THEME: What does DEI look like in teaching practices at SDU?
Interview with Norbert Krüger, professor, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Institute, The Faculty of Engineering, SDU.
What do you think is important about incorporating diversity, equality and inclusion into your university teaching?
Recently, I had a guest lecturer visit my class on theory of science, where they spoke about gender equality. That lecture was evaluated very poorly by the students, which I find quite interesting. I had expected that the female students, in particular, would be more engaged in this lecture, but they had no comments.
Please share a few examples of how you incorporate DEI into your teaching
I have noticed that it is often the same few students who raise their hands and participate in discussions. I have tried to change this by introducing more interactive elements and group work so that students who are more reserved in large gatherings can also contribute to the discussions. This includes using anonymous surveys through the tool Poll Everywhere—where students can respond to questions without speaking in front of everyone.In my classes, about 10% of the students are female. I treat all students equally and do not differentiate between them, but I find it interesting why female students often participate less in discussions. I try to highlight female role models in my teaching and include examples of more female researchers, even though historically it has been more difficult for women to gain recognition in the natural sciences.
Have you had any feedback from students on your DEI approaches? Or what do you hope they experience?
The change in my teaching is still very new, so I have not received much feedback from the students yet. I hope that the students will see the small dialogues and group work as a way to facilitate interaction in large classes, where many are reluctant to raise their hands.
Do you have any other comments on incorporating DEI into university teaching?
I have engaged a little with feminist theology. In the Bible, there is a very male-oriented description of things. The idea behind feminist theology is to highlight female figures and perspectives, providing a broader and more nuanced understanding. Most theory of science has also been written by men, and it is important to include female researchers in teaching as well. The book "Kvinde, kend din historie" (Jexen, 2021) provides good examples of female role models.
