor, young, married, and pregnant, how could the young wife’s autonomy have been upheld?
- Should there be different notions of autonomy depending on context – individualist (Euro-American) sensibilities or interdependent (non-individualist, non-Euro-American) sensibilities?
To these, I added the following questions:
- Given her lack of status societally, how might the cash incentive remain in the mother’s care?
- The JSY policy recommends that fathers or mothers be sterilized to prevent future pregnancies; should this be incentivized with cash? Is this a just incentivization? Explain.
As anticipated, some Indian students were able to provide context for the case and speak from a place of knowing, about rural birthing practices, marriage migration, lack of health literacy, and power imbalances between husbands and wives and their respective families. Unexpected outcomes, which arose in the dialogues, were supplemental knowledge from across the cohort. These included familiarity with other governments’ policies on maternal health, similar situations involving poor rural women in other geographical locations, related experiences from those practicing obstetrics, and insights from the academic theory. Further unexpected outcomes arose through students’ recognition of their educational and social differences between those represented in the case, and themselves, revealing gaps that the ‘cultural experts’ could not fully broker. Interestingly, the recognition of this gap increased senses of connection across the cohort, as the students realized that amid their differences of language, culture, and nation, they shared class, wealth, and education-based assets.

I highlight this example as a watershed moment. Following these intercultural conversations, students’ confidence increased over their capacity to understand, to integrate different voices, and to use and critique evidence, exemplified in their individual coursework. Throughout the semester, students more readily reorganized themselves into small groups, without my explicit directing, suggesting that once nudged across boundaries, the benefits of learning to and from one another outweighed emotional resistance. Informally, students expressed their appreciation of learning together and further related that this approach would support them as public health practitioners, where they would need to connect to, communicate with, and learn from people different from themselves. The community cultural wealth approach further enabled me as instructor to overcome my internalized hierarchies of knowledge creation by allowing learning to unfold in accordance with the various skills in the room, and to arrive at unanticipated and novel outcomes.

By breaking down academic and cultural hierarchies in the international classroom, both the students and instructors can acknowledge and advance diverse understandings and harness the richness of an international cultural, professional, and educational encounter.

Julie Botticello holds a PhD in Anthropology and has taught in the UK and the USA for the past 20 years, predominately to diverse and international cohorts of students, on subjects relevant to the social sciences and to public health. Julie holds a teaching fellowship at the University of New Haven on inclusive pedagogy, teaches a group of incarcerated women at a Federal Prison, and serves as the program director for the undergraduate Health Sciences BS degree.

References

Bhati, D. K. 2016. Case 4: Decoding Public Health Ethics and Inequity in India: A Conditional Cash Incentive Scheme—Janani Suraksha Yojana, in H. Barrett, D. W. Ortmann L, Dawson A, et al., editors. Public Health Ethics: Cases Spanning the Globe. PubMed. Cham (CH): Springer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435775/#ch4.Sec21

Freire, P. 1996 [1970]. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Hammondsworth: Penguin.

Hooks, Bell. 1994. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge.

‌Schön, D. 1991 [1983]. The Reflective Practitioner, How Professionals Think in Action, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.

Yosso, Tara J. 2005. “Whose Culture Has Capital? A Critical Race Theory Discussion of Community Cultural Wealth.” Race Ethnicity and Education 8 (1): 69–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006.
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July 25, 2025
When ZIP Codes Teach: How Geographic Inequity Shows Up in Our Classrooms – Faculty Focus

What if I told you the education system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly the way it was built to? That’s not just a soundbite from my TEDx Talk—it’s my lived experience.

I grew up in a historically underserved neighborhood in Houston, Texas, zoned to one of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the city. But due to a granted academic transfer, I ended up attending a top-performing public school just three miles away. Same city. Different ZIP code. Completely different resources—and trajectory.

That three-mile difference changed everything. And today, as a doctoral student and aspiring professor, I can see how those early disparities still show up in our college classrooms.

Here’s the thing: public school funding in the U.S. depends heavily on local property taxes. That means wealthier neighborhoods get better schools—often with state-of-the-art facilities, robust extracurriculars, and college prep courses—while nearby communities may struggle with crumbling infrastructure and underpaid staff (Owens-Young 2023).

Part of my dissertation, I compared two elementary schools less than three miles apart. One had a PTA raising over $100,000 annually. The other didn’t have working air conditioning. These weren’t just different schools—they were different worlds. And students from those environments bring that context with them when they walk into our lecture halls.

But what we see in higher education—missed assignments, low engagement, quiet classrooms—isn’t always a motivation issue. Often, it’s a preparedness gap. And that gap isn’t the student’s fault.

As faculty, we can’t change where our students come from. But we can shape what they experience once they’re here. Below are four strategies I use in the classroom to help level the playing field:

1. Start by Asking, Not Assuming

Instead of assuming a lack of interest, ask about their background. I use a quick, anonymous prompt on the first day of class: “What’s one thing you overcame to get here today?” One student wrote about taking two buses from the other side of town after getting their younger siblings off to school. That kind of insight changes how we teach.

