6 The Importance of Inclusion and Accessibility
There are many possible arrival activities that can foster active learning. The activities you select will depend very much on the actual students in the class. Most activities can be modified once you know who your students are and where your class will take place. Asking ‘what’s one thing you would like me to know about you as a learner’ as an initial arrival activity can be helpful. You may also want to think about scaffolding activities, building up to them throughout the course, and conducting these activities in small groups rather than in front of a lecture hall. The point is to find out what your students need and who they are.
The following are important notes to keep in mind regarding inclusion and accessibility:
- All videos should have closed captions that have been checked for accuracy.
- If the activities take place before the officially timetabled start of class, do not count them as regular course work.
- Be aware of the physical space of your class ahead of time and how students with disabilities might be best supported and accommodated with various activities – moving chairs and desks around can be a navigation or anxiety-inducing barrier for students. If a class is set up as an ‘active learning classroom’ with multiple tables/stations, considering making sure each table has an open spot for students in a wheelchairs or those with service animals. You may also consider posting activities on a learning management system to avoid asking students to move around the room.
- Different identities along the axis of disability, race, gender, etc., may be visible, while others may be less visible. It is important that students are not asked to disclose diagnoses, etc. As the instructor, you should be clear that individuals do not have to share personal and private information, and you should know what to do when someone makes an error and asks an inappropriate question. To ensure that you are meeting everyone’s accessibility and inclusion needs, solicit information regarding student needs anonymously – this helps to avoid a person with a visible disability having to tell everyone their own personal needs or speak for ‘all disabled’ people. If gathering this information online, it is important to remember that contributions are not necessarily anonymous unless you adjust your settings. Finally, it is important to let students know whether they will be identified as the authors of contributions or not.
- Taking time at the start of class to have your arrival activity double as a “feedback session” can go a long way in establishing a sense of mutual trust and respect in your course. If students feel you are listening, and you are co-creating an experience together that’s authentic, they will likely flag issues of accessibility and inclusion as a result of the openness fostered during these moments.
- Note that many of the sample activities included in the package rely on sight (e.g. Boggle, wo