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Have you ever wondered why some students engage deeply with a concept while others struggle? Or why a strategy that worked wonders in one class doesn’t seem to resonate with another? If so, you’re already on the path to engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). At its core, SoTL is about embracing the tinkerer's mindset—approaching your teaching with curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and the drive to make a difference in student learning.
SoTL transforms the everyday tweaks we make as educators into intentional, research-based inquiries. It’s a way to take the questions you already have about your classroom and turn them into powerful insights that can enhance your teaching and your students’ success.
What Is SoTL?
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is a research-based approach to improving education. But it’s not just about conducting studies—it’s about actively engaging with your students’ learning processes to make data-informed decisions. SoTL is guided by five key principles:

Inquiry and Curiosity: Start with a question about your teaching or your students’ learning.
Systematic Investigation: Use evidence-based methods to explore that question.
Reflection: Analyze your findings to identify what’s working—and why.
Iterative Improvement: Keep refining your strategies based on what you learn.
Transparency and Sharing: Share your insights with others to contribute to the larger teaching community.

Think of it as bringing the mindset of a scientist into the classroom: What if? Why not? How can I do this better?
Your SoTL Journey in 5 Steps
Engaging in SoTL is a manageable, step-by-step process:

Identify the Research Question- Start with a specific challenge or curiosity. For example, “How does active learning influence student participation in large lecture courses?”
Design the Study- Plan your approach. Will you use surveys? Observations? Focus groups? Ensure your study aligns with your goals and ethical guidelines.
Collect Data- Gather evidence systematically. This could include student reflections, test scores, or LMS analytics.
Analyze the Data and Draw Conclusions- Look for patterns or trends. What do the results tell you about your teaching and your students’ learning?
Disseminate Results- Share your findings with colleagues, present at conferences, or publish in a SoTL journal. Your insights could inspire other educators to try new approaches in their classrooms.

How CTLI Supports Your SoTL Work
You don’t have to go it alone—MSU’s Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI) is here to support you at every step of your SoTL journey. Here’s how:

Brainstorm and Design: Not sure where to start? Our consultations can help you refine your research question, choose methods, and plan your study.
Tools and Data: We’ll show you how to leverage psychometric methods and LMS data through tools like D2L Insights or integrate other technologies into your research.
Funding Opportunities: Apply for Catalyst Innovation Funding to bring your project to life.
Workshops and Training: Attend our sessions to build your skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods, ethical considerations, and more.
Share Your Work: Present your findings at CTLI’s Spring TALKS Conference or get advice on submitting to SoTL journals.

Whatever stage you’re at, CTLI is your partner in turning teaching questions into actionable, evidence-based answers.
Small Steps, Big Impact
You don’t need to overhaul your entire course to get started with SoTL. Begin with a single question, a small change, or a simple data collection strategy. Each step you take adds to your understanding of what works in your classroom—and why. Over time, these small steps can lead to big impacts on your teaching, your students, and your professional growth.
So, dare to tinker. Your curiosity could be the spark that transforms not only your classroom but the larger community of educators. Ready to take that first step? CTLI is here to support you every step of the way. Let’s turn your ideas into action!
Upcoming SoTL Workshops:
Introduction to SoTL (Part 1)SoTL Qualitative Methods (Part 2a)SoTL Quantitative Methods (Part 2b)SoTL Advanced Methods (Part 3)Course Analytics & D2L Insights
Register for CTLI Workshops

Resources:
1. CTLI-Specific Resources

Past Workshop Slides: SoTL Introduction (CTLI), SoTL (EDLI)
CTLI Workshops and Training: Events Calendar, Request a Workshop
Catalyst Innovation Funding: Details on how to apply.
Spring TALKS Conference: Call for Proposals coming soon. Check website.
CTLI Consultation Services

2. SoTL Guides and Handbooks

Books:

Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Guide to the Process, and How to Develop a Project from Start to Finish by Bishop-Clark and Dietz-Uhler.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Reconsidered: Institutional Integration and Impact by Hutchings, Huber, and Ciccone.

Online Guides:

ISSOTL’s (International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning)
University of Georgia: Getting started with SoTLVanderbilt: Doing SoTL
Notre Dame: SoTL Overview
University of Minnesota: A Guide to theScholarship of Teaching & Learning


3. SoTL Communities and Networks

Professional Organizations:

International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL).

This article provides an overview of example syllabus language for discourse, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the third part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
Attendance policies can vary widely for various factors, such as educator values, classroom size, and discipline. MSU does not have a specific attendance policy, but does state: 
There is no university-wide regulation requiring class attendance. However, attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process. In any course in which attendance is necessary to the achievement of a clearly defined set of course objectives, it may be a valid consideration in determining the student's grade. It is the responsibility of the instructor to define the policy for attendance at the beginning of the course.
This statement makes it clear that while attendance is important to learning, there is not a specific policy from the university. However, if an educator wants to have a policy, then they must communicate this at the beginning of the course being sure to be clear how it will factor into grades, if applicable. Below, we will provide various pathway examples of attendance policies that can be adapted to individual educational contexts.
Attendance Policy Unrelated to Grades Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has smaller class sizes without exams, values students’ agency to make their own decisions about attendance to place flexibility with life events. This educator believes that there is a natural consequence built in already if students don’t attend class, which is that they miss content.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Active learning and discussion needs everyone to participate and be present to their capacity. I understand that absences may occur and no excuse notes are needed.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Regularly missing class makes it difficult for your own and others’ learning processes.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “If there’s a regular pattern of absence, we will have a conversation about ways we can better support your learning.”

Attendance Policy Linked to Participation Grade Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has discussion-based classes, values regular attendance because it is integral to everyone’s learning. They also want to build in some flexibility to life events. 
Frame: An example framing could be, “Discussion and participation is an integral part of this class. Attendance is recorded for each class session and contributes to the participation component of the final grade.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students may miss 3 class periods without question, and additional absences must be documented and communicated with the instructor as soon as possible. Excused absences with documentation include medical emergencies, family emergencies, religious observances, and university-sanctioned events.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Unexcused absences beyond 3 missed class periods will result in no participation points for that day’s class (see grading scheme for more details on final grade calculation).”

Attendance Policy Linked to Final Grades Example

Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has hundreds of students in each class, values regular attendance to ensure students are engaging with the content. They want to make it transparent that they use a systematic attendance recording method. 
Frame: An example framing could be, “Attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students must sit in their assigned seats for each class period. Attendance is recorded within the first five minutes of each class period based on presence in one’s assigned seat. Students must attend at least 90% of class sessions.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “For students that go below 90% of missed class sessions, there will be a 1% drop to the final grade for each class period below the 90%.”


Continue to read more about in the next article, “Classroom Norms & Disruptions,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.

If you are concerned about a student, employee or other individual for any reason, please consider making a CAIT referral — this is the centralized reporting system at MSU.
The Care and Intervention Team consists of university personnel with expertise in student affairs, mental and physical health, student conduct, human resources, and law enforcement/campus safety.
Membership on the Care and Intervention Team represents an ongoing commitment to the mission of the Care and Intervention Team. Team members are critical to the functioning of the team. They are responsible for completing ongoing training, attending meetings, and assisting with follow-up and intervention as designated by their membership category.
CAIT Mission
The Care and Intervention Team strives to promote individual well-being and success, while also prioritizing community safety. Utilizing a collaborative and proactive approach, the team is committed to identifying, preventing, assessing, intervening, and reducing threats to the safety and well-being of the MSU community.
CAIT Goals

Provide a safe and supportive physical and emotional environment for members of the university community. 
Identify, assess, and intervene with individuals who are struggling or who demonstrate concerning or threatening behavior.  
Provide support and resources to community members who are concerned for another individual.

When should I refer a student or employee?
Make A Referral

Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Patrick Arnold
Abstract:
Diversity education increasingly takes an anti-racist, anti-sexist, and trans-inclusive orientation, and aims to highlight the dynamics between power, privilege, and forms of oppression which permeate many of our institutions and create conditions of discrimination and marginalization. Extensive scholarship has emerged on the theoretical frameworks, teaching methods, and the impact of diversity education within settings like university courses or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programming. Educational and psychological research has studied anti-racist diversity education as a form of intervention: A central purpose of anti-racist education, after all, is to increase understanding of bias, and promote ways of ending systemic racial discrimination (Lynch, Swartz, & Isaacs, 2017). Naturally, then, it is common to evaluate the effectiveness of diversity education by measuring change in relevant attitudes, beliefs, or implicit biases of the participants of these interventions. However, diversity education is important not merely because it can be an intervention on existing bias, nor is the only appropriate audience for this context subjects who display such biases. In this pilot study, we explore more expansive data on the impact of diversity education, collected via a large intro course covering diversity in sex, gender, and current social justice issues like #BlackLivesMatter. Importantly, we find that diversity education is particularly impactful on the sense of belonging the students feel toward the university and its community, and especially for students of color enrolled in the course. We argue that further research is needed on diversity education as also an affirmation of belonging in our institutions.
Ingrid Lynch, Sharlene Swartz & Dane Isaacs (2017) Anti-racist moral education: A review of approaches, impact and theoretical underpinnings from 2000 to 2015, Journal of Moral Education, 46:2, 129-144, DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2016.1273825 

