Diversity & Inclusion
Thanks to Donna Duffy of MCC for forwarding the following summary of the MCC Summer Institute session 2-D, Diversity and Inclusion - The SoTL Research Project. Excerpts from the summary are quoted below followed by a link to download the full description of the session.
Presenters: Eileen Kelly, Chair of English Studies; Xian Liu, Professor of English; Petriana Monize, Professor of English; Gail Hilyard, Coordinator of the Math Center. All are from Holyoke Community College.
The four presenters in this session accomplished important goals of describing critical perspectives on diversity and then following with concrete approaches for dealing with diversity issues in classroom settings.
Eileen Kelly began by inviting the audience to review a screenplay. We discussed the complexity of the terminology, the numerous subtle cultural references, and the shifting of perspectives. Eileen then asked how English Language Learners might deal with a similar assignment. As we discussed the difficulty engaged in incorporating needs of diverse learners, Eileen highlighted the value of her role as chair of English Studies in serving as a mentor to assist in course decisions. A mentor can visit classrooms, comment on materials, and give feedback to faculty. Concrete feedback can help faculty to make informed decisions and to create a classroom environment that supports the learning of all students.
Xian Liu continued with his presentation on “Learning Styles and Face Value in Inclusive Classrooms.” He noted a pattern in his classes of one third of students enthusiastic and about one quarter not participating. He wondered how the different cultural environments in the classroom influenced student roles. He suggested that students may feel a pressure to be assimilated to the dominant norm or standard... Even though a classroom may have diverse groups the students may not feel comfortable in voicing views that are inconsistent with the dominant culture. Xian emphasized the value of focusing more on individuals. He devised an instrument for the self-assessment of student participation in class and used this instrument at different times in the semester. By responding to what types of situations led to engagement, students gained a better sense of their learning styles and Xian gathered more ways to expand class participation.
Petriana Monize enlarged on this approach and stated that we need to create classrooms of diverse ideas. She cited John Bean’s volume on Engaging Ideas and stressed the importance of problem posing in education. Petriana voiced a common observation that students in classes vaguely named problems but didn’t dig deeper. She described the importance of students returning to the same problems over the semester so they can begin to see the need to read more closely.
The final speaker, Gail Hilyard, focused on diversity issues in math and ways to help students be successful in math. She discussed her approach in developmental math. She focused on the development of math monologues in which students created a monologue based on experiences in math... Students in Gail’s classes have developed class presentations of the monologues and Gail shared a recent videotaped session. Students described difficult situations but they had the support of peers and instructor in the process. By confronting some of the negative images, Gail found more students staying in developmental math classes.
To view the full session summary: Download session_2d_summary.doc