Broadening Perspectives in Teaching

Audience

Open only to UMD faculty, staff, and graduate students

Course Description

This digital course, called Broadening Perspectives in Teaching, will offer you practical strategies and reflective prompts for creating a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. As instructors, we shape how students experience higher education through the materials we assign, the ways we invite participation, and the expectations we communicate. These choices communicate messages about who belongs, what kinds of knowledge are valued, and how learning happens.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore how traditional academic norms can unintentionally limit student access, engagement, or confidence. You’ll explore how to broaden the perspectives reflected in your materials and teaching strategies, and how to revise your syllabus in ways that clearly communicate support, structure, and a sense of belonging.

This course is an opportunity to reflect, revise, and reconnect with your teaching values. By investing time in this process, you’ll leave with ideas to help you create more intentional, welcoming, and responsive classroom spaces.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this digital course, you will be able to:

• Define the “hidden curriculum” and articulate how mainstream academic norms impact education.
• Identify three strategies to broaden perspectives in your course.
• Transform your syllabus to increase belonging in your course.

Content

1. Unpacking the Hidden Curriculum and Its Impact on Education
2. Practical Strategies to Broaden Perspectives in Your Course
3. Transform Your Syllabus

Expectations

This digital course consists of a brief pre-test and 3 lessons. Altogether, this should take approximately 50-70 minutes to complete. Each lesson culminates in an activity to guide you in planning changes to courses you teach or will teach in the future.

Digital Badge

By completing this course, you will earn your Broadening Perspectives in Teaching micro-credential. To receive recognition for your efforts, simply explore each page and complete all activities within this course.

This badge is an exciting step towards earning your Learning and Belonging Pedagogies Practitioner meta-credential from the TLTC’s Teaching Academy.

UMD Users Only