2.2.1 Exercise: Unpacking Course Content

evaluate practices

Portraying diversity in your course is a first step towards more inclusive content. Another step is critically evaluating the content of your course by asking yourself:

How does your course content reinforce stereotypes or assumptions?

Although each example is attached to a discipline, many of these examples can be encountered in some form in other contexts.

Examples of assumptions found in course content
Discipline Example of Possible Assumption
Business Management An article that only uses the pronouns “he/him”
Math A concept that assumes heterosexual pairing (e.g., the ménage problem Links to an external site.)
History A textbook that explains the perspective of settlers in great detail and only briefly considers the perspective of Indigenous people
Dermatology A textbook chapter that only shows fair-skinned patients
Nutrition A list of case studies that only use anglophone names to describe people
Geography A video that only uses maps centered on North America or Europe
Sociology A survey that only has two gender options to choose from

Many assumptions and stereotypes are built into day-to-day habits or disciplinary traditions, and it takes time to identify them. Don't be surprised if you start noticing more things as you learn to think critically about course materials!

Assumptions and stereotypes can make their way into your materials even when you did not mean to exclude or marginalize anyone. Still, they have a negative impact: they can reinforce ideas in the minds of all students, and suggest to students from marginalized and underrepresented groups that they don't belong in your course or discipline.

 

If you have uncovered some assumptions and stereotypes in your course content, what can you do?

  • Assign a different textbook or adapt current textbook

    Let your colleagues and the publisher know why you are switching text or making changes. 

  • Consult with colleagues

    This can help you find more inclusive materials or ideas to adapt your content.

  • Acknowledge limitations

    If a limitation is unavoidable or you noticed it too late, acknowledge that fact to students and discuss why it is an issue. They might even have suggestions for what you could do differently.

  • Invite students to approach the material critically

    Encourage students to ask, "What assumptions is this text/case study making?" and invite them to provide suggestions. This signals you are open to feedback and helps hone students' critical thinking.

  • Supplement your existing materials

    You can use other materials that provide an alternative to the assumptions that you want to challenge (e.g., using case studies featuring women and non-binary people when using a textbook that features mostly men).

Critical thinking skills are valued across all disciplines, and explicit conversations about inclusion can help students sharpen these skills and think outside of their usual disciplinary framework.

Finally, it is possible for all instructors to use inclusive reading lists that feature scholars with diverse names (which often suggests diversity in terms of gender, race, or linguistic background) or diverse university affiliations. Incorporating the work of scholars who are more likely to be marginalized in your field because of systemic inequities can send a powerful message of belonging to students who experience similar inequities.