Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Volume 21, Number 4

The increasingly diverse composition of faculty and students at higher education institutions over the past several decades has made it critical to direct efforts toward creating learning environments that ensure all learners are truly able to learn effectively. These efforts are especially necessary for ensuring the success and retention of traditionally marginalized student (and faculty) groups. Nevertheless, efforts at promoting inclusive learning on college campuses have too often been "fragmented", with a disconnect between the initiatives and their intended (or actual) outcomes (Salazar, Norton, & Tuitt, 2010, p. 8). Teaching so that all learners learn means creating and delivering instruction that "reduces all students' experiences of marginalization and, wherever possible, helps students understand that individuals' experiences, values, and perspectives influence how they construct knowledge in any field or discipline"; moreover, "thoughtfulness, mutual respect, and academic excellence are valued and promoted" (Saunders & Kardia, 2010). Benefits to such inclusive teaching efforts have been shown to include, among others, greater student motivation and self-confidence, stronger critical-thinking skills, increased cultural awareness, and a higher level of civic involvement.