Sunday NY Times, May 2, 1999

“It may not have the cache of Berkeley or UCLA, but for many students, Riverside ends up being a blessing in disguise.”

Sunday NY Times, May 2, 1999

Let's Stir the Pot!Your tables have been relabeled A - D

Each group member takes a number in sequence from 1 – 4

Redistribute as follows:#As ➠ Table A#Bs ➠ Table B#Cs ➠ Table C#Ds ➠ Table D

The Face of Science is Diverse

Eleanor VandegriftUniversity of Oregon

Bradley C. HymanUniversity of California-Riverside

Standing on the considerable shoulders of:

Robert Lue Harvard Univ.

Chris Pfund Univ. Wisconsin

James StithAm. Inst. of Physics

Michelle WithersWest Virginia Univ.

Summer Institute Learning Goals

•To enhance the quality of science education•To create a more diverse scientific community•Initiate a national revolution in science education

Summer Institute Goals

•To enhance the quality of science education•To create a more diverse scientific community•Initiate a national revolution in science education

We Know and Believe...

Those educated in diverse settings are more likely to:

• be intellectually nimble and creative

• make meaningful contributions• be effective team players• be successful leaders• do the right thing

Diversity Session Learning ObjectivesParticipants will be able to:

1.Explain the benefits and challenges of diversity in the classroom

2.Promote discussions using case studies about diversity

3.Describe the research basis for unconscious bias and stereotype threat and articulate the implications of such studies on student learning

4.Explain how you as the instructor contribute to the diversity in your classroom

5.Reflect on a personal definition of diversity

6.Identify student perspectives on exclusion in the classroom

7.Develop strategies for inclusive teaching and learning for all students

Active learning: human histogram

(with a little assessment thrown in)

How diverse are your classrooms ?not very diverse very

diverse

Brad

write your name on a

post it and place it on the continuum

arrow

Brainstorm:

1. What forms of diversity does this picture reveal?

2. What forms of diversity does this picture not reveal?

Brainstorm:

1. What forms of diversity does this picture reveal?

2. What forms of diversity does this picture not reveal?

How well do you know

your classroom?

Changing Faces of Science

?

Changing Faces of Science

Case Studies

Case StudiesWhy do them?

Active Learning : Case studies

Why do them?

• The human narrative is more engaging• Allows discussion in a broader context• Less threatening to the audience• Emotional resonance produces greater “buy-in”

General Issues to Consider

when engaging a Case Study

View the situation from the perspectives of the various players: role playing. What might each be thinking and experiencing? What suggestions for action do you have for each situation?How might you avoid getting into the situation in the first place?What are the ethical issues?

Case Study - Four Viewpoints

“I use active learning all the time in my class. Every minute or two, I ask questions. I think it makes me seem friendly and open to hearing students’ ideas. I try to call on students randomly to make sure everyone is engaged, but I often end up asking the best students so they can set the standard for the rest of the class.”

Professor (Table A)

Case Study - Four Viewpoints

“The professor is just so engaging in class. I feel like I have a connection with her, and I want to be prepared for every class so I can answer the questions she asks. Sometimes, she asks a question, and I answer it, and then we have a great dialogue in front of the whole class about something more advanced than what is in the syllabus or reading. I am learning so much!”

Student #1 (Table B)

Case Study - Four Viewpoints

“This class scares me death! The professor constantly asks questions, and I am terrified that she will ask me something I don’t know the answer to. I don’t like to speak in public, and never had to in my homeland. I feel that I should sit at the front out of respect, but I aim for the far right to hopefully be out of her line of sight. I can’t wait for the semester to end so I can get rid of this stress.”

Student #2 (Table C)

Case Study - Four Viewpoints

“I have no clue what is going on in class. The prof asks lots of questions, but I usually have no idea what the answer is. I must be really stupid because the kids in the front row know it all already. The prof keeps on calling on them. It’s like they are in the same club or something. Hell, they even look alike! Anyway, I hide in the back so she won’t call on me or I just skip lecture. She should tell us what she wants."

Student #3 (Table D)

Professor (Table 1)“I use active learning all the time in my class. Every minute or two, I ask questions. I think it makes me seem friendly and open to hearing students’ ideas. I try to call on students randomly to make sure everyone is engaged, but I often end up asking the best students so they can set the standard for the rest of the class.”

