Introduction to Understanding Bias (in-person)

***NOTE: This workshop will be held in-person***

Implicit bias exists throughout our society and lives, affecting our attitudes, behaviours, decisions and actions without our awareness. In learning environments, these biases affect learning by impacting how students interact with each other as well as how faculty and staff interact with students. By understanding implicit biases, we can be aware of and mitigate their impacts on students and their learning. This 2-hour, in-person, interactive workshop will explore how and why bias forms in the brain, the impacts that they have in post-secondary education, and strategies to minimize their effects. Evidence from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and education will be used to analyze how bias operates inside of and outside of Langara’s classrooms and the potential to minimize bias in learning environments. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to

• Understand the origins of bias formation
• Recognize bias in teaching and learning environments
• Apply counteractive techniques to reduce bias towards students

Biography

Dr. I-Chant A. Chiang is driven to ensure the world is a fair and just place for everyone. She helps organizations examine their operations and achieve their goals with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. She serves as Executive Director, Diversity & Inclusion at Sprott Shaw College. She spent several years at Simon Fraser University, where she led the Centre for Educational Excellence’s Curriculum and Instruction Division, launching many initiatives on inclusion in the classroom. She is a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP™) as well as a Prosci certified Change Management Practitioner. Dr. Chiang holds a BA in English and a BS in Psychology from the University of Illinois as well as an AM and PhD from Stanford University. Her research and teaching includes topics in cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, research methods, science of happiness, motivation, judgment and decision-making, rhetoric, and statistics. Dr. Chiang was a faculty member of psychology at Aberystwyth University in Wales and Quest University Canada in Squamish prior to moving into administration at Quest, Rhodes Wellness College, SFU, and Sprott Shaw. Dr. Chiang is a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and consultant, and published author of two books and numerous articles. She is passionate about teaching, psychology, linguistics, stories, and using evidence-based ideas that work.