Developing Multicultural Competence Across LVAIC Campuses

Streaming Media

Submission Type

75-Minute Panel

Abstract

Our world is changing faster than it ever has in terms of technology, population, diversity, and education. Along with these changes come myriad challenges associated with adjustments to “the familiar”. One way to help prepare students for change and diverse interactions is to cultivate empathy, tolerance, and multicultural competence. While it is difficult to “teach” appropriate attitudes and beliefs related to diversity and social change, developing students’ competencies to navigate change through the integration of necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes/beliefs [KSABs] identifiable within several topic areas may lead to more well-rounded and transformative lifelong learners who are amenable to all forms of change.

We are working to build students’ multicultural competence across Lehigh Valley, PA [LVAIC] college campuses by developing a blended diversity awareness course that combines the necessary KSABs needed for students to understand and navigate diverse social relationships in diverse arenas of interaction. Our project explores the use of hybrid learning techniques, digital tools, and innovative technologies, as well as design-based, collaborative approaches to our own teaching and learning. Our intention is to create modules that can be implemented in multiple courses, disciplines, and collegiate levels across LVAIC in an effort to increase the numbers of 1) cross-campus collaborations, 2) participants in diversity initiatives, 3) sustainable pedagogical and andragogical practices, and 4) vetted course materials.

The “course” will be implemented in Fall 2017 at Moravian College and Lehigh University. It will be built into modules that can be “stacked” and adapted for different courses, audiences, or campus needs. The Moravian courses will be a First Year Writing Seminar and a graduate business course in change management. Lehigh’s course will be in graduate education. While it is difficult to develop sustainable materials that can be implemented across varied media, disciplines, and audiences, by utilizing project-based learning methods, digital storytelling, and experiential learning opportunities (in real life and as authentic web-based scenarios), we are creating adaptable materials addressing human needs over specific content development.

This course will be an examination of underrepresented minority group relations in the U.S., introducing students to the concepts, theories, and issues involving race/ethnicity, religion, gender/sexuality, and ability/disability. Students will understand diverse interpersonal relationships, while becoming culturally competent and aware of social forces that shape everyday interactions with others and the social environment. The modules will consist of in-person and online presentations, demonstrations, videos, discussions, activities, and participation in experiential learning opportunities or scenarios.

Session

Panel

Location

Thomas 104

Start Date

5-17-2017 4:20 PM

End Date

5-17-2017 5:40 PM

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May 17th, 4:20 PM May 17th, 5:40 PM

Developing Multicultural Competence Across LVAIC Campuses

Thomas 104

Our world is changing faster than it ever has in terms of technology, population, diversity, and education. Along with these changes come myriad challenges associated with adjustments to “the familiar”. One way to help prepare students for change and diverse interactions is to cultivate empathy, tolerance, and multicultural competence. While it is difficult to “teach” appropriate attitudes and beliefs related to diversity and social change, developing students’ competencies to navigate change through the integration of necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes/beliefs [KSABs] identifiable within several topic areas may lead to more well-rounded and transformative lifelong learners who are amenable to all forms of change.

We are working to build students’ multicultural competence across Lehigh Valley, PA [LVAIC] college campuses by developing a blended diversity awareness course that combines the necessary KSABs needed for students to understand and navigate diverse social relationships in diverse arenas of interaction. Our project explores the use of hybrid learning techniques, digital tools, and innovative technologies, as well as design-based, collaborative approaches to our own teaching and learning. Our intention is to create modules that can be implemented in multiple courses, disciplines, and collegiate levels across LVAIC in an effort to increase the numbers of 1) cross-campus collaborations, 2) participants in diversity initiatives, 3) sustainable pedagogical and andragogical practices, and 4) vetted course materials.

The “course” will be implemented in Fall 2017 at Moravian College and Lehigh University. It will be built into modules that can be “stacked” and adapted for different courses, audiences, or campus needs. The Moravian courses will be a First Year Writing Seminar and a graduate business course in change management. Lehigh’s course will be in graduate education. While it is difficult to develop sustainable materials that can be implemented across varied media, disciplines, and audiences, by utilizing project-based learning methods, digital storytelling, and experiential learning opportunities (in real life and as authentic web-based scenarios), we are creating adaptable materials addressing human needs over specific content development.

This course will be an examination of underrepresented minority group relations in the U.S., introducing students to the concepts, theories, and issues involving race/ethnicity, religion, gender/sexuality, and ability/disability. Students will understand diverse interpersonal relationships, while becoming culturally competent and aware of social forces that shape everyday interactions with others and the social environment. The modules will consist of in-person and online presentations, demonstrations, videos, discussions, activities, and participation in experiential learning opportunities or scenarios.