Strategies to Build a Community of Learnersmams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf · Strategies to Build...

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Strategies to Build a Community of Learners A Diversity of Learners INCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT Page 1 of 3 www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive Facilitate a safe learning environment for your students Set up and define values, objectives and ground rules for behaviour within the class: Define your role with your student group as a facilitator. Negotiate a class agreement which emphasises the importance of encouraging different points of view, interpretations, values and attitudes. Refer to the University’s Student Charter. www.rmit.edu.au/about/studentcharter Encourage student participation: Set up pair/small group work, for example, regular 3-minute talks, 3-minute brainstorms on topics. Make use of Personal Response Systems (PRS) including dedicated handheld units (clickers) and/or internet connected mobile devices (Smartphone etc.) in large classes to find out what students know and get feedback. www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/technology/prs Make sure participation is voluntary rather than singling out individual students or putting anyone ‘on the spot’. “The need to be known by name is deeply rooted within all of us. One of the most excluding factors, mentioned time and again by students interviewed … was the fact that teachers and other class members did not know their names.” Griffiths S. 2010 Teaching for Inclusion in Higher Education: A Guide to Practice. Higher Education Academy, United Kingdom and All Ireland Society for Higher Education p.41 Strategies to Build a Community of Learners I belong

Transcript of Strategies to Build a Community of Learnersmams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf · Strategies to Build...

Page 1: Strategies to Build a Community of Learnersmams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf · Strategies to Build a Community of Learners I belong. Straege o a o of eae iversity of earners INCL

Strategies to Build a Community of Learners

A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT

Page 1 of 3www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive

Facilitate a safe learning environment for your students

Set up and define values, objectives and ground rules for behaviour within the class:

• Defineyourrolewithyourstudentgroupasafacilitator.

• Negotiateaclassagreementwhichemphasisestheimportanceofencouragingdifferentpointsofview,interpretations,valuesandattitudes.

• RefertotheUniversity’sStudentCharter.www.rmit.edu.au/about/studentcharter

Encourage student participation:

• Setuppair/smallgroupwork,forexample,regular3-minutetalks,3-minutebrainstormsontopics.

• MakeuseofPersonalResponseSystems(PRS)includingdedicatedhandheldunits(clickers)and/orinternetconnectedmobiledevices(Smartphoneetc.)inlargeclassestofindoutwhatstudentsknowandgetfeedback.www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/technology/prs

• Makesureparticipationisvoluntaryratherthansinglingoutindividualstudentsorputtinganyone‘onthespot’.

“The need to be known by name is deeply rooted within all of us. One of the most excluding factors, mentioned time and again by students interviewed … was the fact that teachers and other class members did not know their names.”GriffithsS.2010Teaching for Inclusion in Higher Education: A Guide to Practice.HigherEducationAcademy,UnitedKingdomandAllIrelandSocietyforHigherEducationp.41

Strategies to Build a Community of Learners

I belong

Page 2: Strategies to Build a Community of Learnersmams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf · Strategies to Build a Community of Learners I belong. Straege o a o of eae iversity of earners INCL

Strategies to Build a Community of Learners

A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT

Page 2 of 3www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive

Implement strategies to deal with challenging topics or ‘heated’ moments:

• Remindstudentsaboutthegroundrulesforbehaviourbyreferringbacktotheclassagreement.

• Letstudentsknowthatyoureservetherighttointerveneinresponsetoanybehaviourthatcouldbeconsideredprejudiced,biasedordiscriminatoryinnature.

• Modelhowtouse‘evidence’baseddiscussionindebatesratherthanjustprovidinganopinion.

• Promoteturn-takingwhendiscussingcontroversialissues.

Seek feedback from students on how the class is being managed or managing itself:

• Askforinformalfeedbackregularlyaspartofaclassactivity.

Get to know your students

Learn and use students’ names:

• Introduceyourselftotheclass.

• Learnsomethinguniqueabouteachstudentwherepossible.

• Useavarietyofactivitiestogettoknowstudentnames.

Ensure you are approachable and friendly to students when they ask for help:

• UseplainEnglishinyouroralandwrittencommunication.

• Allowtimeattheendofeachsessionforstudentstoaskquestions(thismayalsoreducetheneedforindividualcorrespondence).

Ensure you are explicit about your availability, along with contact details and expected response times to emails:

• Putyourcontactdetails,‘officehours’andexpectedresponsetimesonPowerPoint,BlackBoardandaspartofyouremailsignature.

Communicate regularly with students:

• Createfriendly,onlinespaceswherestudentsandstaffcaninteract,forexample,e-mail,blogs,wikisandsocialnetworks.

Ask students about their educational experiences and future aspirations:

• Askagroupquestion,orpair/smallgroupworkatthebeginningofsemestertofindouttheintendeddirection(s)ofstudents.

• Reviewtheabovequestionregularlysothatteachersandstudentscanrespondtochangesindirection.

Value difference in your students

Be mindful not to make assumptions about students:

• Gettoknowyourstudentsasindividualswithmultipleidentities.

• Employstrategiestoaddressarangeofstudentlearningstylesandneedsincludinglanguagecompetence,socioeconomicstatus,gender,race,ethnicity,prioreducationalexperienceorachievement.

Value difference:

• Createopportunitiesforstudentstopresenttheirownperspectivesandworldview.

• Useresourceswhichrepresentabroadrangeofperspectives.

Page 3: Strategies to Build a Community of Learnersmams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf · Strategies to Build a Community of Learners I belong. Straege o a o of eae iversity of earners INCL

Strategies to Build a Community of Learners

A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT

Page 3 of 3www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive

Use language that recognises your students come from diverse backgrounds:

• Ifreadings,websitesortextsusestereotypicallanguagecitethedatethematerialwaswritten,pointouttheseshortcomingsandgivestudentsanopportunitytodiscussthem(Gross,Davis,2009).

Treat all students equally:

• Maintainhighexpectationsofallyourstudents.

• AvoidundervaluingorovervaluingcommentsfromstudentswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish.

Build confidence in your students

Have high expectations of all your students:

•Tellstudentsatthebeginningofsemester,andbeforeeachactivityandassessmenttaskwhatyouexpectofthemintermsofparticipation,standardsanddeadlines.

Listen attentively:

• Listentoindividualstudentsaswellaswellasthegroup(doubleormultiplelistening).

Respond thoughtfully:

• Payattentiontobothindividuallearnerandgrouplearnerneeds.

• Usepositivelanguageinyourresponses.

• Knowwhyyouareresponding,forexample,toassistastudenttofindmeaning,tointegratenewlearningwithpreviousknowledge,ortoanalyseaconcept.

Facilitate opportunities for your students to get to know their peers

Create both informal and formal opportunities for students to get to know each other:

• Useicebreakeractivitiesinthefirstsession.

• Encouragebuddyormentorsystems.

• Linkupstudentsfromdifferentyeargroupstoworkonprojects.

• Setupampleopportunitiesforgroupwork.

• Createfriendlyon-linespaces.

Support students to access peer tutoring programs:

• StudyandLearningCentre(SLC)Mentortraining:The StudyandLearningCentre (SLC) studentmentortrainingprogram isforstudentswhoparticipateinacademicmentoringprogramsacrossRMIT.

• ContactyourCollegeADGformoreinformationonpeermentoringandtutoringopportunities.FindoutaboutpeertutoringandmentoringprogramsinyourCollege.