2. Rethink Participation

Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in class. Consider using written reflections, discussion boards, or tools like Jamboard and Padlet. For instance, in one of my leadership classes, I use a shared Google Doc where students add thoughts anonymously. The quieter students thrive—and the louder ones gain new perspectives.

3. Normalize Struggle

Students from under-resourced schools often view academic struggle as failure. That’s why I share my own story of nearly failing out during undergrad. I also let students revise one major assignment. One student improved from a 72 to a 90—and more importantly, realized they were capable all along.

4. Offer Flexible Assessment Options

Some students express themselves better visually or verbally. I once had a student create a narrated photo essay instead of a traditional paper—it was powerful, reflective, and demonstrated full mastery. When students see that their strengths are valued, their confidence grows.

None of these ideas require overhauling your entire course. But they do require intentionality. And that’s what makes the difference.

I’ve been the under-resourced student, and now I’m becoming the professor I wish I had—someone who saw potential beyond performance.

We don’t control our students’ ZIP codes. But we do influence how they feel in our classrooms—and whether they believe they belong there.

Lloyd Lindley Jr. is a PhD student in Educational Leadership and Organization at Texas Woman’s University, a TEDx speaker, and author of “From the Hood to Understood”. He is the co-founder of a grassroots nonprofit that advocates for equitable access to education, mentorship, and financial literacy in underserved communities. Lloyd has been featured on Good Morning Houston and KTSU Radio for his impactful community work and continues to champion culturally responsive teaching and student empowerment at all levels of education.

References

Owens-Young, Jessica. 2023. “The ZIP Code Effect.” American University.

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July 11, 2025
When ZIP Codes Teach: How Geographic Inequity Shows Up in Our Classrooms – Faculty Focus

What if I told you the education system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly the way it was built to? That’s not just a soundbite from my TEDx Talk—it’s my lived experience.

I grew up in a historically underserved neighborhood in Houston, Texas, zoned to one of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the city. But due to a granted academic transfer, I ended up attending a top-performing public school just three miles away. Same city. Different ZIP code. Completely different resources—and trajectory.

That three-mile difference changed everything. And today, as a doctoral student and aspiring professor, I can see how those early disparities still show up in our college classrooms.

Here’s the thing: public school funding in the U.S. depends heavily on local property taxes. That means wealthier neighborhoods get better schools—often with state-of-the-art facilities, robust extracurriculars, and college prep courses—while nearby communities may struggle with crumbling infrastructure and underpaid staff (Owens-Young 2023).

Part of my dissertation, I compared two elementary schools less than three miles apart. One had a PTA raising over $100,000 annually. The other didn’t have working air conditioning. These weren’t just different schools—they were different worlds. And students from those environments bring that context with them when they walk into our lecture halls.

But what we see in higher education—missed assignments, low engagement, quiet classrooms—isn’t always a motivation issue. Often, it’s a preparedness gap. And that gap isn’t the student’s fault.

As faculty, we can’t change where our students come from. But we can shape what they experience once they’re here. Below are four strategies I use in the classroom to help level the playing field:

1. Start by Asking, Not Assuming

Instead of assuming a lack of interest, ask about their background. I use a quick, anonymous prompt on the first day of class: “What’s one thing you overcame to get here today?” One student wrote about taking two buses from the other side of town after getting their younger siblings off to school. That kind of insight changes how we teach.

2. Rethink Participation

Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in class. Consider using written reflections, discussion boards, or tools like Jamboard and Padlet. For instance, in one of my leadership classes, I use a shared Google Doc where students add thoughts anonymously. The quieter students thrive—and the louder ones gain new perspectives.

3. Normalize Struggle

Students from under-resourced schools often view academic struggle as failure. That’s why I share my own story of nearly failing out during undergrad. I also let students revise one major assignment. One student improved from a 72 to a 90—and more importantly, realized they were capable all along.

4. Offer Flexible Assessment Options

Some students express themselves better visually or verbally. I once had a student create a narrated photo essay instead of a traditional paper—it was powerful, reflective, and demonstrated full mastery. When students see that their strengths are valued, their confidence grows.

None of these ideas require overhauling your entire course. But they do require intentionality. And that’s what makes the difference.

I’ve been the under-resourced student, and now I’m becoming the professor I wish I had—someone who saw potential beyond performance.

We don’t control our students’ ZIP codes. But we do influence how they feel in our classrooms—and whether they believe they belong there.

Lloyd Lindley Jr. is a PhD student in Educational Leadership and Organization at Texas Woman’s University, a TEDx speaker, and author of “From the Hood to Understood”. He is the co-founder of a grassroots nonprofit that advocates for equitable access to education, mentorship, and financial literacy in underserved communities. Lloyd has been featured on Good Morning Houston and KTSU Radio for his impactful community work and continues to champion culturally responsive teaching and student empowerment at all levels of education.

