{"id":2010,"date":"2021-08-31T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T06:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/?p=2010"},"modified":"2026-04-01T18:42:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:42:02","slug":"5-things-to-read-on-creating-an-inclusive-learning-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/2021\/08\/31\/5-things-to-read-on-creating-an-inclusive-learning-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to read on… creating an inclusive learning environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"FreddieManchester Museum is the focus of the University\u2019s\u00a0Diversity Calendar<\/a>\u00a0for August.\u00a0The current\u00a0hello future<\/a>\u00a0project is transforming the\u00a0museum to be\u00a0a\u00a0more inclusive\u00a0environment and more\u00a0relevant to the communities it serves.\u00a0Whether physical or virtual, our teaching spaces should\u00a0also\u00a0be inclusive\u00a0environments which\u00a0facilitate the needs of our learning communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each day, the allure of learning, discovery and exploration draws people to Manchester Museum. Coming from all\u00a0walks of life, people enter the Museum\u00a0space\u00a0to nurture their knowledge\u00a0whilst\u00a0contributing their own\u00a0lived\u00a0experiences\u00a0to the reception of an exhibit.\u00a0If we held up a mirror to this facet of the Museum,\u00a0we\u00a0could be forgiven\u00a0for recognising our own classrooms in the reflection: a space for pursuing and sharing knowledge amongst individuals whose existence was previously unknown to one another.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Individuals\u00a0in any one\u00a0community\u00a0are united\u00a0by an enthusiasm for the subject at hand,\u00a0but\u00a0we must be aware that the diversity of perspectives so greatly valued in our classes will also mean different expectations\u00a0of\u00a0how the learning community should function. It is important that, as facilitators of these communities, we create an inclusive\u00a0environment\u00a0in which our learners can thrive and feel that their views\u00a0are respected.\u00a0Whether our classes\u00a0are\u00a0online or on-campus, the space we encourage our students to enter must give each member an equal opportunity to learn. To help, here are\u00a05\u00a0things to read on creating an inclusive learning environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do unto students as they would have done to them<\/h5>\n

As a result\u00a0of the COVID-19 pandemic, for a while learning environments were mostly virtual.\u00a0Interactions in this online environment\u00a0have been\u00a0different to those that\u00a0we\u00a0would have\u00a0in-person,\u00a0but\u00a0Maha\u00a0Bali\u2019s post for THE Campus\u00a0highlights that\u00a0communication and interaction with students has been more important than ever<\/a>\u00a0during this period. In order to shape your learning environment, it is important to listen to your students and set the precedent\u00a0for\u00a0an open and welcoming space.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of Bali\u2019s tips is to\u00a0\u201ccreate semi-synchronous \u2018third-places\u2019 for communication\u201d<\/i>, or a space for informal chat. It is worth noting\u00a0here\u00a0the great work that our students have\u00a0done in setting up their own\u00a0Discord servers<\/a>\u00a0to create and maintain online communities throughout the pandemic. Several of the student teams supporting these servers\u00a0were nominated for\u00a0and recognised during the\u00a0SU\u00a0Education Awards<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Please note: access to this article requires a Times Higher Education account. Sign up is free.<\/i>\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Building a\u00a0more\u00a0inclusive\u00a0university\u00a0environment\u00a0<\/h5>\n

Compared to the\u00a0San Francisco institutions spotlighted in\u00a0this\u00a0article<\/a>, Manchester is a sprawling university with a multitude of teaching and learning spaces\u00a0provided for our students. However, the idea of using the city itself as a learning space particularly caught my eye, especially as\u00a0a\u00a0major\u00a0factor in many students\u2019 decision to choose our\u00a0university\u00a0is the city itself. By\u00a0considering\u00a0what Manchester has to offer\u2014and what each individual\u00a0has to\u00a0offer to Manchester\u2014the city becomes an open environment for learning.\u00a0In terms of more practical advice for teachers,\u00a0small gestures such as sending an email to check in\u00a0with\u00a0your academic advisees can go a long way to creating a welcoming learning\u00a0environment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Create\u00a0inclusive\u00a0learning and\u00a0teaching\u00a0environments \u2013guidance\u00a0produced\u00a0by the University of Leeds\u00a0<\/h5>\n

The University of Leeds has compiled\u00a0a useful\u00a0bullet-pointed guide<\/a>\u00a0of factors to consider when creating inclusive learning and teaching environments. Practical advice about choosing the physical teaching space\u00a0can be found\u00a0at the bottom of page 5, but\u00a0elsewhere there are several nods to the inarguable fact that\u00a0an\u00a0inclusive environment cannot be treated as a standalone topic. For example, by designing a curriculum and resources that require fewer adjustments for students with particular needs you have already shown that you recognise and respect the diversity in the classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bournemouth University Awareness videos\u00a0<\/h5>\n

I attended a conference recently where\u00a0an anecdote\u00a0was shared\u00a0about a student who, despite excelling in\u00a0every\u00a0course unit\u00a0and receiving great support from their\u00a0institution,\u00a0decided to\u00a0terminate their studies after one year.\u00a0A key\u00a0factor in this decision was a feeling that their peers lacked understanding of their disability\u00a0because they [the peers] were unsure how to ask what support they could offer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This anecdote immediately came to mind when I came across\u00a0Bournemouth University\u2019s Awareness Events<\/a>. Within the series,\u00a0staff and students\u00a0increase their knowledge of\u00a0mental health problems\u00a0and\u00a0consider changes to the ways they work, live and think\u00a0so as to\u00a0better support colleagues or peers who might\u00a0live with these conditions.\u00a0By building awareness throughout our\u00a0university\u00a0community, staff and students can co-create more inclusive environments that recognise each individual for who they are and respect\u00a0one another\u2019s needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Online\u00a0discussion\u00a0boards\u00a0<\/h5>\n

Collaboration tools such as discussion boards are a great way of building communities in both synchronous and asynchronous contexts.\u00a0The effective use of online discussion boards was explored by inaugural ITL Fellow Professor Ralf Becker, drawing particularly on his own use of Piazza. Piazza allows both the course convenor and the student to pose questions and can even facilitate peer-assisted study if students\u00a0are offered\u00a0an opportunity to answer one another\u2019s queries before the course convenor affirms the answer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

An overview of Professor Becker\u2019s findings\u00a0has\u00a0been\u00a0written up\u00a0for the Humanities Teaching Academy<\/a>. The FBMH eLearning team has created some\u00a0guidance for staff on the use and integration of Piazza with Blackboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Related<\/h1>\n

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Designing Robust, Calculation-Based On-Line Examinations<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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Contact Us<\/h4>\n

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+44 (0) 161 306 6000<\/p>\n

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The University of Manchester
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