Teaching with Inclusivity: Examining Flexible Pedagogical Techniques That Amplify Accessibility While Retaining Engagement

Courses with enrollment of over 100 students pose particular accessibility and engagement challenges, especially for students struggling with health issues or work, family, and/or extracurricular obligations. When classes returned to campus after the pandemic, we adopted flexible pedagogical techniques in a Sociology of Sport class to alleviate some of these challenges. We retained online assignments, removed attendance requirements, and instituted extended deadlines along with other flexible arrangements. We present results from an analysis of 339 student exit surveys from three semesters with questions about accessibility and engagement. Some 68 percent of students report at least one difficulty attending classes, suggesting the need for accessibility options. Additionally, self-reported engagement in the course was high, and students exhibited an increased interest in sociology. Although the techniques are not appropriate for all courses, our findings underscore the importance of addressing challenges that hinder accessibility and engagement for many college students.