References

Owens-Young, Jessica. 2023. “The ZIP Code Effect.” American University.

Source link

July 11, 2025
Making a Meaningful Environment for Belonging – Faculty Focus

Belonging and mattering are crucial for creating educational environments where learners feel connected to their department and classmates (Hale et al., 2019). Student success has become a major outcome measure for many academic units(Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, 2005 and Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 2025). Researchers have found that learners’ sense of belonging enhances psychological flexibility, learner satisfaction, motivation, and professional identity, thereby increasing student success (Carter et al., 2023 and Tejero-Vidal et al., 2025). Measuring a learner’s perception of belonging can be challenging for educators. To support this effort, a social-ecological model has been developed to conceptualize the different layers that contribute to a learner’s sense of belonging(Johnson, 2022). The Departmental Sense of Belonging (DeSBI) tool specifically measures this sense within the context of department and peer relationships(Knekta et al., 2020).

I explored how an increased involvement in the belonging social-ecological model was associated with learners’ sense of belonging within their department. The goal was to help departments refine their model to enhance learners’ connection to faculty and peers, thereby increasing learners’ success. The hypothesis was that higher interactions in the social-ecological model would correlate with a higher sense of belonging. Sixty-eight learners from three allied health programs completed the survey, which found the results a statistically significant association between the learner’s involvement in the belonging social ecological model and a learner’s sense of belonging to a department.

Practical Application of the Belonging Social-Ecological Model

The study underscores the pivotal role of departmental culture and environment in shaping a learner’s sense of belonging. This is an essential consideration for departments when evaluating the factors provided to learners at each level of the belonging social ecological model.

Intrapersonal Level

Activities within the interpersonal level are journaling, professional development, and mental health practices. It is crucial for faculty to consider encouraging learners to journal at the end of a class session or to include journaling as a graded activity within their course. Supporting learners in building these habits helps foster psychological flexibility and self-awareness. This approach can also provide an opportunity strengthen the therapeutic alliance between individual faculty.

Interpersonal Level

Activities within this level include meals with classmates and faculty, physical activities, and social gatherings. Faculty should strongly consider whether their academic space provides the area for learners to study and have meals together. If your department lacks such space, advocating for one in or near your department should be a priority. If your academic unit has the gathering space, it will be important for faculty to evaluate if it will attract learners to use it effectively, or if learners will avoid the areas because of its set-up and location. Ensuring a dedicated space is not only available but actively used is a critical step for faculty when evaluating their effectiveness in fostering a sense of belonging within the department.

Additionally, faculty should encourage learners to spearhead the organization of social events outside the department so to strengthen connections between one another. With mentorship and engagement from faculty, learners will be empowered to create inclusive events that help all feel welcome.

Institutional Level

The institutional level considers what activities are offered by the university to the learners. Every university, regardless of its size, hosts various events each week for its learners. It is crucial for faculty to consider how their learners are engaging with university announcements about these events. Faculty should consider how the department reinforces these activities on its own announcement board. Should faculty hang signs near the department, or employ other creative strategies to ensure learners are fully informed about campus activities?

Community and Societal Level

The social ecological model is the community and society encompasses activities that extend beyond campus and occur within the community and at the society level. Each university is an integral part of the community in which it is located. Therefore, it is important for faculty to consider how learners are kept informed about the events occurring within the community they live. Ensuring the department highlights events, beyond the favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or activity spot, is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging. Considering each community offers unique experiences, making sure learners are aware of these activities is important. By combining the dissemination of institution activities with community events, faculty can address two domains with one strategic plan.

Physical and Virtual Space

Physical and virtual spaces are in the outer most layer in this social-ecological model and include the structure of class breaks, classroom setup, and online activities. Faculty should consider how physical and virtual learning environments impact social connections. For example, it is important for faculty to thoughtfully consider how breaks are structured – not just when they are given. Encouraging learners to leave the room for a short walk outside with peers, play a quick game of four-square, or throw a frisbee is beneficial, as it promotes learners to be active shift their mindset, and foster conversations beyond classroom content.

A final consideration involves the layout of the classroom. Is the classroom arranged traditionally with everyone facing forward, or can it be reorganized into pods or small groups, which will facilitate discussion during group projects? If the goal is to engage the entire room, can the seating be arranged into a large circle to allow learners to see each other’s body language while speaking? These small yet significant environmental factors can impact the learning environment and the sense of belonging for each learner in the room.

Conclusion

Increased engagement across all layers of the belonging social-ecological model significantly enhances the learners’ sense of connection and inclusion. This sense of belonging is not a peripheral benefit – it is foundational to learner motivation, participation, and overall success. Faculty play a key role in implementing thoughtful strategies that promote belonging at every level of the belonging social ecological model. In doing so, they help create a dynamic and inclusive learning community where every learner can thrive – leading to greater success and personal fulfillment in their learners’ academic journey.