Student #1“The professor is just so engaging in class. I feel like I have a connection with her, and I want to be prepared for every class so I can answer the questions she asks. Sometimes, she asks a question, and I answer it, and then we have a great dialogue in front of the whole class about something more advanced than what is in the syllabus or reading. I am learning so much!”

Student #2“This class scares me death! The professor constantly asks questions, and I am terrified that she will ask me something I don’t know the answer to. I don’t like to speak in public, and never had to in my homeland. I feel that I should sit at the front out of respect, but I aim for the far right to hopefully be out of her line of sight. I can’t wait for the semester to end so I can get rid of this stress.”

Student #3“I have no clue what is going on in class. The prof asks lots of questions, but I usually have no idea what the answer is. I must be really stupid because the kids in the front row know it all already. The prof keeps on calling on them. It’s like they are in the same club or something. Hell, they even look alike! Anyway, I hide in the back so she won’t call on me or I just skip lecture. She should tell us what she wants."

(Table 2)

(Table 4)(Table 3)

Unconscious Bias and Stereotype Threat

Unconscious Bias• Unintended• Influenced by what we have been

exposed to/have experienced• Can impact how someone acts

Stereotype Threat• Fear that one’s behavior will confirm an

existing stereotype of a group with which one identifies

• Can impact student performance

Cousins VangI've taught introductory biology for three years now.  Half of the grade is based on written work, such as lab reports and short answer essay exams.I've noticed that every semester I have two or three students whose last name is Vang.  I asked one of the students if she was related to another Vang in the class.  She said, "We're cousins."  I also noticed that the Vang students seem to understand the material when I'm talking with them, yet their written answers tend to be unclear and often miss the point.When I look back at the grades for the past three years, I was surprised to find that no student with the last name Vang has ever received a grade higher than a C in my class.  In fact one-third of them have failed the course.  I'm horrified!  And I'm worried that my teaching style has some terrible, racists undertone that I never meant to perpetuate.  What can I do?

Dr. Ride told The Times that “...stereotypes still persisted about girls and science and math - for example the idea that girls had less ability or interest in those subjects, or would be unpopular if they excelled in them. She thought peer pressure, especially in middle school, began driving girls away from the sciences, so she continued to set up science programs all over the country meant to appeal to girls - science festivals, science camps, science clubs - to help them find mentors, role models and one another.”

Sally Kristen Ride (1951-2012)

Data on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype

Threat

In groups by table, discuss the following questions as they relate to the data assigned to your table:

1. What bias or stereotype threat does the result highlight?

2. How can this bias affect the classroom learning environment?

Data on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype

Threat•What bias or stereotype threat does the result highlight?

•How can this bias affect the classroom learning environment?Study for Table A

If African American or female students are asked to identify their race or gender, respectively, at the start of an exam, they will do statistically worse on that exam. (Steele, Claude M. and Joshua Aronson. 1995. "Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans." Journal of personality and social psychology 69:797-811).

Data on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype

Threat•What bias or stereotype threat does the result highlight?

•How can this bias affect the classroom learning environment?Study for Table B

Blind, randomized trial: When asked to rate the quality of verbal skills indicated by a short answer on an exam, evaluators rated the skills as lower if they were told an African American wrote the text than if a they were told a white person wrote it, and gave lower ratings when told a man wrote it than when told a woman wrote it.

(Biernat, M., and M. Manis. 1994. Shifting Standards and Stereotype-Based Judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 66:5-20).

Data on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype

Threat•What bias or stereotype threat does the result highlight?

•How can this bias affect the classroom learning environment?Study for Table C 

White and Black college students received critical feedback and a low grade on a writing assignment from a white faculty member. When students received this negative feedback, black students self-reported lower confidence in their ability to improve based on feedback than white students, lower motivation to make revisions based on the feedback, and rated the faculty member as more biased towards them. When the instructor took the time to tell these students that a) they had high standards and b) reassured the student that they could do it, black students responded to the feedback with as much motivation and confidence (and in some cases more) as white students and reported lower levels of bias on the part of the instructor.

(Cohen, GL, Steele, CM, Ross, LD. 1999. The mentor’s dilemma: providing critical feedback across the racial divide. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 25: 1302-1318.)

Data on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype

Threat•What bias or stereotype threat does the result highlight?

