Cornell University

Dear IVY+ Colleagues,

We’re writing from Cornell University’s Center for Teaching Innovation with an exciting professional development opportunity to share. We’re launching a new massive open online course (MOOC) for educators, “Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom,” one of the first online courses to guide instructors in exploring frameworks and strategies for building and sustaining inclusive learning environments. The course features real stories from Cornell students and faculty, opportunities for reflection, and key research on inclusion and student-centered learning.

You can watch our introductory video here.

U.S.-based and higher education-centered, the five-week, instructor-paced online course runs from November 4 – December 9, 2019 at edX.org and is for anyone with teaching responsibilities, at any level of diversity expertise. Course participants will explore strategies for inclusive course design, social identity and self-reflection, and pedagogical practices that effectively support student engagement and belongingness across difference. If you are interested in leading a faculty learning community on your campus, please indicate your interest in receiving the facilitator’s guide to help establish and support a cohort of learners who meet face-to-face. Registration for the course is open now.

In our pilot at Cornell, instructors who took the course reported feeling more confident in dealing with difficult issues when they arise and in creating an inclusive environment for all students. Participants also said they felt they had more agency in and personal responsibility for creating a welcoming environment on our campus. Our hope is that opening the course to the public will expand its impact to classrooms around the nation and the world.