Dustin Cox, PT, DPT, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Augusta University and a licensed physical therapist with advanced certifications in therapeutic treatment for Parkinson’s and lymphedema. He received his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2011 and his Ph.D. in Health Sciences in 2023 from Northern Illinois University. Since 2016, Dustin has been dedicated to helping learners achieve their goals in becoming effective healthcare practitioners. Currently, Dustin teaches in a DPT program and clinically works with clients that are in the pediatric stage of life and clients with bleeding disorders.

References

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. (2025, March 15). 2018 and 2023 ACOTE Standards. Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Eudcation. https://acoteonline.org/accreditation-explained/standards/

Carter, B. M., Sumpter, D. F., and Thruston, W. (2023). Overcoming Marginalization by Creating a Sense of Belonging. Creative nursing, 29(4), 320–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/10784535231216464

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. (2025, March 15). Accreditation Handbook. Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy. https://www.capteonline.org/faculty-and-program-resources/resource_documents/accreditation-handbook

Hale, A. J., Ricotta, D. N., Freed, J., Smith, C. C., and Huang, G. C. (2019). Adapting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Resident Wellness. Teaching and learning in medicine, 31(1), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2018.1456928

Johnson, Royel. (2022). A socio-ecological perspective on sense of belonging among racially/ethnically minoritized college students: Implications for equity-minded practice and policy. New Directions for Higher Education, Spring 2022, pages 59 – 68. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20427

Knekta, E., Chatzikyriakidou, K., and McCartney, M. (2020). Evaluation of a Questionnaire Measuring University Students’ Sense of Belonging to and Involvement in a Biology Department. CBE life sciences education, 19(3), ar27. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-09-0166

Tejero-Vidal, L. L., Pedregosa-Fauste, S., Majó-Rossell, A., García-Díaz, F., and Martínez-Rodríguez, L. (2025). Building nursing students’ professional identity through the ‘Design process’ methodology: A qualitative study. Nurse education in practice, 83, 104256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104256

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June 9, 2025
Steps Toward Creating a More Accessible and Inclusive College Classroom – Faculty Focus
Preparing the next generation of graduates in a 21st-century, diverse, and international classroom requires a pedagogical shift to recalibrate one’s practice. A faculty vision of inclusive pedagogy informed by equity and social justice transcends bias and makes diversity functional and beneficial to all students. Creating a classroom in the service of social justice (The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, 2008) requires a profound understanding of the impact of human diversity on teaching and learning (Cushner et al., 2024). Enacting equity pedagogy as an essential component of multicultural education (Banks & Banks, 1995) requires instructors to become change agents. It is important to understand inclusive pedagogies as practices where we discern the nuance between general multicultural education or culturally responsive pedagogy and inclusive practices that specifically address the ability/disability continuum and the health dimension. In this article, we will examine ability/disability as a characteristic of human diversity in education as illustrated by Cushner et al. (2024) in their diversity framework. Approaches to creating an inclusive classroom are presented.

