Academic Inclusion*

Traditional inclusive curriculum approaches focus on diversification of the curriculum, showcasing the contribution of a diverse community.

This is extremely important for all students to be able to see themselves in the curriculum, as well as all students recognise the huge diversity that has shaped our subjects, particularly STEM. This has been recognised as an important factor in strengthening access, sense of belonging, and ultimately, success of students from all backgrounds into STEM. CAISE is conducting externally-recognised work in this area.

However, this isn't enough in inclusive education. Some barriers to success are inherent within our subjects themselves. In the way experts speak, communicate, think, and practice, there are hidden cues, nuances, special meanings, and expected behaviours.

For example, we may think that "STEMmies" (scientists or engineers) practising in the United Kingdom communicate in English. This is not the case. STEMmies speak in "STEM-glish", a language that no-one is born into.

This is similar to how we may find ourselves excluded by speakers of other languages, or even confused by speakers of different dialects. Expert language, in this case STEM-glish, can be a barrier to learning if not properly "decoded". The same applies to ways of thinking in STEM, which are not immediately obvious to non-experts, such as learners.

We may think that these issues do not fit into inclusive education, if they affect all learners. However, research shows that these issues do not affect all learners the same way. Sadly, barriers for learning, whatever they may be, are not plainly additive, they are synergistic.

CAISE's mission, therefore, bears a specific responsibility on dismantling and decoding these barriers for learners  from within our own subject. As scientists and engineers no one else can do this for us.

Academic inclusion^* is first and foremost inclusion into a subject, eventually, as a graduate expert. Of course we care deeply about student sense of belonging, and this is a central part of our work. In addition to ensuring student belonging, we claim it is critical to ensure that all our graduates are equipped to find an equal sense of belonging into their careers, as recognised competent members of their STEM communities.

So, why not simply talk about Subject Inclusion? Because for our mission to be accomplished we  must also ensure that STEM staff  have been included into STEM Education as competent STEM-educators, not simply STEM academics. Of course, our staff already do an excellent job in education. But our vision is to become even better educators.

The barriers that learners experience in becoming competent STEM-practitioners are mirrored by those that STEM-academics experience in becoming competent STEM-educators. STEM academics are not born speakers of "STEM-Education-glish", either!

Our work with staff closes the loop that is required for CAISE's vital mission. That is why we speak of Academic Inclusion^*.