2016 Annual Conference

Teaching cultural diversity in an area in which students do not have much exposure to multiculturalism can be a challenge. This session will present the experiences of two instructors while developing and teaching cultural diversity course. The participants are invited to brainstorm teaching strategies that empower learners and address multiculturalism.

This session is suitable for any educator or learner who is engaged in the learning process, and who is open to multiculturalism and critical reflection.

Understanding cultural diversity in education is paramount. A multicultural curriculum empowers both educators and learners, as it promotes a safe classroom environment in which teaching and learning occur, and students' backgrounds and perspectives are respected. For an educator, teaching cultural diversity can be challenging if learners do not have previous exposure to diversity and are not very open to multiculturalism. The course content and structure need to be well thought-out, and particular attention should be paid to course discussions and guest speaker sessions. In order to facilitate students' transformational learning, it is important to emphasize critical reflection and expose learners to diverse perspectives.
This session will stress the importance of addressing diversity in education, empowering students, and facilitating their learning while creating a safe classroom setting. Choosing effective teaching strategies and techniques is not an easy task, thus brainstorming ideas in an academic community is critical. The importance of this topic goes beyond teaching only diversity courses, as it applies to any higher education courses promoting equity and embracing diversity in all its forms.