Report on the Launch of an Inclusive Teaching Toolkit to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Fostering Educational Equity through a New Strategic Resource

A new resource, the Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Teaching Toolkit, has been developed at the University of Victoria (UVic) to advance institutional commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Resulting from a multi-year research project by librarians, the toolkit provides actionable strategies for educators to create equitable learning environments, directly supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Project Origins and Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

Addressing Gaps in Inclusive Educational Practices

The project was initiated in 2021 by UVic librarians Aditi Gupta and Ying Liu, who identified a lack of practical strategies for fostering cultural inclusivity in higher education. Their research, informed by lived experience and supported by a UVic Anti-Racism Initiative Grant, aimed to dismantle barriers faced by international and equity-seeking students. This initiative directly addresses SDG Target 4.5, which calls for ensuring equal access to all levels of education for the vulnerable.

Research and Development Framework

The development process was comprehensive, involving:

• A mixed-method qualitative study
• Extensive literature reviews
• Focus group interviews with faculty and librarians

The findings, published in March 2024, highlighted a need for institutional-level training and guidelines, confirming the toolkit’s necessity for achieving the inclusive and equitable outcomes outlined in SDG 4.

Toolkit Structure and Contribution to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Core Components for Systemic Change

The toolkit is structured to provide a robust framework for educators, thereby contributing to SDG 10 by promoting the social and academic inclusion of all students. Its primary sections are:

1. Culturally Responsive Teaching
2. Inclusive Teaching
3. Decolonizing Teaching
4. Universal Design for Learning

These components, supplemented by checklists and scenarios, empower instructors to challenge inequities and foster a sense of belonging, directly supporting SDG Target 10.3 to ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.

Focus on Decolonization and Anti-Racism

A significant portion of the toolkit is dedicated to decolonizing instruction and curriculum. This focus is critical for addressing systemic barriers and creating learning environments where diverse student populations see themselves reflected, a key step in reducing institutional inequalities.

Inter-Institutional Collaboration in Support of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Partnership Between University of Victoria and Camosun College

The project exemplifies SDG 17 through its collaboration between UVic librarians and colleagues from Camosun College. Robbyn Lanning and Sk’ing Lúudas Natasha Parrish from Camosun’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning co-authored the decolonizing teaching section, strengthening the toolkit’s Indigenization lens. This partnership demonstrates how knowledge-sharing between institutions can accelerate progress toward common sustainable development objectives.

Implementation, Recognition, and Future Impact

Practical Application and Institutional Adoption

The toolkit is designed for immediate implementation by librarians, faculty, and staff. It offers practical steps, such as diversifying search topics, adjusting communication styles for international students, and applying culturally sensitive narratives to course content. Faculty members have already begun integrating its principles into course development, noting the checklists are a valuable resource for aligning assignments with inclusive goals.

Recognition and Commitment to Ongoing Improvement

The toolkit and its creators have received formal recognition, including an Open Education and Zero Textbook Cost Recognition Award from Camosun College. The project has garnered both local and global interest, with plans to tailor the resource for specific faculties and expand its implementation. This ongoing commitment ensures the toolkit will continue to serve as a vital instrument for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, reinforcing the university’s contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

The article is fundamentally about improving the quality of education. It details the creation and implementation of a toolkit designed to make teaching more inclusive, culturally responsive, and effective for all students, particularly international and equity-seeking students. The toolkit’s focus on “inclusive teaching,” “decolonizing teaching,” and “universal design for learning” directly contributes to enhancing the quality and equity of education at the post-secondary level.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The article addresses the inequalities faced by specific groups within the educational system. It highlights the challenges of international students, immigrants, and “students from equity-seeking groups” who may experience “alienation, isolation and invisibility in the classroom.” The toolkit is a direct response to these issues, aiming to “challenge inequities in access to information” and reduce the “systemic barriers faced by many students… from underrepresented backgrounds.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The initiative described in the article contributes to building more just and inclusive institutions (universities and libraries). By promoting “anti-racism,” “social justice,” and “decolonizing their spaces,” the institutions are working to become more effective and inclusive. The article notes the need for “institutional-level training, guidelines and good practices,” which the toolkit provides, thereby strengthening the institution’s capacity to serve all members of its community equitably.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.7: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship

   This target aims to ensure learners acquire knowledge and skills for promoting sustainable development, including the “appreciation of cultural diversity.” The “Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Teaching Toolkit” directly supports this by providing instructors with strategies to foster an appreciation for cultural diversity in the classroom. Its sections on “culturally responsive teaching” and “decolonizing teaching” are designed to create a learning environment that values different cultural perspectives and experiences.

2. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools

   This target focuses on providing “safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.” The article emphasizes the toolkit’s goal to give students a “highly valued sense of belonging in the academic setting” and create “inclusive spaces.” By addressing issues of alienation and invisibility, the toolkit helps build a more inclusive and psychologically safe learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

   This target calls for the empowerment and promotion of social inclusion for all, irrespective of origin, race, or ethnicity. The article describes how the toolkit was developed based on the “lived experience” of librarians who were international students, with the explicit goal of making learners “more comfortable” and fostering inclusion for “students from equity-seeking groups.” This is a direct effort to promote the social and academic inclusion of marginalized groups within the university.

2. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination

   This target aims to reduce inequalities of outcome by eliminating discriminatory practices. The toolkit serves as a practical guide to challenge and change pedagogical practices that may unintentionally exclude or discriminate against students. By promoting “anti-racism” and addressing “systemic barriers,” the initiative works towards ensuring more equal opportunities for academic success for all students.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making

   The development of the toolkit itself exemplifies a participatory process. The article states it involved a “mixed-method qualitative study, literature review and focus groups” and collaboration between two institutions (UVic and Camosun College). This inclusive approach to developing institutional resources ensures they are responsive to the needs of the community they serve, particularly underrepresented groups.

2. Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies

   While the toolkit is not a law, it functions as an institutional policy and set of best practices to promote non-discrimination. The article mentions that research participants “expressed the necessity for institutional-level training, guidelines and good practices.” The toolkit fulfills this need, providing a framework to guide instructors and staff in implementing “anti-racism, Indigenization and decolonization work” to foster equity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. For Target 4.7:

   • Development and implementation of educational resources: The creation and launch of the “Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Teaching Toolkit” is a direct indicator. The article notes its availability to “UVic faculty and staff” and plans to tailor it for specific departments.
   • Adoption by educators: The use of the toolkit by faculty is a key measure of progress. The article provides a specific example: “UVic Associate Art History and Visual Studies professor Dennine Dudley has been using the decolonizing content in their course development.”

2. For Target 4.a:

   • Student’s sense of belonging: The article states a key goal is to “give students a highly valued sense of belonging.” Measuring this through student feedback and surveys would be an implied indicator of creating a more inclusive environment.
   • Systemic changes in learning spaces: The article mentions making “systemic changes such as decolonizing their spaces to make them more inclusive, diversifying collections and providing services with empathy.” These actions are measurable indicators of progress.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. For Targets 10.2 and 10.3:

   • Number of faculty and staff trained/using the toolkit: The article states the toolkit is “aimed at librarians, faculty and staff.” Tracking the number of individuals who access, download, or participate in workshops related to the toolkit would be a clear indicator of its reach in promoting inclusive practices.
   • Qualitative feedback from underrepresented students: The toolkit emerged from the “lived experience” of international students. An implied indicator of success would be collecting feedback from current international and equity-seeking students to assess if they feel more included and supported.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. For Targets 16.7 and 16.b:

   • Institutional adoption of guidelines: The toolkit’s integration into official training and pedagogical development is an indicator. The article mentions the need for “institutional-level training, guidelines and good practices,” which the toolkit provides. Its promotion and implementation across departments signify institutional commitment.
   • Inter-institutional collaboration: The collaboration between UVic and Camosun College to “strengthen the Indigenization and Decolonization lens of the toolkit” is an indicator of building stronger, more inclusive institutional partnerships to address systemic issues.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: educationnewscanada.com