To maintain recruitment and retention, biology teachers face the challenge of finding relatable role models for their students. Our ever-increasing scientific knowledge has been facilitated by people from many different backgrounds, identities, and experiences. However, textbooks and lectures typically present researchers as one-dimensional people that live only to perform science. Highlighted scientists are also overwhelmingly members of majority and privileged backgrounds and groups. The lesson includes materials that will help students create their own slide deck of information about the research and outside interests of scientists at their own institution. The lesson also includes materials that can be used to help initiate discussions about representation and inclusion in science. The lesson introduces students to the research that is being done on their own campus as a way to humanize researchers. The lesson allows students to progress beyond being passive consumers of resources to themselves identifying relatable role models/role models from marginalized groups/backgrounds/identities. In general, the lesson helped students make personal connections to scientists at their institution, humanized scientists, that it made professors less intimidating, and increased their reported confidence in their ability to do research in the future. We provide templates, rubrics, and scaffolding materials from an undergraduate introductory course that instructors can directly implement to engage students in discovering the human side of the researchers on their own campuses and beyond.

Presentation on Universal Design for Learning at the 2019 BioQUEST & QUBES Summer Workshop

Slides and materials for the STEM Inclusive Teaching Practices Webinar Series: Universal Design for Learning

Video recordings (with captions), transcript, and chat for the STEM Inclusive Teaching Practices Webinar Series: Universal Design for Learning.

Presentation on Universal Design for Learning at the 2022 SIMIODE EXPO

Three resources for faculty interested in an introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

This activity supports instructors in revising materials to incorporate Universal Design for Learning checkpoints.

The Revising Social & Environmental Justice Open Educational Resources through UDL and Accessibility Lenses Working Group met during the Fall 2021 semester as part of the BIOME Institute. This resource includes a lightning talk describing our activities and plans going forward.

This activity guides faculty through analyzing a resource using the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines.

Two activities for introducing Universal Design for Learning to a faculty audience

A tool for analyzing a resource's alignment to CAST's Universal Design for Learning Guidelines

This framework, developed by ISKME in partnership with SERC, provides a practical reference for curators and authors of STEM OER, with 23 accessibility criteria, or elements, to reference as they curate, design and adapt materials to be accessible.

The Ciliate Genomics Consortium (CGC) employs an integrative teaching and research model that combines both inquiry-driven class laboratory activities and collaborative consortium pedagogies to advance faculty research.