By Amber L Lin & Priya Srikanth (Oregon Health & Science University)
Abstract
As educators of a graduate-level Introduction to Biostatistics course directed at practitioners and public health professionals, we are driven by the goal to help students learn the course material and develop a deeper respect and lasting interest in statistics. With these goals in mind, we implemented several changes to our course material and structure to better support diversity, equity, and inclusion. This was a multi-pronged effort where we modified the course material to directly address relevant topics such as structural racism, gender binarism, heterosexism, and sexism; introduced and expanded use of free course materials including texts and statistical software; extended flexibility in the course schedule; and built personal connections between students, teaching assistants, and faculty. Most of these interventions required a one-time investment while others required ongoing engagement. No formal assessments were performed; however, there were a number of positive student reviews that directly addressed these changes.