Creating Inclusive Virtual Spaces

Edited by Olivia Lopez, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Virtual places of learning and work bring with them new challenges to maintaining inclusive and safe classrooms and workspaces. The rapid shift to virtual learning and working from home for large segments of the population in the US and globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted some of these challenges, especially given little time for preparation. In order to address shifting workplace dynamics and accommodate individual needs in a time of heightened inequities, consider the following questions about differences in accessibility and impact. Below we provide a sample of readings on important topics to keep in mind for inclusive learning and working spaces.

Jump down to: Differences in Accessibility | Differences in Impact | Resources | COVID-19 Specific Challenges

Differences in accessibility

What are geographic and institutional restrictions to accessing physical working and learning spaces?
Are there individuals who lack access to resources needed to successfully participate in virtual workspaces, such as a computer, reliable internet, quiet space, uninterrupted time, etc.?
- For example: Students Without Laptops, Instructors Without Internet: How Struggling Colleges Move Online During Covid-19 by Beth McMurtry
Can individuals of differing ability statuses comfortably engage in virtual work and learning?
- For example: Sudden Remote Teaching – by Ryan Seslow raises some of the challenges of teaching in virtual classrooms for a deaf/hard of hearing professor
- Read: Enhancing the inclusivity and accessibility of your online calls – by Yo Yehudi, Kaitlin Whitney and Malvika Sharan provide guidelines and recommendations for ensuring accessibility.
How do virtual work and learning accommodate changes in individuals' health (physical, mental), especially during a global pandemic?
How do we recognize unique challenges for those with caretaking responsibilities as well as those who live alone and can feel extreme isolation?
How does remote communication exacerbate power dynamics, silencing of voices in the classroom or committee and team meetings?

Differences in impact

How can we accommodate the working and learning needs of those disproportionately affected by the pandemic? Read below and visit the (In)equity in the Time of COVID-19 resource page for more information.
How do we create virtual spaces where people with identities disproportionately targeted by online discrimination and harassment feel safe and are able to engage?
For example: "Zoombombers" disrupt classes with racist and pornographic content

Resources to help navigate teaching and working remotely and virtually

"Let's start the week by repeating that a summer of planning for better online learning this Fall will be wasted if we do not begin from the premise that our students are learning from a place of dislocation, anxiety, anger, and trauma."

- Cathy Davidson, The Single Most Essential Requirement in Designing a Fall Online Course

Creating inclusive classrooms (see below for specific resources to online teaching)

Tips for teaching online

Student-Centered Remote Teaching: Lessons Learned from Online Education by Shannon Riggs
Remote Teaching: Seminars and Discussion-Based Courses (U Waterloo)
Remote Lab Activities and Experiences (Dartmouth University)
Supporting community engaged courses via remote learning (Xavier University)
Inclusive online teaching resources (St. Louis University)
Inclusive Approaches to Support Student Assignments During Times of Disruption (Brown University)
Wellbeing in Course Design (Dartmouth University)
Practicing Compassion with Course Workload
How to Create an Inclusive Online Class (focusing on language) (Penn State University)
Accessibility: Video captions (Wright State University)

Other resources:

Crowdsourced Teaching Online With Care
Remote Teaching Resource Group on Facebook includes educators from a diversity of institutions of higher-ed as well as K-12
Remote Academia 2020 Slack Doc & Reading List – massive list of resources for teaching remotely from several U.S. universities. Includes a link to multi-university Slack group for remote teaching discussion. Compiled by Princeton CITP

Tips for virtual meetings

For virtual meetings, it is helpful to align meeting goals with meeting structure and attendance, being mindful of power dynamics. Establish norms for respectful conversations or a code of conduct for online meetings.

See an example from Mozilla on developing and conveying community expectations for online meetings
- These include requesting the following information be included in introductions/roll call/attendance records
  - Name / affiliation / pronouns / language(s) / location / social media
See the American Geophysical Union's guide for Best Practices for Inclusive Remote Meetings
Share expectations at the start of each call before any discussion is opened. An example set of expectations (read out loud by meeting host) is provided below:
- Be respectful, honest, inclusive, accommodating, appreciative, and open to learning from everyone else.
- Do not attack, demean, disrupt, harass, or threaten others or encourage such behavior.
- See also: full Community Participation Guidelines here.
- Issues: Identify who should be contacted with regards to problems during and after meeting and make sure meetings hosts know how to step in, mute or remove offending material or persons.

Other considerations:

Building a Better Brainstorm: A Guide to Inclusive Team Meetings by Erik Potter
Run Meetings that are Fair for Women, Introverts, and Remote Workers by Renee Cullinan

Tips for large online meetings or conferences:

Tips for virtual collaborations:

Kick-starting scientific collaborations remotely by Julie Lowndes, Carrie Kappel and Julien Brun

Tips for dealing with hostile behaviors

Social media and online forms of communication increase risk of targeted harassment of underserved groups.

Refer to pre-established norms and expectations of behavior, include sanctions for removal of offending material and individuals
Practice online safety (check public/private settings, passwords, etc.)
Learn and practice bystander intervention
Hollaback! bystander resources
HeartMob: End online harassment

COVID-19 Specific Challenges to Equity and Accessibility

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequalities in our workplaces and broader society, including our universities and health care system. Here is a sample of readings to raise awareness and start conversations about the disproportionate impact on members of our communities: