Inclusive Design for Learning Award
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research (CTLR) and the Advisory Group on Disability Access and Inclusion (AGDAI) have collaborated to create the Inclusive Design for Learning Award.
2023-24 Inclusive Design Award
Congratulations to Olga Parshina for receiving the Inclusive Design Award for academic year 2023-2024! There will be a celebration on Wednesday, 2/19 in the CTLR Lounge. Details will be shared closer to the date.
2023-2024 Award Recipient
Olga Parshina (Psychology)
While student nominators provided inspiring examples of inclusive teaching across the curriculum, the nominations for Olga stood out, especially for the framing used in her Introduction to Psychology course (PSYC 105). They noted how important and helpful it was that Olga established and effectively communicated clear academic standards and course policies, including grading rubrics that were easy to understand.
The students described the “Help” button for giving anonymous feedback on Olga’s Canvas course. It allowed them to comment on the classroom environment, pace of lectures, and office hours availability. They were impressed with Olga’s swift responses through adjustments to her approach.
Each class started with a question of the day based on assigned readings and the topic to be discussed. This approach drew students into each class period in its first moments, and then Olga kept them engaged throughout the session, using inclusive strategies such as role plays, debates, game-based learning, and low-stakes writing activities.
In reflecting on the multiple access points Olga provided for students to dig into the material and the range of practices she embraced to increase flexibility and equity for student learning, one nominator wrote, “I felt as if this class did the best in diversifying the course content material to make it navigable and comprehensive.”
About The Inclusive Design Award
Inclusive Design for Learning principles help increase accessibility in curricular design and teaching, fostering more inclusive and dynamic learning. Unlike other awards that celebrate good teaching at Middlebury, this award specifically highlights an instructor’s embrace of Inclusive Design and the role of Inclusive Design in high quality instruction.
The award recipient will receive $1,000. Winners will have the opportunity to share their work in inclusive design for learning with the broader Middlebury community.
Inclusive Design Principles
Inclusive Design for Learning encourages educators to provide multiple methods of presentation, expression, engagement, and assessment. Its goal is to create learning opportunities for all students while maintaining high expectations for performance.
Key features of inclusively designed teaching and curricular development include:
- Clarity
- Choice and Equity
- Flexibility
These principles apply to the ways information is presented and accessed; the ways students can respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills; the ways students are engaged in learning; and the class assessment mechanisms.
More information on inclusive design, inclusive teaching, and curricular design is available in the CTLR’s teaching resources.
Nominations for Academic Year 2024-2025
Students, recent graduates, faculty, advisers, and other Middlebury employees are encouraged to nominate individuals who have exemplified inclusive design practices in their teaching and curricular development during Academic Year 2024-2025. Self-nominations will be accepted.
The form will open up for nominations in September. Nominations will be due Friday, October 24 with the recipient being announced in late November.
Contact agdai@middlebury.edu with questions.
Past Award Recipients
2022-2023 Award Recipient: Tanya Byker (Economics)
Tanya Byker was selected for her pedagogical design choices in ECON 211: Regression Analysis. Nominators noted Tanya’s attention to creating a learning environment that prioritizes clarity and accessibility. Students appreciated being able to access course content, engage in class activities, and complete assessments in a variety of modalities. They also emphasized Tanya’s extra efforts to make lecture materials and Office Hour consults widely available to all. We celebrate our colleague for her work as an inclusive teacher and the positive impact she has on her students. Congratulations, Tanya, and thank you.
Reflections on Inclusive Design Pedagogy and Curricular Development
Susan Burch (American Studies) spoke with nominees for the CTLR-AGDAI inclusive design for learning award.
Read an interview with Erin Eggleston (Biology)