How do I engage with (my own) biases?

There is still a tendency within the natural sciences and beyond to associate the topic of inclusion as solely pertinent to the social sciences and humanities. While there is something to be said about the role of these disciplines in addressing inquiries of inclusion through research, theory, and praxis, it would be a mistake to exclude the branch of natural sciences from the ongoing dialogue about inclusive online higher education – or for them to excuse themselves from it. The issues that digital inclusion seeks to address and redress, after all, are a fundamental part of the way in which we have organised our societies but also the knowledge production in academia. The status of the natural sciences as objective, neutral, and impartial disciplines have long been challenged and to a certain extent debunked (Reiss & Sprenger, 2020). When this position of impartiality is continued, however, this creates more room for bias to insidiously seep through in subtle, sometimes indiscernible ways. This underscores the importance of involving the natural science communities in ongoing efforts to create inclusive online academic environments in order for exclusion to be tackled in a rigorous and integral manner.

One of the entry points for intervention is higher education. Hence it is useful to look at the ways in which we produce and transfer knowledge within the natural science disciplines, which is not an objective process, and furthermore transmits certain notions tacitly.

Concept

The concept of hidden curriculum was introduced to described the implicit ways in which certain unspoken, unwritten, and unofficial norms, values, and ideas are – often unintentionally – taught to students in school (Giroux & Penna, 1979). One of the consequences of the existence of a hidden curriculum can be the production or reaffirmation of stereotypes: fixed or generalised ideas of a specific group of people and their characteristics and traits. Stereotypes can be harmful because they perpetuate untrue associations that are often based on sex, gender identity, ethnicity, ability, etc. Their continuous reproduction leads to experiences that negatively affect marginalised people in particular. Marginalised people are regularly forced to contend with small, daily manifestations of stereotypical ideas, for example in the form of microaggressions. Microaggressions are subtle, everyday, indirect expressions, insults, slights, and actions that are directed towards people of marginalised groups. This can be in the form of comments, questions, assumptions, or other communications.

In the natural sciences, stereotypes and microaggressions tend to occur for instance when discussing the role of women in STEM, i.e., science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The idea that women are less suited than their male counterparts for certain fields is a common stereotype. When people act on such a stereotypical idea by expressing it, people experience not only microaggressions but real barriers. A comment might easily be brushed off, but people also make decisions based on stereotypical ideas – with grave consequences for the one being stereotyped. Think of being passed over for a job or promotion, admittance to a study programme, or denied the rights as others.

Representation – or the way in which people are represented – is an important factor in creating inclusive virtual learning environments in this sense. The lack of representation in online course material is known to contribute to feelings of inferiority and undervaluing of the underrepresented group (Butt, 2020). This also applies for example in the subjects of assignments, which in STEM are often aligned with more typically ‘male’ interests (like transportation and construction), but can be broadened with examples that resonate with more typically ‘female’ domains (like care and communication). Also in terms of research funders or beneficiaries, it is important to become aware who will benefit from certain studies, or who is the target group. Does this include a broad range of people, including those who are now in marginalized societal positions?

The difficulty with biases is that they are not always intentional, which can make them difficult to address. Whatever the intention might be, however, is does not undo the impact of the action. Intention can therefore never be a justification, but an opportunity for accountability and learning to align action with intention.

Scenario

You have finished teaching a statistics course online for the term and are looking back on a successful period. The students were very motivated to succeed, which was reflected in their presence and contributions to the course. Additionally, they engaged enthusiastically with the course materials you made available.

A few weeks pass and the course evaluation by the students has finished. As you are going through the feedback, you encounter a surprising comment by a student:

“The exercises included cases of research that portrayed people with a refugee background in a very negative light. Of the parts covered in the handbook there were a total of three exercises which revolved around studies of refugee populations in the context of crime, domestic violence, and deviant behaviour. I think you should take a close look at the contents of the handbook, because this kind of messaging can lead to harmful views.”

You were not expecting this because of all the positive reactions, but you are also curious to know which student it is so you can consult them. Since the online survey was anonymous, you cannot trace back the person who wrote this entry. Why did they not tell you sooner or in person? And besides, the examples are based on real research and not fictitious, which is important for students to get a real glimpse of the research being conducted.

Challenge (10 minutes)

There are many ways in which exclusion occurs that we are not aware of and in ways that feel out of our control. Nonetheless, we often have a role in these processes – whether we are aware of it or not. It is therefore important to consider how accountability and remediation can take place if our actions are producing certain outcomes, yet no one is taking any responsibility for them. In this scenario, the choice for a specific handbook led to a grievance with a student. Think of what this means your role is in this situation. Try to use the proposed insights and the concepts in the analysis for your reflection. Writing your answers down can help your reflection process. Use the prompts below to guide your thoughts.

Prompts

What are your initial thoughts on the feedback of the student in this situation?
Does the problem that the student has brought forth merit any attention? Why?
Does this situation require an intervention to remedy or otherwise? If no, explain why not. If yes, explain why and whose responsibility it falls under.
What is your role in the situation?
Do you think the handbook is neutral, and/or that the student is projecting their own feelings and imagining a bias problem? Why?
Do you think the student’s feelings, thoughts, and opinion of the course material matter?
Do you think your personal stance is pertinent to such discussions? Why (not)?
If you were to address the issue, what would your approach be? Why?

How do you think your students perceive your position and perspective regarding this situation?
What do you think classroom participants (including yourself) can learn about this situation?
How might different students experience this situation? How do you think this impacts them in the setting of the virtual classroom? How can you find out?
How can you use digital approaches to your advantage in this situation?

Example

In this challenge your analysis and observations are central. The concept section already provides a concrete explanation and example for the effects of stereotypes and microaggressions, so instead of a mock answer this example section shares some considerations for your answer.

Consider…

… how the issue raised by the student touches upon the ongoing broader conversation about inclusion in online higher education.
… how there might be more students or faculty members that share the experience or observation of the student.
… what the implications might be for a group of people who are solely portrayed in this light.
… what the implications might be for your students who are required to build knowledge through material about a group of people who are solely portrayed in this light.
… if you recognise moments in which you have experienced microaggressions or stereotypes (as sender or receiver).
… how this issue might never have been brought to the fore if the feedback could not be given anonymously in an untraceable manner.
… how the digital tools provide opportunities to engage with students by facilitating dialogue and exchanges in different ways.

Learn

This scenario touches on equity. Whereas equality is focused on providing the same opportunities for everyone, equity is focused on achieving the same outcomes in learning, which provides room to adapt education to the individual needs of learners. Gaining a better understanding of the ways in which inequities affect your students’ online learning experiences requires an understanding of what equity means in the context of higher education. From this awareness, teachers may then develop the competence to teach in an equity way that promotes an inclusive virtual education environment.

The micro-learning module ‘Equity Responsive Teaching and Inclusive Online Learning’ describes how to be culturally responsive in your classroom. Also see Guideline 4 ‘Diversify content’ in our Handbook of e-Inclusion.

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