As a member of the SEISMIC Collaboration, MSU employees have the opportunity join the conversation surrounding DEI in STEM. These conversations are open to all. Upcoming events include:
 
Using Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to Create a More Inclusive and Effective Scientific Community
Wednesday, October 14, at 12 p.m.
Speaker: Elizabeth Barnes, Middle Tennessee State University
 
While the majority of people in the world are religious, the majority of scientists are not, and this difference can cause culturally based barriers to effective science education. For instance, despite decades of evolution education research in the United States, almost one-third of introductory college biology students still do not think life shares a common ancestor and this is often due to a perceived conflict with their religious beliefs. In my studies, I find that college science instructors report not knowing how to address religious beliefs when teaching evolution and religious students report that science instructors have negative attitudes towards religion which is a barrier for their learning of evolution. I will describe how we as science educators can use Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to reduce students’ perceived conflict between religion and evolution and create more inclusive evolution education for religious students. Further, I will discuss how such efforts may disproportionately benefit students of color and women, who affiliate with religion at higher rates than white men.
Zoom Link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/93300696091
 
But is it really ‘just’ science? Engaging critical race theory to unpack racial oppression with implications for Black student science engagement
Wednesday, October 21, at 12 p.m.
Speakers: Terrell Morton, University of Missouri
 
Disseminated through the culture of science (i.e., norms, values, beliefs, and practices), is the underlying message that there is but one “universal truth” regarding what is or what counts as scientific knowledge, research, and general practice. This culture and subsequent message have implications for who is recognized as being a scientist, or a validated member of the scientific community, and the process by which one gains such recognition. In noting the distinct, racialized experiences of Black students in science, this seminar introduces Critical Race Theory as a framework for attending to the prevalence, permeance, and impact of structural racism embedded within and manifesting through the culture of science, while also detailing the implications of structural racism in and through science on Black student science engagement. 
Zoom Link: http://asu.zoom.us/j/92158713296
 
Are you interested in giving at talk related to DEI in STEM? If so, please reach out to Ryan Sweeder (sweeder@msu.edu) to be added to the potential speaker list.
 

With our guiding principles for remote teaching as flexibility, generosity, and transparency, we know that there is no one solution for assessment that will meet all faculty and student needs.  From this perspective, the primary concern should be assessing how well students have achieved the key learning objectives and determining what objectives are still unmet. It may be necessary to modify the nature of the exam to allow for the differences of the remote environment. This document, written for any instructor who typically administers an end-of-semester high-stakes final exam, addresses how best to make those modifications.  In thinking about online exams, and the current situation for remote teaching, we recommend the following approaches (in priority order) for adjusting exams: multiple lower-stakes assessments, open-note exams, and online proctored exams.  When changes to the learning environment occur, creating an inclusive and accessible learning experience for students with disabilities should remain a top priority. This includes providing accessible content and implementing student disability accommodations, as well as considering the ways assessment methods might be affected.  
 
Faculty and students should be prepared to discuss accommodation needs that may arise. The team at MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) will be available to answer questions about implementing accommodations. Contact information for Team RCPD is found at https://www.rcpd.msu.edu/teamrcpd. Below you will find a description of each of the recommendations, tips for their implementation, the benefits of each, and references to pertinent research on each.
There are three primary options*: 

Multiple lower-stakes assessments (most preferred)  
Open note exams  (preferred)  
Online proctored exams (if absolutely necessary)

*Performance-based assessments such as laboratory, presentation, music, or art experiences that show proficiency will be discussed in another document



