Analyzing data on classroom engagement to advance inclusive pedagogy

Cherilyn Lacy

Assistant Dean of Faculty, Hartwick College

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of EAB.

With the recent revision of the Hartwick College mission statement, as the assistant dean of faculty, I have prioritized faculty professional development opportunities centered on inclusion and belonging. The EAB Higher Education Rising Leaders Fellowship provided a collaborative context in which to focus on the following question: how does faculty use of inclusive pedagogy influence student engagement in the classroom?

During the six-month fellowship, I drew upon an institutional strategy index prepared by EAB for Hartwick College and worked with EAB experts to analyze the metrics on student engagement in Hartwick’s Navigate portal. Hartwick’s Chief Diversity Officer and I piloted a workshop on inclusive syllabus design, which provided the framework for the analysis conducted during the EAB fellowship.

The results of the project established a process for continuous assessment and improvement of faculty use of inclusive pedagogy:

1. Common first-year courses were identified for tracking student engagement metrics, including attendance records and academic alerts in EAB Navigate
2. Course syllabi submitted to the provost’s office were analyzed for the use of tips from the workshop on inclusive syllabus design
3. A weak correlation between the use of inclusive syllabus design and lower classroom absence rates was identified
4. Process revised for ongoing analysis of student engagement metrics that will inform future faculty professional development

Future resources that are needed to sustain this project include time to assemble data and design reports, additional research on the impact of inclusive pedagogy on student success and retention, and coordination between multiple constituencies across campus. EAB’s resources were essential to establishing what will be a long-term project to foster more inclusive learning environments to increase student engagement, success, and retention. In particular, EAB’s DEIJ Strategy Index prepared specifically for Hartwick College, and training in how to design reports and analyze the results, were instrumental in providing a strong framework for this project.

The system of fellowship pairs was especially valuable in providing a peer mentor for vetting ideas and suggesting solutions. The fellowship pairs ensured that each of us would complete the program with a new colleague to continue exchanging ideas with in the future.