Be aware and informed

Awareness of the diversity of our students and the pathways they have taken to university helps us avoid making assumptions about their attitudes or existing knowledge, or stereotyping them according to preconceived categories.

Be informed about different student cohorts and their needs and take responsibility for your professional development by addressing knowledge gaps through formal and informal learning opportunities.

Inclusive teaching is 'not assuming the same level of experience or the same blanket level of skills, or ways of processing information' – Library staff member


Guidelines

  • ​​​​​For larger classes, or an ongoing series of classes, you may wish to make an Acknowledgement of Country. Anyone can make an Acknowledgement of Country, though note that a Welcome to Country ceremony can only be performed by a person who is a Traditional Owner of the land you are on.

    Further information
    • At many Monash University campuses and sites in Victoria we acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations, as this is inclusive of all Indigenous peoples in the area. However, at the Parkville campus, we acknowledge the Wurundjeri people. At Peninsula, the Traditional Owners of the land are the Bunurong (sometimes spelled Boon Wurrung) people. 
       
    • Suggested wording for an Acknowledgement of Country on campus: 'I wish to acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations, on whose land we are gathered today. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

    • Suggested wording for an Acknowledgement of Country online: 'I wish to acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations, on whose land Monash University operates. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Attendees may based elsewhere, so we pay our respects to Traditional Owners of the land from wherever you may be joining us.'

    • You can also acknowledge Traditional Owners in official documents or your email signature—for example: 'I wish to acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations, on whose land Monash University operates. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.'

    Note that an Acknowledgement of Country should always be made at formal library events, such as exhibition openings and conferences, preferably by the first speaker in their welcome or introduction.

    Find out more on the Victorian Government’s 'Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners' website or Monash University's 'Recognising Traditional Owners' website. 

  • Learn about the software available in the library’s adaptive technology rooms (ATRs); if you know the kinds of assistive tools available to students and how these programs can impact use of e-learning resources, you can more easily provide accessible documents. 

    Further information
    • The assistive software available includes screen readers (JAWS), screen magnifiers (MAGic or ZoomText), dictation software (Dragon), learning and literacy support tools (texthelp read&write, inspiration) and optical character recognition (OCR) software (ABBYY FineReader).
       
    • Knowing how screen readers work, for example, is important when designing online resources, as it helps you recognise the importance of proper page structure, appropriate use of headings and hyperlinked text, and the necessity of alt text for images and icons. Further details about creative accessible documents can be found in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines website.
       
    • To use the ATRs, students must be registered with DSS. For more information, contact Disability Support Services (DSS) or talk to one of the library’s Disability Contact Officers.

  • Become familiar with the services offered by the library’s Disability Contact Officers, and the university’s Disability Support Services (DSS), so you can refer students on as required.

    Further information
    • There are useful resources on the DSS intranet (Monash only), including an Inclusive teaching toolkit for students with disability and an Inclusive teaching checklist.

  • Try to face students when you’re talking. Following your mouth movements while you’re speaking is essential for students with hearing impairments who might lip-read, and can make comprehension easier for students who have English as an additional language. 

    Further information
    • Examine the physical teaching space beforehand to determine the best place to stand to increase your visibility.
       
    • In some classrooms there are no obvious places to stand. In this case, try standing in the place where you intend to deliver most of the class from as students arrive. Those who benefit from watching you speak can then seat themselves closer to you. 
       
    • In an online context, ensure your face is well-lit, try to look at the camera and use headphones with a microphone to ensure a clearer sound quality. 

  • Take the time to learn about Indigenous cultural practices, such as smoking ceremonies and Sorry Business, so you can respond with understanding when these are mentioned by students.

    Further information

  • Be aware that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are diverse, and their heritage may not be obvious to you.       

    Examples
    • It is inappropriate to make assumptions about students' heritage, and rarely appropriate to ask students about where they're from.  
       
    • Avoid asking questions like 'is anyone in this class Indigenous?' or asking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to provide an 'Indigenous perspective' on discussions in class. This singles out students and suggests that Indigenous people are 'outsiders' in your classroom. 

  • Remain aware that conventions around personal names differ between cultures, and in some cultures naming conventions might be different from western conventions.

    Examples
    • When teaching citing and referencing, for example, it is best to avoid referring to a 'Christian name' and 'surname', and instead clarifying what you mean by 'given name' and 'family name'.
       
    • Consider including examples of how to cite non-Western names that may not neatly fit into Western categories and citation systems.

  • Without stereotyping, consider non-Western approaches to education and the impact this may have on students’ learning.

    Examples
    • In many Asian countries with Confucian world-views, students primarily learn through repetition and memorising. These students may need more encouragement and guidance about engaging in critical thinking or creative expression (Merriam & Kim, 2008).
       
    • For information about incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' knowledges into your teaching, see the Great Guide to Indigenisation of the Curriculum.
       
    • Some cultures discourage speaking out of turn, or even speaking without being asked, impacting on how students engage in collaborative learning (Maringe & Sing, 2014). Seek ways to encourage all members of a group to participate (ie. you could assign each member a task to complete).
       
    • Take into account that some non-Western cultures privilege the collective good over individual rights, which can impact on how students are motivated to learn and how they understand and interpret knowledges and referencing.
       
    • Understandings around the role of the teacher and authority vary from culture to culture. Talking in the presence of elders, or questioning the teacher or their knowledge can be considered highly disrespectful.

    • Some students come from countries without copyright laws and that have different approaches to referencing and academic integrity. You may mention when discussing plagiarism that the concept of ‘owning’ knowledge, as currently understood by Australian Universities, largely stems from the historical development of copyright laws in Australia, Britain and the USA. These can conflict with Indigenous understandings of knowledge, for example. Some concepts or stories are only to be shared under particular circumstances or with particular people with a specific relationship to the storyteller, something that copyright laws (and referencing systems) in Australia do not reflect. 

    • Include group or pair work to assist students establish intercultural relationships and recognise the value of diversity (Edmead 2012).

  • Make a conscious and regular effort to develop your knowledge of diversity, inclusion and exclusion.

    Examples
    • Allocate time in your calendar, maybe once a week or once a fortnight, to expanding on your knowledge in a particular area. You could spend this time exploring one of the toolkit website resources, or reading a journal article, or view a short documentary on Kanopy.