Multiple lower-stakes assessments
Description: The unique circumstances of this semester make it necessary to carefully consider your priorities when assessing students. Rather than being cumulative, a multiple assessment approach makes assessment an incremental process. Students demonstrate their understanding frequently, and accrue points over time, rather than all at once on one test. Dividing the assessment into smaller pieces can reduce anxiety and give students more practice in taking their exams online.  For instance, you might have a quiz at the end of each week that students have to complete. Each subsequent quiz can (and should) build on the previous one, allowing students to build toward more complex and rigorous applications of the content. Using this approach minimizes your need to change the types of questions that you have been asking to date, which can affect student performance (e.g. if you normally ask multiple-choice questions, you can continue to do so).   For the remainder of the semester, use the D2L quizzes tool to build multiple smaller assessments. Spread out the totality of your typical final exam over the month of April. This can be as simple as dividing a 100 question final exam into eight 12-question “synthesis activities” that students complete bi-weekly.
Benefits as noted from the literature: 

No significant differences were observed in terms of keystroke information, rapid guessing, or aggregated scores between proctoring conditions;
More effective method for incentivizing participation and reading; 
Encourages knowledge retention as each subsequent assessment builds on the last

Rios, J. A., & Liu, O. L. (2017). Online proctored versus unproctored low-stakes internet test administration: Is there differential test-taking behavior and performance?. American Journal of Distance Education, 31(4), 226-241. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628  Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745  VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160 
 
Open note exams 
Description: Open note assessments allow students to refer to the Internet and other materials while completing their assessments. By design, this disincentives academic dishonesty. Often instructors put time parameters around open note exams. These types of exams also lend themselves to collaborative work in which multiple students work together to complete the assessment. With an open note strategy, you can keep your general exam schedule and point structure, but you may need to revise questions so they are less about factual recall and more about the application of concepts.  For instance you might give students a scenario or case study that they have to apply class concepts to as opposed to asking for specific values or definitions. If you plan to make such changes, communicate your intent and rationale to you students prior to the exam.  One effective open note testing technique is to use multiple-true/false questions as a means to measure understanding. These questions (called “multiple selection” questions in D2L) pose a scenario and prompt students to check all the boxes that apply. For example, students may be prompted to read a short case or lab report, then check all statements that are true about that reading. In this way a single question stem can assess multiple levels of complexity and/or comprehension. 
Benefits as noted from the literature: 



Open-book exams and collaborative exams promote development of critical thinking skills. 
Open-book exams are more engaging and require higher-order thinking skills. 
Application of open-book exams simulates the working environment. 
Students prefer open-book exams and report decreased anxiety levels. 
Collaborative exams stimulate brain cell growth and intricate cognitive complexes.  



Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486
 
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037 
 
Implementation for multiple lower-stakes and open note assessment strategies: 

Timed vs. untimed: On the whole, performance on timed and untimed assessments yields similar scores. Students express greater anxiety over timed assessments, while they view untimed assessments as more amenable to dishonest behavior. 

NOTE: If you typically have a time limit on your face-to-face assessments, increase it by 20% to allow for the added demands the remote environment places on students. </li >


If the exam is meant to be taken synchronously, remember to stay within your class period. Adjust the length of the exam accordingly.
Reduced scope: Decreasing content covered in the exam may be necessary to create an exam of appropriate length and complexity, given the unique circumstances this semester. 
Question pools: Create a pool of questions, and let D2L randomly populate each student’s quiz. This helps reduce dishonest behavior 

For example, a 10 question quiz might have 18 total questions in the pool, 10 of which are randomly distributed to each student by D2L. 


Randomize answer order: In questions in which it makes sense, have D2L randomize the order in which the answer options appear. 
Individual question per page: This can reduce instances of students taking the assessment together. It is even more effective when question order is randomized and a question pool is used. <//li>
Honor code attestation: Give students an opportunity to affirm their intent to be honest by making question one of every assessment a 0-point question asking students to agree to an honor code.  You can access the MSU Honor Code: https://www.deanofstudents.msu.edu/academic-integrity 
Live Zoom availability: In D2L Quizzes, set a time window during which the assessment will be available to students. 
Hold a live open office hours session in Zoom at some point during that window, so that students who want to can take the assessment while they have direct access to you - this way they can ask questions if any arise. 

Ultimately, our guiding principles for remote teaching are flexibility, generosity, and transparency.  Try to give students as much of an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge as possible.  