Start here…
- Adopt an asset-based approach for all students.
- Recognize that disability is often defined by the environment in which an individual exists.
- Ensure you are not making ableist statements that reinforce stereotypes (ex: “turn a blind eye,” “fall on deaf ears;” using phobia to mean discrimination, ie “transphobia”).
- Avoid negative descriptions of disability (ex: “suffers from a condition,” “confined/bound to a wheelchair”).
- Use person-first language rather than deficit-first language (ex: “student with a learning disability,” not “learning disabled student”), unless an individual discloses that they prefer to use identity-first language (for example: some individuals on the autism spectrum may prefer to call themselves “autistic” rather than “a person with autism”; someone may identify as part of the Deaf community). Refer to people how they refer to themselves.
- Realize that impact matters, regardless of intention.
- Assume that students are capable and possess knowledge and skills.
- Support colleagues with disabilities.
- Tell a colleague that you are committing to the work of becoming a more inclusive educator. When they ask what this means, share these suggestions!
Beginning
- Add literature/resources from neurodivergent, disabled, and diverse authors to assigned course readings and class activities.
- Replace and/or supplement outdated readings.
- Provide electronic files of reading, resources, presentations, and other materials.
- Provide multiple sources and access points for assignment requirements and expectations (written descriptions, presentations, instructional videos, examples, rubrics).
- Be open and welcome student questions.
- Understand that all behavior is a function or indicative of something else; ask if students need support rather than punish them.
- Update course syllabi to include statements from the campus disability/accommodations resource office, a statement on academic diversity, religious observant policies, and campus mental health resources.
- Create community guidelines for discussions that include intention and impact/anti-bias language.
- Immediately address ableist/biased remarks in the classroom through discussion.
- Update course syllabi to include a statement of classroom environment that encourages regard for others and respects free speech while not tolerating hate speech.
- When presenting a visual/image, also provide a description of the image (alt text).
- Provide Closed Captioning on posted videos (lectures, resources, etc.).
- Incorporate the impact of and perspectives of groups of diverse abilities in policies of the past and present.
- Encourage students (and ourselves as faculty) to analyze research and articles to ensure they represent the perspectives of marginalized groups; follow up with questioning why and providing additional resources to promote self-advocacy.
- Revise course syllabi to include Student Learning Objectives, Essential Questions, and Course Descriptions related to self-reflection/advocacy/inclusion/preparing students to be agents of change.
- Examine course syllabi to make sure policies (late work, absence, participation grades, etc.) do not indirectly or directly target students with disabilities OR demonstrate bias toward neurotypical students (for example: a “cameras on” video policy in an online course may disproportionately punish students who require accommodations or have diverse learning needs; deductions for late work may punish students who need flexibility due to medical or mental health needs; requiring students to disclose personal details in order to receive extensions or incompletes disrespects students’ privacy of health and disability needs)
- Be willing to adjust your expectations through flexibility.
- Re-examine assignments and assessments for bias and exclusionary practices.
- Consider changing assessments from high-stakes timed tests to projects, homework, open-note/open-book take-home tests.
- Ask a colleague to audit your syllabi for readings/topics/policies as listed here.
- Collaborate with colleagues in accessibility services to better understand and integrate the services and supports available.
- Discuss the need to broaden participation and opportunities for people with disabilities in your department/college.
- Examine courses to make sure provided resources are organized and labeled clearly.
Advanced, all the previous steps plus…
- Advocate for (or lead!) professional development opportunities on inclusion.
- Participate in on- and off-campus events that promote disability acceptance and inclusive practices.
- Inform students of community opportunities they can take part in promoting disability acceptance or inclusive practices.
- Model examination/reflection on your own privilege (if neurotypical and able-bodied) or experience as a person with(out) a disability.
- Consider multimodal access to course participation (for example, HyFlex courses have in-person, video and asynchronous options for all students).
- Ask a colleague to informally observe your teaching and provide constructive feedback on your work of being an inclusive teacher.
- Invite guest speakers with disabilities to speak with your students about their experiences.
- Collaborate with an ADA coordinator to educate students and colleagues about accessibility on your campus.
- Collaborate with administrators and faculty who may be working toward DEI or inclusion initiatives on your campus.
- Seek input from resources such as the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and Think College for postsecondary education program guidance for individuals with disabilities.
We believe that the responsibility of anti-oppressive work in higher education belongs to all and that making education accessible for individuals with disabilities advances freedom for all groups of people. These universally designed teaching practices, while necessary to increase access for individuals with disabilities, are beneficial for all individuals, regardless of identity status. Thank you for your work towards broadening access to higher education!

Laura N. Sarchet is an autistic self-advocate and Assistant Professor of Special Education at Niagara University who uses her experience as a neurodivergent person to raise awareness about autism and disability through research and practice.

Haoua M. Hamza is an associate professor in the Middle and Adolescence Education Department in the College of Education.

Rachel Bailey Jones, Professor of Education at Nazareth University, focuses their research and teaching on working for educational justice for LGBTQ+ students through an intersectional lens.

Jennifer E. Hartman is an Instructor-ABD in the Special Education Department at Niagara University.

Dennis P. Garland, Ph. D. is Associate Professor and Chair of the Special Education Department at Niagara University.

Maria R. Nader is passionate about providing equitable education for all students and supporting educators to achieve this goal. She serves as a Faculty Fellow in the Special Education Department at Niagara University and has held teaching and administrative roles at the local, state, and university levels in New York, Ohio, and Hawai’i.

References

Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2004). Handbook of research on multicultural education. 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass.

Coughlin, M. (2021). 10 things faculty need to understand about autism. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/10/20/lessons-teaching-students-autism-spectrum-opinion

Cushner, K., McClelland, A., Safford P., & Cushner, H. (2024). Human diversity in education. McGraw Hill.

The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. (2008). Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. New York State Education Department.

Sarchet, L. N. (2021). Faculty and staff: Training and outreach. University of Rochester Office of Disability Resources, adapted with permissions. https://www.rochester.edu/college/disability/assets/pdf/more-accessible-classroom.pdf

Waitoller, F. R., & King Thorius, K. A. (2016). Cross-pollinating culturally sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning: Toward an inclusive pedagogy that accounts for dis/ability. Harvard Educational Review, 86(3), 366–389. https://doi.org/10.17763/1943-5045-86.3.366
Source link
May 19, 2025
Steps Toward Creating a More Accessible and Inclusive College Classroom – Faculty Focus
Preparing the next generation of graduates in a 21st-century, diverse, and international classroom requires a pedagogical shift to recalibrate one’s practice. A faculty vision of inclusive pedagogy informed by equity and social justice transcends bias and makes diversity functional and beneficial to all students. Creating a classroom in the service of social justice (The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, 2008) requires a profound understanding of the impact of human diversity on teaching and learning (Cushner et al., 2024). Enacting equity pedagogy as an essential component of multicultural education (Banks & Banks, 1995) requires instructors to become change agents. It is important to understand inclusive pedagogies as practices where we discern the nuance between general multicultural education or culturally responsive pedagogy and inclusive practices that specifically address the ability/disability continuum and the health dimension. In this article, we will examine ability/disability as a characteristic of human diversity in education as illustrated by Cushner et al. (2024) in their diversity framework. Approaches to creating an inclusive classroom are presented.