•How can this bias affect the classroom learning environment?Study for Table D

Science faculty were asked to read a CV for a undergraudate researcher. All CVs were identical except that the candidate’s name was either Jennifer or John. Faculty would more likely hire John, pay him more, and provide more mentoring. Faculty thought that Jennifer was more likable.

(Inspired by: Moss-Racusin, C. A., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. L., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2012). Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(41), 16474-16479. )

Reflections

Going forward

Closing ReflectionClosing Reflection

What are 1 or 2 elements of your conception of diversity that you had not considered before this session?

Active learning: 1-minute essay

Active learning: human histogram

(with a little assessment thrown in)

How inclusive are your classrooms?not very inclusive very inclusive

Elly

Take your post-it and move its position if appropriate

Brainstorm on Sticky Notes1. What are some benefits to diversity in

our classes?2. What are some challenges in addressing

diversity in the classroom?3. What can you do in your classroom to

reduce the impact of bias and/or stereotype threat?

Concept Maps1. What are some benefits to diversity in

our classes?2. What are some challenges in addressing

diversity in the classroom?3. What can you do in your classroom to

reduce the impact of bias and/or stereotype threat?

Discuss with your group how to make your teachable tidbit more

inclusive.

Recap1.Explained the benefits and challenges of

diversity in the classroom

2.Promoted discussions about using case studies to about diversity

3.Described the research basis for unconscious bias and stereotype threat and articulate the implications of such studies on student learning

4.Explained how you as the instructor contribute to the diversity in your classroom

5.Reflected on a personal definition of diversity

6.Identified student perspectives on exclusion in the classroom

7.Developed strategies for inclusive teaching and learning for all students

Remedies: Visual Priming

Images of great people of color or different ethnic origins positively affected students

(Inspired by Blair et al., 2001; Dasgupta & Greenwald, 2001)

Remedies: Construct Assessment Rubric Before Review

Inspired by (Uhlmann and Cohen, 2005)

Inspired by (Martell 1991)

Remedies: Slow down!

Remedies: Raise Awareness

Inspired by (Dar-Nimrod & Hine, 2006, Aronson, 2002)

Group Identified Challenges• Stereotype threat

•Identifying lack of motivation vs. lack of confidence

•Grading bias•Identifying our

unconscious biases•Coping with our own

unconscious biases•Hidden diversity•Different perspectives

•Isolated minorities•Learning styles•Potential for conflict•Students biases•Finding time and

motivation•How do we include

everyone?•Teaching centers may

not support science faculty

•Teaching evaluations better initially for standard lecture

Group Identified Solutions•Start slowly when

integrating changes.•Teacher training•Making differences a strength•Institutional policies•Avoid triggers•Opportunity for all•Freedom• Reassure students that

this is a hard class and I believe you are capable of rising to the challenge• Learn how to pronounce

names and try to learn names

•Inclusivity•Confidence•Student and faculty recruitment•Build a diverse community•More creativity•More perspectives•Clear wording•Multiple assessment types• These are skills that you need practice• Get feedback from colleagues• Use low stakes opportunities to give feedback to students (like peer review)

Group Identified Solutions•Community

•Self-efficacy•Empowerment•Self esteem•Increased participation

of URM in STEM•Working with other

perspectives• Set clear expectations• Institutional recognition for active/inclusive classroom

•Uncover diversity•Diverse role models•Near-peer mentoring•Design diverse groups•Communication•Mix up students• Acknowledge own bias

to class apologize when you make a mistake• Randomly call on

students in class

Group Identified Solutions• Real world examples that

can impact their lives• Remove names from

assessments• Use technology to bring

diverse role models into class/homework• Don’t assume someone

wants to be a spoke person for their race• Books that might be

useful: “Madame cure complex” – about historical bias in science and “Dignifying Science” – graphic novel with great women scientists

• Ask for anonymous feedback early in semester and act on suggestions• Make yourself more approachable using humor and personal stories• Use stories in class and reach out to students• Identify learning resources and cultural centers on campus for students and yourself• Model problem solving skills don’t assume all students have the same skill set

Resources

Diversity Institute of the Center for the Integration of Research,

Teaching, and Learningwww.cirtl.net

case studies, bibliographies, instructional resources, etc.

THANK YOU!