Consider allowing multiple attempts on an assessment. 
When conditions allow, consider allowing multiple means of expression. 
Can students choose to demonstrate their knowledge from a menu of options

M/C test
Written response
Video presentation 
Oral Exam (via Zoom) 


Consider giving students choices. Perhaps they can opt out of answering a question or two. Perhaps they can choose which of a series of prompts to respond to. Perhaps students can waive one test score (to help accomodate for their rapidly changing environments) 

Proctored assessments 
Description: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor are tools for remote proctoring in D2L. More information is available at https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686. Please consider whether your assessments can be designed without the need for Respondus. While Respondus may be helpful in limited circumstances (e.g., when assessments must be proctored for accreditation purposes), introducing a new technology may cause additional stress for both students and instructors, and academic integrity is still not assured.   High-stakes exams (those that are a large percentage of a student’s grade) that use new technologies and approaches can decrease student performance and may not reflect students’ understanding of the material.  Please do not use an online proctored approach unless your assessment needs require its use.   
 
Benefits: 
Increases the barrier to academic dishonesty. Allows for use of existing exams (assuming they are translated in D2L’s Quizzes tool). 
Implementation:

Any online proctored exam must be created and administered using D2L’s Quizzes tool. 
Prior to offering a graded proctored exam, we strongly recommend that you administer an ungraded (or very low-stakes) practice test using the proctoring tool. 
Clear communication with students about system and hardware requirements and timing considerations is required. 
MSU has gained temporary no-cost access to a pair of online proctoring tools provided by Respondus: https://help.d2l.msu.edu/node/4686 
Respondus Lockdown Browser requires that students download a web browser.
When they click into your exam, the Lockdown Browser opens, and prevents users from accessing anything else on their computer. 
Respondus Monitor requires use of Respondus Lockdown Browser and a webcam.
Students are monitored via the webcam while they complete the exam in Lockdown Browser. 

Additional Resources: 

Remote Assessment Quick Guide 
Remote Assessment Video Conversation 
D2L Quizzes Tool Guide
Self-training on D2L Quizzes (login to MSU’s D2L is required; self-enroll into the training course) 

 References: Alessio, H.M.; Malay, N.; Mauere, K.; Bailer, A.J.; & Rubin, B.(2017) Examining the effect of proctoring on online test scores, Online Learning 21 (1)  Altınay, Z. (2017) Evaluating peer learning and assessment in online collaborative learning environments, Behaviour & Information Technology, 36:3, 312-320, DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2016.1232752 
Couch, B. A., Hubbard, J. K., & Brassil, C. E. (2018). Multiple–true–false questions reveal the limits of the multiple–choice format for detecting students with incomplete understandings. BioScience, 68(6), 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy037  Cramp, J.; Medlin, J. F.; Lake, P.; & Sharp, C. (2019) Lessons learned from implementing remotely invigilated online exams, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 16(1).  Guerrero-Roldán, A., & Noguera, I.(2018) A Model for Aligning Assessment with Competences and Learning Activities in Online Courses, The Internet and Higher Education, vol. 38, pp. 36–46., doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.04.005. 
Johanns, B., Dinkens, A., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills. Nurse education in practice, 27, 89-94. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595317305486  Joseph A. Rios, J.A. & Lydia Liu, O.L. (2017) Online Proctored Versus Unproctored Low-Stakes Internet Test Administration: Is There Differential Test-Taking Behavior and Performance?, American Journal of Distance Education, 31:4, 226-241, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2017.1258628 Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in introductory sociology classes. Teaching Sociology, 44(2), 118-127. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X15624745  Soffer, Tal, et al. “(2017) Assessment of Online Academic Courses via Students' Activities and Perceptions, Studies in Educational Evaluation, vol. 54, pp. 83–93., doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.10.001. 
Tan, C.(2020) Beyond high-stakes exam: A neo-Confucian educational programme and its contemporary implications, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52:2, 137-148, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2019.1605901 
VanPatten, B., Trego, D., & Hopkins, W. P. (2015). In‐Class vs. Online Testing in University‐Level Language Courses: A Research Report. Foreign Language Annals, 48(4), 659-668. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/flan.12160 

