Inclusive Design for Learning 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 2023-2024

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 2023-2024. Self-nominations will be accepted. 

The form will open up for nominations on September 6. Nominations are due by Friday, October 25 at 5 pm ET fall with the recipient being announced in late November.

Contact agdai@middlebury.edu with questions.

2022-2023 Award Recipient

Congratulations to Tanya Byker (Economics) for being the first recipient of Middlebury’s Inclusive Design Award, sponsored by AGDAI and the CTLR!

Out of a rich pool of talented faculty, Tanya 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 Lindsay Repka (Chemistry and Biochemistry) who was nominated for the CTLR-AGDAI inclusive design for learning award. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

What has been the impact of applying inclusive design practices to course development and teaching?
There’s mainly less confusion than there was when I started teaching at Middlebury. I think inclusive design helps a lot because I’m focusing on concepts rather than focusing on “we need to get through this list of things.” I’m also figuring out how better to explain things, what to focus on, and it seems like the students are understanding it more.

How has using multiple modalities for teaching and learning been?
I’ve really enjoyed using multiple modalities, especially for assignments. I think it is really beneficial to vary what we’re doing within the class. I ask them questions, and they ask questions during lecture, but I like the variety of also having in-class practice with worksheets. I think it helps keep them engaged, and then I can go around and make sure they’re understanding it, one-on-one.

Clarity is one of the inclusive design concepts. How do you incorporate it? 
For me, it’s really important that the students understand “why” we’re talking about something. In my experience, if I haven’t understood the reason for a discussion, I might not be as present in the classroom. Or feel included in it. I think those two go together so I have my learning objectives up every day, and we talk a little bit about “why.” 

How about the inclusive design concept of flexibility? 
I’ve always done mid-semester feedback. I try to make adjustments based on that when I can. For example, one thing that came up last spring was that we have worksheets during class, but we don’t always finish them during class. I always post keys, but people were requesting that we go over them in class, which doesn’t take that long to do and made a lot of sense. Because especially going over something like that in person, and having the opportunity to ask questions, that’s different from reading what I write on a key on Canvas.

I’m also understanding when it comes to extensions. As long as I know beforehand, and we’ve confirmed via email, I tend to be very understanding and will add the extension in Canvas so that they see it as well. These semesters are pretty packed, and it can get to be a lot, especially since students are involved in so many things or because there might be something else going on.

Do you have examples of assignments where flexibility or choice were applied?
My favorite ones have been the projects we’ve done with the Addison Independent. Two were for a biochemistry class including one on COVID. We also did one on cancer with my first-year seminar. And for the COVID project, which was in fall of 2020, there were about 20 components. We discussed ideas in class, the types of things the students were thinking about, but they decided what they were going to focus on. For example, some students did the data analysis for a survey that we ran of the town. I had students explaining how COVID works, going into the biochemistry of that; students were writing about how racism ties into the COVID experience. They had a lot of choice, both in what they focused on and also the format. Some students made a video, some were writing articles…. they get to go in directions that align with what they’re most interested in.

What tips can you share for other faculty incorporating inclusive design?
I always do my best to give specific, positive feedback…I’m also giving specific constructive feedback with the “specific” part being really important because positive or constructive feedback that’s not specific isn’t helpful. You know, if I say, “great job, but you need to improve all of these other things,” the “great job” is meaningless. Giving positive, specific feedback to students can help them identify where they’re strong and help them with their own confidence.

Also, maybe taking it one step at a time. I’ve never done more than one of those kinds of projects in a semester. I definitely overloaded myself in my first semester here and it wasn’t so much even with the one project. It’s just so easy to do. It’s so important to do these exciting things that are a great experience and helpful for everyone, but also to take care of ourselves and make sure it’s sustainable for everyone.

Have any of these practices impacted you personally?
I’m not sure if I would have gone into Organic Chemistry if it hadn’t been for one of my laboratory professors in undergraduate who ran the Organic teaching labs. I was very slow, and still am—relatively speaking—at lab work. But they recognized that it was because I was very meticulous, which at least up to a certain point, is a really good thing for scientific research. The fact that they recognized that, and they made a point of mentioning it to me was huge for me.