The language of humanizing education appears across higher education discourse communities, for example within the realm of online & distance learning, in Freirean-rooted scholarship of teaching, and in reports and whitepapers from organizations such as Excelencia in Education and those related to HSI servingness. Focusing on creating a learning environment where students feel seen, valued, and understood as individuals and not just a number or grade, humanized learning spaces incorporate culturally relevant practices.

Regardless of context, a humanizing pedagogy values “students’ background knowledge, culture, and life experiences, and [create] learning contexts where power is shared by students and teachers” (Bartolomé, 1994). As such, it is an asset-based approach. Further, it focuses on the social and relational aspects of learning in addition to cognitive. As research on men of color and first-generation students in community colleges has emphasized that “relationships before pedagogy” is a tenet of effective teaching (Palacios & Wood, 2015; Rendón, 1994; Wood & Harris III, 2015), humanizing practices are directly tied to student learning and success.

Reflection Activity

Core Strategies for Humanizing Classes

Learn and use learners’ names and pronouns

Recognize and respect the multilingual abilities of learners

Co-develop course policies such as AI Use Statements and Course Community Guidelines

Create a get-to-know activity or survey early in the semester, and check in at midpoint

Share personal stories, experiences, and mistakes

Recognize and incorporate family, including chosen family, and community

Encourage peer-to-peer connection, collaboration, and community among learners

Apply active and social learning activities, especially those that connect to our communities

Create assignments that connect learning to real-world issues and actions

Develop activities that support social justice, equity, and community improvement

Incorporate elements of gamification to motivate and engage learners

Celebrate learner achievements, both big and small; highlight their successes

Provide options for how learners access course information and, when appropriate, how they are assessed on their knowledge

Give learners control over learning by allowing them to chose project topics, set learning goals, and/or contribute to course content

Build a safe and inclusive environment through addressing microaggressions and discriminatory behavior promptly and effectively

Acknowledge the challenges learners face through flexibility with deadlines

Provide feedback that is specific, constructive, and encouraging

Review grading policies for transparency and equity

Humanizing Pima’s Online & Distance Classes

Learning From Our Students: Recommendations on What Works

Faculty Senate Syllabi Statements

Syllabus Statements & Additional Resources