This post provides an overview of intersectionality as part of the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.
Intersectionality acknowledges that folks’ identities are multi-faceted and interconnected, influencing their experiences and interactions. Intersectionality is a framework to consider the ways that groups and individuals have unique combinations of privilege and discrimination. Within this, society has interlocking and overlapping systems of oppression. These systems create our institutions, which include education, banking, criminal justice and law, state welfare, media, housing, etc. (Kendall). Then, each of these systems not only interlock and overlap, but they create obstacles, harm, and oppression for anyone who does not have societally privileged identities (white, straight, cisgender, abled-bodied and able-minded, high socioeconomic status, thin body size, etc.). All identities (e.g., race, nationality, language use, gender, sexuality, religion, class, immigration status, trauma survivorship, etc.) are contextually specific to a place and time. These identities cannot be separated at that individual level. For instance, Crenshaw discusses how intersectionality helps to “account for multiple grounds of identity when considering how the social world is constructed” (1245). In other words, each identity interplays with one another to where they can’t be disentangled, such as a Black woman’s experiences may be an interplay of racism and sexism called misogynoir.
In considering these identity and institutional dimensions, there are many visual iterations of identities (Cabiness-Atkinson). The Northcentral University Diversity Wheel illustrates the various components of identity that are personal to self, such as gender, age, race, etc., to those that are developed by social influences and life as well as how that is affected by positionalities within institutions. 
As educators, we must consider our own intersectional identities and how those interact with the systems of oppression and its institutions. To model this inclusive and intersectional pedagogy, it is recommended to (revised and adapted from Case 9): 

Reflect and unpack on your own identities and biases and how that may “alter lived experiences of prejudice and discrimination, privilege and opportunities, and perspectives from particular social locations.” One way is to attend MSU’s Implicit Bias Certification course. Another avenue to reflect and unpack would be to engage with the University of Illinois' compilation of activities to raise awareness of biases.
Continue to unlearn and learn and continually strive to learn more about identities, privilege, and inclusive pedagogy. Some initial and/or continuing resources include Boston University’s Self-Guided Diversity and Inclusion Learning Toolkits.
Foster learner reflection and agency for their own un/learning. Some strategies for this are included later in this series’ Classroom Activities article.
Incorporate diverse social identities typically neglected in course curriculum, interdisciplinary ways of thinking, multiple pathways for learners, and an asset-based approach for thinking about learners.

In addition to the above, the next articles will continue to offer ways to become more inclusive and intersectional in education. 
Continue to read more about inclusive pedagogy in the next article, “Unpacking Problematic Language” or return to the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
 
Background
After watching Kimberle Crenshaw’s Ted Talk “The Urgency of Intersectionality”  and reading Crenshaw’s “Mapping the Margins”, this is a fun activity to explore the concept ‘intersectionality’ as a framework. This activity may feel similar to Twister given the color-based instructions.
 
For a class size of ~30 students, split the class into small groups where each do the following:
Use the different colors of yarn, various intersections of yarn, starting position of each volunteer, and the larger web to discuss limitations of a single frame and additive frames (i.e. you just have to look at race + gender or red + blue), then ultimately a need for a complex web or framework like intersectionality. Connect the activity of navigating the web to navigating various systems of oppression, noting the problem of simplifying such complicated systems to pieces of yarn one steps across. 
 

Ask students to form a circle, then ask for five volunteers to be in the middle of the circle. 
Using (3-4) different colored pieces of yarn, students who form the circle will form a complex web of yarn by tossing large balls of yarn to each other randomly for 3 minutes. 
Once the 3 minutes end, ask the circle students to drop the yarn on the ground. The five volunteers should then find a place in the web along one edge of the circle. They can share a space as they feel comfortable, though ideally the five volunteers will select different gaps in the yarn web.
The race is on! First group to help all five volunteers cross the yarn circle/web and return to the edge wins. Each group should select one color to help the five volunteers exit the web during the following rounds:

Three Rounds
 

Each volunteer can only move one space at a time based on the one color the group selected, i.e. everyone step forward, if you have a red strand before you. Some students may not be able to exit the web based on the color selected. This is a teachable limitation.
The group may select a different color to repeat the steps in round one. 
The group should put the 3-4 colors in order, i.e. red first, blue second, green third, yellow last. Volunteers may move forward as before, but may now also move across the additional colors in order, i.e. everyone may move forward with red until they face a different color, and may only move if the next color is blue, otherwise they must wait until the other volunteers cross all the blue before them.