This presentation will include information on why belonging matters in higher education and offer instructors methods for designing belonging into the college classroom. The presentation will describe elements of belonging and emphasize the importance of creating a sense of belonging in college courses. Attendees will be encouraged to consider how they may already be helping their students feel a sense of belonging and how to amplify this element of our teaching. For example, instructors can address common student concerns through belonging interventions, which will be described in the presentation.

Research-supported techniques for fostering belonging by creating a community of care in the writing classroom will be described. Research has shown that increasing students’ sense of belonging builds equity and improves student success, confidence, and retention; this research will be highlighted during the presentation.

This presentation will also offer practical ideas for increasing students’ sense of belonging by using collaborative exercises, classroom activities, and short-answer reflective writing prompts. Several different interventions to build belonging will be presented, including an assignment for students to create video recommendations for incoming first-years, a hybrid activity to help students name and navigate impostor syndrome, and a think-pair-share exercise in which students are asked to reflect on their adjustment process. Attendees will be given access to a shared folder of in-class activities designed to foster belonging, as well as an introduction to current research on belonging from sources such as Wise’s Design For Belonging, Felten & Holden’s Relationship-Rich Education, and Walton and Cohen’s work.

Authors:
Lindsay Knisely, University of California, Santa Cruz, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Lindsay Knisely has taught writing and social justice at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 2004. She is a Senior Continuing Lecturer in the Writing Program and a Continuing Lecturer at Oakes College.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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