By Katie Hubler, Ph.D., CTL Special Projects Fellow. Katie’s area of expertise is radical empathy in teaching; well-balanced teaching; course and assignment redesign; and education in the Anthropocene.
What is radical empathy? “Radical Empathy” (RE) is a model of holistic, inclusive teaching that can help instructors foster a welcoming and equitable university classroom. It utilizes several highly-effective teaching practices common to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), trauma-informed (TI) pedagogy, anti-racist education, and inclusive teaching. Adding the word “radical” to empathy denotes a “far-reaching and thorough” application of empathy, one that includes reflection upon and broader contextual understanding and awareness of current and historical power structures and one’s positionality–and particularly our students’ experiences, positionalities, and agency–within those power structures.
The radical empathy approach outlined here (and in my recent “QT Talk” at the CTL) focuses less on engaging with interpersonal emotions than with demonstrating our empathy and recognition of students’ needs and realities by adopting—as standard and routine practice—equitable instructional methods and policies that support minoritized students and students who have experienced trauma.
While the RE approach requires up-front effort and attention to course design, it ultimately can save instructors time and emotional labor by having structures and clear-but-flexible policies in place to meet a variety of student needs at scale and reduce the need for on-the-fly accommodations.
Five strategies for building radical empathy into your courses:
1. Craft a warm, welcoming syllabus. Our syllabi introduce the students to our class and our personalities, often before the first meeting. A warm and welcoming syllabus can help establish a supportive tone for your course and encourage students to feel more comfortable reaching out for assistance when needed (Gurung & Galardi, 2021). One simple way to do this is to utilize personal, student-centered language such as “you, we, I will” rather than formal, impersonal statements like “students are required” or “the instructor expects.”
Defining terms that might be unfamiliar to students (syllabus, office hours, cumulative) or using alternative terms (course schedule, help hours, including content from weeks 1-10) can also help ensure that all students grasp course policies. You might consider asking someone outside of academia (like a family member) to examine your syllabus and flag anything that isn’t clear to them. [See the recent Beyond DEI Syllabi Presentation for more].
2. Get to know your students so you can better anticipate needs and empathize with their current realities. As many of us can attest, asking students to stand up on the first day of class to state their name and major is NOT a great way to get to know them. An assigned introductory survey offers a more effective avenue for learning about your students, their current circumstances, and potential challenges. The survey answers provide insight into what students may need from you in the classroom or what service referrals they might benefit from (such as CAPS or the Basic Needs Center).
3. Promote student agency in multiple aspects of your course. Granting students more agency helps rebalance instructor-student power dynamics and creates a more egalitarian classroom in which students feel empowered to contribute. Conferring with students to craft course policies and components for assessments signals that you value their insights and perspectives. Providing students with options for participation and diverse formats for assignments further encourages motivation and innovation. Agency and choice are important for students—particularly those who are survivors of trauma—to gain a sense of control and self-empowerment within the classroom.
4. Help all students succeed by structuring your class to provide more opportunities to actively engage with the class content and their peers. Courses with higher levels of structure motivate student engagement through frequent use of required (but low-stakes) formative assessments (reading quizzes, class polls, discussions, worksheets, practice exam problems). Research demonstrates that minoritized students particularly benefit from courses that include more structure, and their rates of academic performance are higher in such courses (Eddy & Hogan, 2014). Regular activities keep students engaged in course materials at multiple points throughout the week; this repetition and periodic review reinforces academic practices that promote student success.
5. Demonstrate your commitment to student success and empathy with student realities with course policies that anticipate student needs. I am a big advocate of policies that keep students accountable and routinely engaged with a course, but also allow for flexibility. For instance, you might consider using a “token” system for late work or absences. The use of “tokens” and Canvas-accessible forms can facilitate flexibility by allowing students to request late work extensions and excused absences. While forms may seem impersonal, their use helps to meet student needs at scale and promotes equity as students from minoritized backgrounds may be reluctant to reach out with an email to request an accommodation.
I would also suggest “lifting the veil” to clarify to students the intent and rationale behind your course policies and course structure. Being open and transparent with students about your pedagogical processes helps to build trust, which is a key element for learning and risk-taking in the classroom.
References:
Addy, T., Dube, D., Mitchell, K. A., SoRelle, M. E., Longmire-Avital, B., & Felten, P. (2021). What inclusive instructors do : principles and practices for excellence in college teaching. Stylus Publishing.
Eddy, A. & Hogan, K. (2014). Getting under the hood: how and for whom does increasing course structure work? CBE Life Sciences Education, 13(3), 453–468. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-03-0050
Gurung, R. A. R., & Galardi, N. (2022). Syllabus tone, more than mental health statements, influence intentions to seek help. Teaching of Psychology, 49(3), 218–223. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628321994632
Jordan, J. & Schwartz, H. L. (2018). Radical Empathy in Teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2018 (153), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20278
Westman, L. (2021). Teaching with Empathy: How to Transform Your Practice by Understanding Your Learners. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
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