Start here…
- Adopt an asset-based approach for all students.
- Recognize that disability is often defined by the environment in which an individual exists.
- Ensure you are not making ableist statements that reinforce stereotypes (ex: “turn a blind eye,” “fall on deaf ears;” using phobia to mean discrimination, ie “transphobia”).
- Avoid negative descriptions of disability (ex: “suffers from a condition,” “confined/bound to a wheelchair”).
- Use person-first language rather than deficit-first language (ex: “student with a learning disability,” not “learning disabled student”), unless an individual discloses that they prefer to use identity-first language (for example: some individuals on the autism spectrum may prefer to call themselves “autistic” rather than “a person with autism”; someone may identify as part of the Deaf community). Refer to people how they refer to themselves.
- Realize that impact matters, regardless of intention.
- Assume that students are capable and possess knowledge and skills.
- Support colleagues with disabilities.
- Tell a colleague that you are committing to the work of becoming a more inclusive educator. When they ask what this means, share these suggestions!
Beginning
- Add literature/resources from neurodivergent, disabled, and diverse authors to assigned course readings and class activities.
- Replace and/or supplement outdated readings.
- Provide electronic files of reading, resources, presentations, and other materials.
- Provide multiple sources and access points for assignment requirements and expectations (written descriptions, presentations, instructional videos, examples, rubrics).
- Be open and welcome student questions.
- Understand that all behavior is a function or indicative of something else; ask if students need support rather than punish them.
- Update course syllabi to include statements from the campus disability/accommodations resource office, a statement on academic diversity, religious observant policies, and campus mental health resources.
- Create community guidelines for discussions that include intention and impact/anti-bias language.
- Immediately address ableist/biased remarks in the classroom through discussion.
- Update course syllabi to include a statement of classroom environment that encourages regard for others and respects free speech while not tolerating hate speech.
- When presenting a visual/image, also provide a description of the image (alt text).
- Provide Closed Captioning on posted videos (lectures, resources, etc.).
- Incorporate the impact of and perspectives of groups of diverse abilities in policies of the past and present.
- Encourage students (and ourselves as faculty) to analyze research and articles to ensure they represent the perspectives of marginalized groups; follow up with questioning why and providing additional resources to promote self-advocacy.
- Revise course syllabi to include Student Learning Objectives, Essential Questions, and Course Descriptions related to self-reflection/advocacy/inclusion/preparing students to be agents of change.
- Examine course syllabi to make sure policies (late work, absence, participation grades, etc.) do not indirectly or directly target students with disabilities OR demonstrate bias toward neurotypical students (for example: a “cameras on” video policy in an online course may disproportionately punish students who require accommodations or have diverse learning needs; deductions for late work may punish students who need flexibility due to medical or mental health needs; requiring students to disclose personal details in order to receive extensions or incompletes disrespects students’ privacy of health and disability needs)
- Be willing to adjust your expectations through flexibility.
- Re-examine assignments and assessments for bias and exclusionary practices.
- Consider changing assessments from high-stakes timed tests to projects, homework, open-note/open-book take-home tests.
- Ask a colleague to audit your syllabi for readings/topics/policies as listed here.
- Collaborate with colleagues in accessibility services to better understand and integrate the services and supports available.
- Discuss the need to broaden participation and opportunities for people with disabilities in your department/college.
- Examine courses to make sure provided resources are organized and labeled clearly.
Advanced, all the previous steps plus…
- Advocate for (or lead!) professional development opportunities on inclusion.
- Participate in on- and off-campus events that promote disability acceptance and inclusive practices.
- Inform students of community opportunities they can take part in promoting disability acceptance or inclusive practices.
- Model examination/reflection on your own privilege (if neurotypical and able-bodied) or experience as a person with(out) a disability.
- Consider multimodal access to course participation (for example, HyFlex courses have in-person, video and asynchronous options for all students).
- Ask a colleague to informally observe your teaching and provide constructive feedback on your work of being an inclusive teacher.
- Invite guest speakers with disabilities to speak with your students about their experiences.
- Collaborate with an ADA coordinator to educate students and colleagues about accessibility on your campus.
- Collaborate with administrators and faculty who may be working toward DEI or inclusion initiatives on your campus.
- Seek input from resources such as the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and Think College for postsecondary education program guidance for individuals with disabilities.
We believe that the responsibility of anti-oppressive work in higher education belongs to all and that making education accessible for individuals with disabilities advances freedom for all groups of people. These universally designed teaching practices, while necessary to increase access for individuals with disabilities, are beneficial for all individuals, regardless of identity status. Thank you for your work towards broadening access to higher education!

Laura N. Sarchet is an autistic self-advocate and Assistant Professor of Special Education at Niagara University who uses her experience as a neurodivergent person to raise awareness about autism and disability through research and practice.

Haoua M. Hamza is an associate professor in the Middle and Adolescence Education Department in the College of Education.

Rachel Bailey Jones, Professor of Education at Nazareth University, focuses their research and teaching on working for educational justice for LGBTQ+ students through an intersectional lens.

Jennifer E. Hartman is an Instructor-ABD in the Special Education Department at Niagara University.

Dennis P. Garland, Ph. D. is Associate Professor and Chair of the Special Education Department at Niagara University.

Maria R. Nader is passionate about providing equitable education for all students and supporting educators to achieve this goal. She serves as a Faculty Fellow in the Special Education Department at Niagara University and has held teaching and administrative roles at the local, state, and university levels in New York, Ohio, and Hawai’i.

References

Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2004). Handbook of research on multicultural education. 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass.

Coughlin, M. (2021). 10 things faculty need to understand about autism. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/10/20/lessons-teaching-students-autism-spectrum-opinion

Cushner, K., McClelland, A., Safford P., & Cushner, H. (2024). Human diversity in education. McGraw Hill.

The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. (2008). Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. New York State Education Department.

Sarchet, L. N. (2021). Faculty and staff: Training and outreach. University of Rochester Office of Disability Resources, adapted with permissions. https://www.rochester.edu/college/disability/assets/pdf/more-accessible-classroom.pdf

Waitoller, F. R., & King Thorius, K. A. (2016). Cross-pollinating culturally sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning: Toward an inclusive pedagogy that accounts for dis/ability. Harvard Educational Review, 86(3), 366–389. https://doi.org/10.17763/1943-5045-86.3.366
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May 19, 2025
What Your Students Aren’t Telling You: Listening, Learning, and Leading with Empathy – Faculty Focus
This article includes a free, open-access resource for educators: What Your Students Aren’t Telling You: Listening, Learning, and Leading with Empathy. The book, co-authored with students, offers actionable strategies and insights to help create more inclusive and humane learning environments. Download it here: https://publish.illinois.edu/gist-partnerships/what-your-students-arent-telling-you/

In higher education, we often track student success through grades, credit hours, and retention rates. But behind those metrics are untold stories—narratives of resilience, confusion, silence, and strength. This project started with a deceptively simple question: What aren’t our students telling us?

After years of teaching, I noticed how often students carried academic, emotional, and personal burdens without sharing them. Not because they lacked courage, but because they didn’t feel invited to speak. Their stories, while occasionally requested, were rarely acted upon. I wanted to change that—not just by asking better questions, but by building an open-access platform that would amplify student voices and inform actionable change.

From Curiosity to Campuswide Inquiry

The project began in two large general education courses I teach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: FSHN 101: The Science of Food and FSHN 120: Contemporary Nutrition. These courses enroll a diverse cross-section of the student body, creating the perfect environment to listen broadly and learn deeply.

Over multiple semesters, more than 2,000 students voluntarily participated in IRB-approved surveys and follow-up interviews. These were not standard end-of-semester evaluations. The surveys included over 20 demographic questions—covering areas like housing, food security, disability status, and employment—followed by 15–40 experience-based questions exploring academic confidence, mental health, study habits, and perceptions of inclusion.

To capture both breadth and nuance, the surveys incorporated multiple question formats, such as Likert scales, rankings, multiple select, and open-ended prompts. Each semester, the surveys were refined based on student feedback and changing classroom dynamics.

We also conducted one-on-one interviews with select students, allowing them to share the context behind the data—what it feels like to study while housing-insecure, to navigate a disability without accommodations, or to sit in a classroom where your identity is invisible.

Building a Cross-Disciplinary Team

To guide this growing body of student insight into something useful for faculty, I turned to trusted collaborators with expertise across student development, pedagogy, and educational innovation.

Bonnie Hemrick, Director of Mental Health Promotion at Oregon State University, helped frame issues of student well-being and resilience. Dr. Emily Tarconish, a teaching professor in the College of Education, contributed her deep knowledge of Universal Design for Learning and accessible course design. Amy Leman, professor in Human Development and Family Studies, helped navigate the IRB process providing insight and guidance. Dr. Tony Zhang from Gies College of Business offered perspective on AI, ChatBot technology, and ethical academic support tools. Ann Fredricksen, a dedicated advocate with Disability Resources and Educational Services, kept disability at the center of our equity framework—not as an afterthought, but as a foundation.

Together, we weren’t just evaluating survey results. We were reframing how we think about student-centered learning.

