Classroom culture
At the beginning of Chapter 5: Classroom Environment and Interactions, Hogan and Sathy ask the reader if they have been in a faculty meeting scenario where a presentation goes on so long there is hardly time for questions or where a few people dominate a conversation. In each scenario they want the reader to think about who is included and who is left out of sharing their opinions or having an opportunity to speak. What leads to this? No structure and poor planning. These are examples of what NOT to do when you want to create an inclusive atmosphere.
The purpose of these questions about the faculty meeting is to point out that planning for a class is paramount to how inclusive it will be. How much time are you spending on lecturing? Are we only allowing the outspoken students the chance to speak or offer their opinion? Are there other ways to include those who are more introverted? The authors give examples of facilitating thoughtful classroom interactions.
We must think about visual considerations as well for learners. You as the instructor may ask a question in class and expect all to remember it and answer the question. Sathy and Hogan suggest having it on a worksheet or presenting a slide for all to see. This assists students who maybe have ADD or those who are not auditory learners, but visual learners, and even those who cannot retain the information. They go on to talk about PowerPoint slide design as well as the use of microphones for all learners to see and hear clearly.