Seminar - Julie Swenson

Event Date: 

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Event Location: 

  • Zoom Meeting

Title: Inclusive Course Design for Large Courses

Abstract:

Significant gender disparities in the STEM workforce highlight the importance of inclusivity in university STEM education. Inclusive course design is essential to bridging the gender gap. As large courses are typically taken by students at the beginning of their college education journey, they often play a pivotal role in a student’s choice of major. Providing a positive, inclusive first experience in a STEM course can help capture the interest of students of all genders. Typical course design challenges are often magnified in large courses. The sheer number of students, combined with their diverse educational backgrounds, complicates the instructor’s ability to connect and engage with the entire class. These types of challenges are addressed in an inclusive course design. Core components of this design include establishing rapport, measuring understanding of learning objectives, reinforcing concepts with relevant examples, and empowering students to be successful. The resulting course is one that can play a significant role in reducing the current gender disparity.