Empowering Students as Authors and Analysts

One of the most powerful dimensions of this work was who got to tell the story. From the beginning, students weren’t just research subjects—they were research partners. Many were enrolled in leadership-focused sections of FSHN 101 and 120 and took on active roles in the analysis, writing, and design of the final open-access book: What Your Students Aren’t Telling You.

Their contributions weren’t theoretical. They were rooted in lived experience. Alysha Haverkos grounded our understanding of food insecurity and student basic needs. Ananya Mani shared honest, often-overlooked realities of international student life. Samarth Jain brought data visualization to life, uncovering trends and turning them into stories. Sheza Shaikh centered mental health and belonging in her writing. Tessa Wolf strengthened our commitment to inclusive course design.

These students didn’t just support the work—they shaped its voice. Each of them served as a reminder that students are not passive recipients of education. They are co-creators of it.

Key Takeaways That Changed Our Classrooms

Through data analysis, interviews, and student authorship, a set of clear—and deeply human—patterns emerged:
- Timed, high-stakes assessments caused the highest levels of stress, especially for students managing disabilities or mental health concerns.
- Flexibility in format and modality—such as recorded lectures, alternative assignments, or extended deadlines—made students feel supported, capable, and seen.
- Textbook format and cost mattered. Students appreciated transparency and choice when it came to required materials.
- Inclusive language, representation, and proactive instructor support all contributed to students’ sense of belonging and trust.
These findings don’t argue against academic rigor. Rather, they ask us to pair rigor with relevance and compassion. Many of the most impactful changes were not labor-intensive. A reworded syllabus, an anonymous feedback survey, or a mid-semester check-in can shift a student’s entire trajectory.

A Free, Open-Access Resource for Faculty

The insights we gathered are now published in What Your Students Aren’t Telling You, a free and open-access resource designed to support faculty, advisors, instructional designers, and anyone working to make higher education more humane and inclusive.

The book is both research-informed and experience-driven. Each chapter is co-authored with students who lived the realities we discuss. Their stories—of being brilliant but burned out, passionate but unheard, capable but unseen—bring the data to life.

You’ll find practical strategies, institutional recommendations, and reflective questions to help you translate student voices into action.

You can download it here:
👉 https://publish.illinois.edu/gist-partnerships/what-your-students-arent-telling-you/

Why This Work Matters Now

We are teaching in a time of complexity—rising mental health challenges, widening equity gaps, and ongoing uncertainty in higher education. But we’re also teaching in a time of possibility.

Students are more willing than ever to share what they need—if we create the space to listen. They’re asking us not to fix everything, but to see them, to ask good questions, and to respond with care.

This project reinforced what many of us already know: better is possible. But it takes intentionality. It takes listening. And it takes the courage to rethink not just what we teach, but how we teach and why.

Final Thoughts: A Call to Listen and Lead

The most transformative teaching moments rarely come from perfectly delivered lectures. They come from real connection—from the moments we pause, ask, and truly hear our students.

The students in this project didn’t ask for perfection from faculty. They asked to be heard. And in return, they gave us tools, stories, and solutions that can reshape the future of our classrooms.

Let this be your starting point.

Explore the book. Share it with a colleague. Invite conversation in your next department meeting. And if it resonates with you, I welcome you to reach out. Let’s talk, collaborate, and keep learning from the people who know our classrooms best—our students.

Toni Gist is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Download the book at https://publish.illinois.edu/gist-partnerships/what-your-students-arent-telling-you/
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May 16, 2025

Category: and Diversity

Self-disclosure: Communication Privacy Management

Communication Accommodation Theory

The Activity

Step 1: Personal Reflection

Step 2: Students’ Perceptions About Components of Theories

Step 3: Describing the Theories and Their Impact

Debriefing

Appraisal

The Research on Participation and Personality

The Role of the Classroom Environment

Strategies for More Engaging Classrooms

Designing for All Voices

The Challenge of Hierarchy

Asset Recognition and Intercultural Exchange

The Challenge of Hierarchy

Asset Recognition and Intercultural Exchange

1. Start by Asking, Not Assuming

2. Rethink Participation

3. Normalize Struggle

4. Offer Flexible Assessment Options

1. Start by Asking, Not Assuming

2. Rethink Participation

3. Normalize Struggle

4. Offer Flexible Assessment Options

Practical Application of the Belonging Social-Ecological Model

Intrapersonal Level

Interpersonal Level

Institutional Level

Community and Societal Level

Physical and Virtual Space

Conclusion

Start here…

Beginning

Advanced, all the previous steps plus…

Start here…

Beginning

Advanced, all the previous steps plus…

From Curiosity to Campuswide Inquiry

Building a Cross-Disciplinary Team

Empowering Students as Authors and Analysts

Key Takeaways That Changed Our Classrooms

A Free, Open-Access Resource for Faculty

Why This Work Matters Now

Final Thoughts: A Call to Listen and Lead