Bridge Course Information

Incorporating diverse voices in the classroom is a best education practice. However, in STEM classrooms, this practice is more difficult to attain for several reasons. In this training, we will introduce practical, evidence-based strategies that can be incorporated in the STEM curriculum. We will engage the audience with data from a current study that used three different strategies to incorporate scientists as an important component of teaching science in large and mid-size undergraduate courses as well as in a Master's online program. Our data shows that short highlights of scientists representing a diverse array of backgrounds relevant to the course content have similar benefits to in-person and virtual guest speakers. All strategies significantly increase students' relatability to scientists and improve feelings of belonging to the scientific community. In this workshop, audience will participate in interactive activities including polling, think-pair-share, and small group discussion. Activities will be incorporated in all topics of the workshop, which will include: discussion of barriers that STEM faculty perceive hindered their inclusion of diverse voices in their classroom, current evidence-based strategies in STEM classrooms, tips and tools, and other practical strategies that faculty could use in their classrooms. In addition, we expect to create a community of faculty that can support each other while they engage in inclusive practices in the classroom. Specific learning outcomes include: -Describe the barriers (real or perceived) that STEM faculty face when incorporating practices that support students in the classroom. -Reflect on the importance of students ability to relate to scientists in their field of study. -Draft a plan to incorporate voices from different scientists in one of the courses they teach or plan to teach. This training aligns with the Inclusive Pedagogy Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF) domain.

September 9, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM