This workshop was held on January 20, 2022. It was facilitated by Michael Tom, CLE, and Rufina Wong, DSTO.

When preparing materials for students, instructors may often find themselves focusing primarily on the subject content. Much less attention tends to be given to how pedagogy includes or excludes different groups that our students represent. Nevertheless, it is important for educators to be sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of learners in their classrooms and society at large.

In this workshop, inclusiveness was discussed from two perspectives: 1) materials development and 2) learning facilitation. Part I aimed to raise awareness of implicit bias in materials and present practical strategies for creating representations that are more inclusive. Part II explored ideas to facilitate interactions among students of different backgrounds to draw out their unique perspectives and learning needs.

The session was an interactive and practical one.

Here are the Ppt slides used in the session.

Here is a recording of this workshop.

Michael is a Lecturer and joined HKUST in 2020. Michael has taught EFL/ESL to learners in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. His interests include CALL, EAP, ESP, educational technology, curriculum development, and materials design.

Rufina is a Senior Learning and Development Trainer and joined HKUST in 2008. She has pioneered multiple initiatives for HKUST students’ personal growth, leadership development, and service learning. Currently, she leads a team of trainers to design and facilitate learning & development programs, and to provide one-on-one advising to develop students’ mindsets, skills, and characters.