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Harnessing cultural capital to foster inclusive learning and academic belonging
Posted by anne.grey | Start the discussion
Presented By: Maria Sefchick, Part-Time Instructor, College Success & Career Guidance.
Summary
This session explores how cultural capital can shape students’ experiences in college and influence whether they feel included, understood, and connected to their academic community. The presentation invites faculty to consider the knowledge, experiences, relationships, and cultural resources students bring with them into the classroom.
By recognizing and valuing students’ existing strengths, instructors can create learning environments that support academic belonging rather than expecting every student to enter college with the same background knowledge or familiarity with academic expectations.
The session encourages faculty to reflect on classroom practices through an inclusive lens and consider ways to make learning environments more welcoming to students from a variety of backgrounds. Building on students’ cultural capital can help create stronger connections between students, instructors, course content, and the broader college community.
Slides: Harnessing Cultural Capital to Foster Inclusive Learning and Academic Belonging
Presentation outcomes
- Explore the concept of cultural capital in the context of higher education.
- Consider how students’ backgrounds and experiences may influence their sense of academic belonging.
- Reflect on ways faculty can recognize and value the knowledge and strengths students bring to the classroom.
- Identify opportunities to create more inclusive and welcoming learning environments.
- Consider how teaching practices can strengthen connections between students, course content, and the college community.
Start the discussion
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