4 Accessibility, Inclusive Teaching, and Student Support & Wellbeing

Overview

This section curates several UBC resources related to inclusion, accessibility, and student wellbeing to support instructors and TAs in their teaching and to assist students with navigating their learning at UBC during this remote teaching environment. See the CTLT Online Teaching Program for more in depth details about “Creating a supportive learning environment” and encourages faculty to consider the following questions related to equity, inclusion, accessibility, and wellbeing in online courses:

  • What strategies have you incorporated to support student wellbeing, promote community, foster connection or facilitate accessibility?
  • How would you explain these strategies and your process to a curious colleague?
  • Think of a time you experienced elements of a supportive learning environment as a learner. What made this environment feel supportive?
  • As you think about your online course, what are some aspects of these learning environments that you might incorporate in your online course design?

Inclusive teaching and accessibility considerations

Inclusive Teaching

Syllabus statements and course activities

Several instructors are now including statements within their syllabus that outline expectations related to creating an equitable, inclusive, and respectful environment for learning and communication. These statements are often highlighted and revisited with students throughout the term. Below are a few examples and resources that can help you to create and share a statement with your students.

    • This is a draft statement from the Intercultural Communication Committee at Vantage College: In line with UBC policies, Vantage College values free and respectful exchange of ideas.  Further, we recognise we are all responsible for fostering a safe, inclusive and rigorous learning and working environment.  Vantage College strives to be professional and respectful in all its interactions, and students are expected to exercise similar professionalism and respect in their interactions with each other, staff, and faculty.  Disrespectful behaviour, including bullying and harassment, will not be tolerated. Vantage College welcomes questions regarding expectations around respect and inclusivity.  Faculty and staff have a responsibility to help students (and each other) navigate the expectations of what constitutes free and respectful exchange of ideas. Please follow these links to see the full UBC policies on Inclusion and Diversity and Bullying and harassment (hyperlinks included). 
    • EDI statement from the Biology Department at the University of North Carolina: The Department of Biology values the perspectives of individuals from all backgrounds reflecting the diversity of our students. We broadly define diversity to include race, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual orientation, political background, and physical and learning ability. We strive to make this classroom and this department an inclusive space for all students.
    • See this statement from faculty members at Brown University who provide a longer, contextualized statement for their students with respect to what they expect from students, and what students can expect from the teaching team.
    • The Brown University Center for Teaching and Learning also has this resource related to diversity and inclusion statements for syllabi.
    • The following Faculty of Science EDI links may be of use to you as your navigate your career and as you engage more with EDI practices.

Resources for faculty

  • The Centre for Accessibility, Student Health Service, and Counselling Services updated the “Assisting Students in Distress” resource for faculty in August 2020. This is an online update to the physical green folder that has been shared with faculty over the past few years. The group has added information specific to “Supporting Students in Distress in a Virtual Learning Environment“.
  • If you are concerned about a student in your course, you can submit a request to Early Alert and staff members will follow up with the student. Within the remote learning situation, Early Alert will be running 7 days a week instead of the regular 5 days a week.
  • The EIO & CTLT recently released five modules related to inclusive teaching. While the modules don’t cover online teaching per se, much of the content is relevant for the COVID-19-context. You can access the modules by self-enrolling at the following link: https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/31444.  The modules explore: Power, Privilege, and Bias; Conversations on Decolonization; Introduction to Inclusive Teaching Practices; Universal Design for Learning; and Navigating Difficult Conversations.
  • You can access the slides, recording, and resources from the CTLT May 2020 Online Institute session, “Teaching Remotely in the Midst of a Crisis: How to Keep Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Mind“, at the following links:
  • This handout from the CTLT Institute session, “Supporting Student Wellbeing in an Online Learning Environment“, provides resources related to student health and wellbeing within face to face and remote learning environments.

Accessibility

  • The CTLT Online Teaching Program provides the guidelines for Developing Accessible Content and for including Open Educational Resource
  • UBC recently launched the following online module about Universal Design for Learning to help you make your course more inclusive
  • Exam Accommodations for Students with Disabilities – This document is posted on the UBC Keep Teaching Website and was last updated on April 15, 2020
  • The Open Education Resources Toolkit is to help instructors to make their OER course content as accessible as possible to students.

Resources for Students

  • UBC has put together a Keep Learning website for students that complies resources related to home set-up, learning online, UBC technologies, wellbeing, and support.
  • Students can now include their personal pronouns within Canvas. Students can select from a drop-down menu within the Setting of their Canvas Account (Account -> Settings -> Edit Settings -> Pronouns Drop-Down Menu -> Update Settings)
  • The Learning Technology Hub has put together guides for students to navigate Canvas, Collaborate Ultra, Proctorio, and Zoom. If you’re using these platforms, it would be useful to share the links to these guides in your syllabus.
  • The UBC Centre for Accessibility has several resources for students and have updated particular policies and procedures based on COVID-19. Midway through this webpage there is a section on “Supports for students” related to:
    • Academic accommodations for students with disabilities
    • Academic concessions
    • Exam accommodations
    • Accessibility on campus
    • Awards for students with disabilities

Student wellbeing, support resources

License

Skylight Guide to Teaching Online Copyright © by The Skylight Team. All Rights Reserved.

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