Assessing Inclusive Components of Syllabi • FIRST Inclusive Education Workshop

Syllabi serve many functions.  For instructors, they are a permanent record of what has happened or will occur.  For students, they mean much more.  They are their introduction to both the course and its instructor; a signal of what values the instructor holds, and an early influence on their self-efficacy in the course.  Exemplary syllabi should go beyond the mechanics of the course and readings to promote an inclusive environment.  How can an institution or its faculty members properly assess that their course syllabi embody these characteristics?

This interactive workshop will examine Davidson College’s Inclusive Syllabi Rubric, designed to assess the degree to which a syllabus achieves a learning-centered orientation.  Applicable to a diverse range of levels, disciplines, and learning environments, the rubric provides summative information for assessment purposes and formative feedback to faculty members.  The rubric was used to score a random sample of Davidson STEM syllabi from academic years 2016-17 and 2021-22 if syllabi are more inclusive now than when FIRST began.

Shauntell Pinckney (Howard) and Dr. Brent Maher share example syllabi and evaluation results as they provide faculty members with recommendations on creating a more inclusive syllabus.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their syllabi and score them against the Inclusive Syllabi Rubric.

The Inclusive Syllabi Rubric is located here.

Presentation slides from 11.10.22 are located here.

The full FIRST: Inclusive Syllabi Design Report is located here.