Make inclusion work in practice in your global classroom

If you’ve ever taught a student cohort with a range of cultures and languages, you’ll know the importance of creating an inclusive learning environment in the classroom.

Rather than a one-off gesture, inclusion is an ongoing cycle that begins with course design, continues through delivery and comes full circle with assessments and feedback.

Based on my experience, here are a few steps that have helped me create inclusive learning environments.

Acknowledge your cultural bias

The first step is self-awareness. Recognise your cultural lens – it influences how you design and deliver your course. I often start my classes by joking about stereotypes from my country. It breaks the ice and reminds students that we all carry cultural assumptions.

Design a truly inclusive course

Incorporate cases, examples and experiences that reflect global perspectives. Combine domestic examples with international cases from your students’ countries of origin or use well-known global brands or cases that everyone can relate to. Perhaps even consider co-developing cases with students. Plan to share a brief cultural context for each case study, so students unfamiliar with certain regions can still engage meaningfully.

• Peer mentoring to ease culture shock for international students
• Create an online learning environment international students feel comfortable in
• Engaging with the world from your home classroom: tips for internationalising the curriculum

Inclusive assessment methods are equally important. Different educational systems prepare students differently. Europeans may excel in critical thinking, while North Americans often shine in presentation skills. Offer flexible formats – essays, multiple-choice questions or presentations – to balance assessment methods and level the playing field. 

And don’t overlook language barriers. Allow grammar correction tools for non-native English speakers, to reduce anxiety and lower barriers.

Embrace diversity in your delivery

Teaching brings its challenges. Start by setting ground rules for respect, considering your students’ perspectives. Even simple concepts – like starting a class “on time” – can mean different things across cultures, so make sure to encourage an open dialogue.

Participation norms vary, too. Some students hesitate to speak publicly; others thrive on debate. Use peer discussions, polls and teamwork, mixing students intentionally, to create safe spaces for contribution. Remind students that effective communication matters more than perfect language and celebrate the beauty of different accents – including your own!

Diverse teams are the most creative because they combine different ways of thinking. When students collaborate across cultures, they bring their own approaches to problem-solving, their own assumptions, their own fresh ideas. For example, a team tasked with designing a sustainable business model might combine perspectives on environmental practices, consumer behaviour and technology trends – resulting in a richer, more adaptable solution. 

To reinforce this, consider incorporating diversity and creativity into your grading criteria. For instance, when assessing group projects, include a criterion that rewards teams for leveraging diverse perspectives and demonstrating originality.

Use clear, simple language and avoid culturally specific references that might confuse non-native speakers. And yes, you’ll learn too. I’m still figuring out slang – like the first time I heard, “They are goats!” (I wondered what animals had to do with greatness.) 

If teaching online, provide transcripts for lectures and videos to aid comprehension. Embrace the value of diversity: encourage students to share perspectives from their backgrounds and leverage cultural bridges.

Adapt feedback across cultures

Feedback is not universal. In some cultures, direct negative feedback is appreciated: “Your argument lacks supporting evidence. You need to restructure the introduction and clarify your thesis.” In others, criticism should be softened with positive framing: “You’ve made a good start. Perhaps you could consider adding more examples to strengthen your argument.”

Some cultures even expect strong language: “This section is completely unclear.” Contrast that with North American norms, where feedback often begins with praise: “Your analysis is strong, and I like your examples. One area to improve is the conclusion – it could be more concise.”

As instructors, adapting feedback styles may feel like extra effort – but it’s worth it. It ensures students not only understand your comments, but also feel respected in the process.

Handling cultural clashes

Teamwork can be tricky. Students communicate, decide and disagree differently. Some cultures are direct: “Let’s coordinate these tasks – you take this topic.”

Others are more indirect, using softer language or hinting rather than stating outright: “Maybe we could think about dividing the tasks?” or “It might be helpful if someone looked at this section.”

In some cultures, avoiding confrontation is common – they might agree with the majority even if they don’t fully support the decision. Others thrive on debate and see disagreement as a sign of engagement.

Help students recognise these differences and appreciate them instead of becoming frustrated. Ongoing support and open conversations about cultural norms can turn potential conflicts into opportunities for learning. Debrief as a class to highlight how these differences affect teamwork and decision-making.

Inclusion is not a checkbox – it’s a mindset that shapes every stage of teaching. From acknowledging our cultural biases to designing flexible assessments and adapting feedback styles, the goal is to create a space where every student feels seen and heard. Diversity is an opportunity to enrich learning for everyone in the room. When we embrace different perspectives, languages and traditions, we don’t just teach content – we build bridges across cultures. That’s what makes teaching in a global classroom so rewarding.

Statement on AI use: This article is based on my ideas and teaching experience. I used an AI tool (Grammarly) to refine the language and enhance clarity. 

Luana Carcano is academic director at Simon Fraser University.

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