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Agreeing on guidelines for inclusive interaction in the course

Inclusive teaching practices are inseparable from high quality teaching practices, hence inclusive teaching affects all aspects of a course and learning experience in it. One of the inclusive teaching and learning practices is to create an equal and comfortable environment for all students to study. This is one important step towards a respectful, supportive, and productive course learning environment where everyone can feel safe and welcome.
Group of student working together

Feeling safe affects how individuals envision what happens if they speak out, try new things and how comfortable they feel in their surroundings. But not only that, this affects a person's ability to learn, focus and act in an organized manner. Feeling unsafe in teaching and learning situations might lead to lack of participation and interaction, not sharing and experimenting and not feeling included. 

Adopting these guidelines supports achieving learning goals: they help clarify expectations, cultivate a sense of belonging among students, and facilitate students’ ability to engage productively with one another across their differences, and develop their transferable skills. Every teacher can contribute to the development of supportive environment by creating a community in which all students feel a sense of belonging and a willingness to engage in discourse. You can start with your own course or a student group. 

How to start? 

One of the core practices could be to start the course by collectively agreeing on inclusive interaction guidelines. This means common guidelines for sensitive and considerate communication that are agreed with all students and staff. These guidelines should be discussed and agreed together. Return to these guidelines also during the course if needed.  

A suggestion for guidelines to be copied and modified for your course or other event is available at the bottom of the page.

Remember also to discuss the intended learning outcomes, content and the evaluation criteria with your students. Make sure that students understand these and revisit these goals during and at the end of the course to see if they were reached. Use various feedback methods, in addition to teacher lead feedback, also peer feedback and anonymous feedback are something to consider. Use the opportunity to collect feedback during and at the end of the course to develop your teaching further. 

Guidelines for inclusive interaction

Download and modify a slide for your course

You are free to download, modify and use the slide below in your purpose. It is important that the guidelines are introduced and agreed upon as a group as well as in smaller groups. This list is not complete and not fit for all purposes, feel free to edit or make additions throughout the course. Remember shared responsibility for making our community safe and welcoming for all.

Students in a lecture hall

Supporting students' sense of community and belonging

Central to community and inclusion is that the community members feel accepted and valued as themselves. Belonging to a study community means gaining experiences of the relevance of studies and identification with the student community. The sense of belonging is unique and can only be triggered if students identify themselves with the community. That is why it is important to think how to create and promote the sense of inclusion in your teaching.

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Pedagogical principles for teaching at Aalto University

On this page, you can find the main pedagogical principles for teaching at Aalto University.

Teacher’s Handbook
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How might we face each other with more openness, kindness, and respect?

Aalto safer space aims to prome understanding of consent, boundaries, alcohol usage, microaggressions, and overall, communication and interaction skills.

Oasis of Radical Wellbeing
People sitting around tables in BIZ premises

Intervening in the harassment and inappropriate treatment experienced by the personnel

The Code of Conduct is one way of putting our values and way of working - the foundation of our community culture - into practice.

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Kaksi henkilöä kampuksella.

Code of Conduct - Values into practice

The Aalto University Code of Conduct is one way of putting our values and way of working — the foundation of our community culture — into practice

Aalto University

Future-led Learning podcast

The Future-led Learning podcast offers a platform for university educators to reflect their ideas about teaching and learning.

One point of holistic wellbeing is understanding diversity and inclusion as essential parts of the wellbeing of our community. What does inclusion in higher education in practice? Listen to episode 5 of Future led learning podcast.
The Future-led Learning Podcast is hosted by Riikka Evans. Photograph: Janne Illman.
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