Diversity topics in gen ed courses the topic of Lilly Conference presentation

October 31, 2024

SHARON, Pa. - Three members of the Penn State Shenango Faculty Teaching Committee presented at the Lilly Conference: "Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning" in Traverse City, Michigan, on Oct. 9.

Assistant Teaching Professor of English Angela Pettitt, Teaching Professor and Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Coordinator Tammy Divens, and Teaching Professor of Chemistry Kathy Shaffer presented "Expanding DEI in the Gen Ed Classroom," which was based on results of a research study conducted during the 2023-24 academic year.

"I wanted to address the common lack of diversity-based content in mainstream general education courses as part of my research for my dissertation," said Pettitt, who mentioned that it's not uncommon for diversity-focused content to be included in courses that meet a university diversity requirement, but other gen ed courses can get left behind.

The group's conference presentation focused on the revisions Pettitt, Divens, and Shaffer made to their courses to incorporate greater emphasis on diverse representation, inclusion, and social justice, which demonstrated how those topics are relevant to all courses regardless of discipline.

The multi-disciplinary faculty team incorporated new textbooks that feature work done by more diverse researchers, explored cultural differences in daily living and self-care, included articles and primary sources regarding common gender roles, investigated archived redlining maps used to exclude Black neighborhoods from federal loan programs, and even considered indigenous people's relationship with water when learning about water contaminants, among other strategies.

"It is definitely important as future occupational therapist practitioners to understand cultural diversity," Divens said. "It is also important to address specific client needs that are meaningful to them in order to provide the best care."

The study examined student responses to the new diversity-focused content through reflection essays and one-on-one interviews.

"Students wrote consistently about how much they appreciated learning about the experiences of people different from themselves," Pettitt said.

"I feel very fortunate to have, along with Angela and Tammy, represented our team from Penn State Shenango at the Lilly Conference," said Shaffer. The Lilly Conference's mission is to provide evidence-based teaching and learning techniques to promote professional development for faculty. "I had the opportunity to share a few examples of how diversity was expanded, and to perhaps inspire others to consider ways in which they could do this as well."

The Shenango Faculty Teaching Committee is an informal group of teaching professors who collaborate on research to examine topics such as student wellness, diversity in the curriculum, and most recently, project-based learning. Their research has also been presented at conferences in Austin, Texas, and New York City.