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Inclusive Teaching & Learning

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy at CSI

In October 2022, CSI was awarded a 5-year federal grant to support our priorities as Idaho's first Hispanic-Serving Institution. This grant will encompass many opportunities at CSI; culturally responsive pedagogy is only one of them. Members of CSI's first learning community are presently exploring this topic at length, recognizing that at its core, culturally responsive pedagogy invites us to see each student and teach in ways that can meet everyone's needs. 

Members of this learning community have committed to improve the curriculum in ten CSI general education courses through the implementation of strategies to build:

  • Welcoming classroom environments.
  • Increased structures to encourage student participation and engagement with course materials.
  • The addition of active and collaborative learning opportunities in courses.
  • Asset-based mindsets and an appreciation of the value that all students bring to the learning environment.

Why do This?

CSI is committed to an exploration of culturally responsive pedagogy as a means to:

  • Help students feel welcome and an increased sense of belonging here at our campus and outreach centers.
  • Explore teaching methods that encourage active, connected learning.
  • Discover more ways to meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve.

How will CSI Implement Culturally Responsive Pedagogy?

Current ideas and practices include:

  • Rethinking syllabus design to incorporate a welcoming and student-friendly tone.
  • Clearly communicating to students the value of "student hours", and that this is their opportunity to seek additional feedback from instructors.
  • Making visible to students the why behind pedagogical decisions made within courses.
  • Incorporating video content as a means to welcome students, illustrate how to use our LMS, Canvas, and to introduce new content or model expectations.

CSI's Culturally Responsive Learning Community is a rich environment where monthly meetings consist of collaborative sharing and ideation, a book read, collaboration with nationally-recognized experts in the field, group discussion, and more. If you are interested in joining us, please contact tlc@csi.edu.

For a flyer highlighting CSI's approach to culturally responsive pedagogy, please download the following:

English version: Why Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP)?

Spanish version: ¿Por qué una pedagogyía culturalmente responsable (PCR)?