Summary of the Strategies to Create a More ‘Inclusive Classroom’ Event

The “Inclusive Classroom” event was a joint initiative by the European Accounting Association and the American Accounting Association aimed at discussing strategies for fostering inclusive classroom environments. The event featured several speakers who discussed the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in educational settings, specifically accounting education. The focus was on sharing practical strategies to create more inclusive classrooms, addressing diverse student needs, and identifying potential gaps in current practices.

Key Takeaways per Speaker:

• Ekaete Efretuei (Moderator, Liverpool John Moores University; Chair EAA DEIC): Introduced the event and set the tone by emphasizing the need to critically reflect on and implement strategies for inclusive classrooms. Highlighted the importance of applying DEI principles in both European and American contexts and beyond, with a focus on equity and fostering safe learning environments.
• Norma Montague (Wake Forest University, AAA Director – DEI Focus): Emphasized the importance of creating classrooms where all students feel valued and supported, regardless of their backgrounds. She stressed the need for empathy, active listening, and collaboration. Montague also distinguished between equality and equity, advocating for teaching practices that accommodate diverse learning styles and backgrounds.
• Lisa Powell (Monash Business School; EAA EC): Highlighted the importance of addressing both visible and invisible diversity characteristics, such as neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ identity. She discussed the need for creating spaces where students feel comfortable sharing their diverse perspectives, and for educators to go beyond inclusive practices to challenge inequitable structures. Powell also noted that educators have the agency to implement inclusive practices in their classrooms, even if institutional support for DEI is limited.
• Karen Osterheld (American Accounting Association): Discussed practical strategies for faculty to enhance inclusivity in their classrooms. She mentioned the importance of being flexible as educators and continuously learning to improve classroom inclusivity. Osterheld shared insights from the Inclusive Classroom Series, a set of modules designed to help faculty foster inclusivity through small, manageable changes in their teaching practices.

Key Educational Strategies

1. Create a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment:

• Strategy: Establish a classroom atmosphere where all students feel valued, respected, and included.
• Details: This includes celebrating diversity and fostering a sense of belonging, where students feel comfortable to share their experiences, regardless of their background, identity, or learning style.
• Application: Teachers should emphasize empathy, active listening, and collaboration, ensuring all students have equitable access to learning opportunities. For example, flexibility in teaching practices can help accommodate different needs and perspectives.

2. Reflect on Subtle Bias and Classroom Dynamics:

• Strategy: Educators need to be aware of their unconscious biases and how subtle forms of discrimination can manifest in classroom dynamics.
• Details: Subtle biases, such as calling on certain students more frequently or responding differently to contributions based on gender or ethnicity, can affect students’ sense of belonging.
• Application: Teachers can record their lectures to identify patterns in their interactions with students or invite external observers to monitor how they engage with different students. This helps recognize areas where subtle bias might exist and provides an opportunity for adjustment.

3. Diverse Representation in Course Materials:

• Strategy: Incorporate diverse names, backgrounds, and perspectives in case studies, examples, and teaching materials.
• Details: By diversifying the representation of characters in examples (such as changing names and cultural contexts in case studies), educators help students from underrepresented groups see themselves in the material, making the learning environment more relatable.
• Application: Simple modifications, such as varying gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic backgrounds in examples or case studies, can ensure that diversity is woven into the learning experience.

4. Flexible and Adaptive Teaching Practices:

• Strategy: Use a variety of teaching approaches to accommodate different learning styles and student needs.
• Details: For instance, educators can change how they deliver content (e.g., videos, podcasts, transcripts) and allow students to engage with the material in ways that suit them best. This includes incorporating neurodiverse-friendly teaching strategies.
• Application: For students who may struggle with traditional teaching methods, flexible tools like audio or visual materials, as well as different forms of assessments (e.g., oral presentations instead of written tests), can help ensure equal learning opportunities.

5. Student-Centered Office Hours:

• Strategy: Rebrand office hours as “student hours” to create an open, welcoming environment for students to seek help.
• Details: The change in terminology signals that these times are specifically for students’ benefit. Offering flexible meeting locations (e.g., not just in formal office settings but also in informal spaces like cafés) helps create an atmosphere of accessibility.
• Application: Educators can encourage more engagement by meeting students where they feel comfortable, reducing the intimidation factor of formal office settings.

6. Active Learning and Engagement Techniques:

• Strategy: Start class sessions with active learning strategies to engage students from the start, especially in early morning classes.
• Details: Techniques such as polls, breakout discussions, or interactive group work can help activate students’ minds and energize them, even during early sessions.
• Application: Educators can implement learning games, walk-in songs that connect to the topic, or activities that require students to interact with the material as soon as class starts.

7. Inclusive Assessment Practices:

• Strategy: Reconsider traditional timed assessments and offer alternative ways to assess learning.
• Details: While time-limited tests may be necessary, mixing assessment types (e.g., projects, presentations, take-home exams) ensures that students who struggle with timed tests are not disadvantaged. Providing accommodations for students who need extra time, or offering alternative methods of demonstrating knowledge, creates more equitable conditions.
• Application: Educators can incorporate multiple low-stakes assessments to reduce the high-pressure nature of a single test, ensuring a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to evaluating student learning.

8. International and Collaborative Learning Projects:

• Strategy: Involve students in international collaborative online learning (COIL) projects to expose them to diverse perspectives and working styles.
• Details: By collaborating across time zones and cultures, students learn to navigate global challenges and develop cross-cultural communication skills. This kind of project teaches students to appreciate diverse approaches to problem-solving.
• Application: Educators can partner with institutions in different countries to assign joint projects that require students from various regions to work together and overcome logistical challenges, such as time differences.

9. Personalizing Feedback and Communication:

• Strategy: Use personalized communication tools like mail merges to send tailored feedback or encouragement to students, particularly in large classrooms.
• Details: Personalized emails or feedback make students feel recognized and valued, even in a large class setting. Grouping students based on their progress (e.g., high achievers, average, or struggling) and sending them appropriate feedback helps maintain individual connections.
• Application: Educators can use technology to send personalized messages to students, acknowledging their progress and offering specific suggestions or praise, helping to keep them engaged and motivated.

10. Encouraging Reflection and Empathy Development:

• Strategy: Encourage self-reflection among both students and educators on issues of identity, privilege, and bias.
• Details: Reflecting on personal identities and biases helps both educators and students understand their own positions in relation to others. This reflection is crucial for developing empathy and creating a more inclusive classroom environment.
• Application: Instructors can build reflective activities into their courses, encouraging students to think about how their diverse identities intersect with others and how this affects their learning experiences.

These strategies are designed to make classrooms more inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of students, promoting a culture of equity, belonging, and continuous learning.

Key Questions and Answers:

1. How can we foster inclusivity in large classrooms?
   • Response: Faculty can use technology to engage students, such as online polls or anonymous response systems, ensuring everyone can participate. Personalized emails using mail merge techniques can also help students feel acknowledged. Flexibility in participation and assignment types can further enhance inclusivity.
2. How can DEI be integrated into case studies?
   • Response: Small changes, like diversifying names, genders, and cultural contexts in case studies, can make a significant impact. Case studies should reflect the diversity of students and introduce multiple perspectives.
3. How should educators handle timed tests while maintaining inclusivity?
   • Response: Some educators allow for extra time for students with accommodations, but this doesn’t always cover all students who may need it. An alternative approach is using a variety of low-stakes assessments to reduce the pressure of timed tests while still evaluating learning comprehensively.
4. How do we adapt the inclusive classroom approach to different regions, such as Europe?
   • Response: The principles of DEI are universal, but adaptations may be necessary to account for local contexts. For example, indigenous perspectives may be more relevant in certain regions, while other areas may focus on different aspects of diversity, like gender or cultural diversity.
5. What if DEI efforts are not supported institutionally?
   • Response: Educators can still implement inclusive practices by reframing DEI initiatives using terms like “belonging” or “global inclusion.” Even in regions where DEI is not officially supported, educators have the flexibility to create inclusive spaces in their classrooms.

The event concluded with a call for ongoing collaboration, the sharing of resources, and continuous reflection on how to create inclusive learning environments across different educational contexts.

The AAA Inclusive Classroom Series Information is a series of videos, hosted on the AAA’s new Learning Management System, begins with a 40-minute foundational module followed by nine specific topical modules of approximately 20 minutes each. Upon completion of the ten modules, participants earn a certificate of completion and a digital badge. This can be found at: https://eaa-online.org/arc/learning-on-dei-and-accounting/. All modules are free to AAA members and non-members, but registration is required. The modules can be completed in any order.