What is Multicultural Learning?

Multicultural Learning is learning that integrates and explores the rich tapestry of perspectives reflected in our diverse world. It occurs when differences among learners are both valued and explored. Multicultural Learning recognizes and reaches across boundaries of ability, age, class, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation and other personal, social and cultural identities so that learners will more thoroughly understand the multifaceted dimensions of knowledge.

Multicultural Learning re-examines and expands what is taught, and attends to who is in the classroom and is transparent about why this matters. It embraces the lived experience of the students, their families and their communities, connects with concepts of social justice and power, and teaches students how to investigate and integrate diverse ways of thinking and doing.

Multicultural Learning must be cultivated. Learners need practice and guidance to become active listeners, readers and writers striving to understand what others are saying and meaning. Sustaining Multicultural Learning involves creating classroom climates in which students and teachers can acknowledge and address the discomfort of working across boundaries, learn how to respond to difference, and grow intellectually and personally as a consequence. To make multicultural learning both possible and effective, instructors must structure classroom interactions to be respectful and challenging, creative and meaningful, engaged and transformative. In such an environment, inaccuracies, mistakes, hasty generalizations and intolerance are addressed with honesty and care.

Through regular and purposeful interactions that encourage students to reflect on and explore the implications of diversity and power, Multicultural Learning is education for life in our multicultural world.

Written for the Driven to Discover Campaign, April 2008Ilene D. AlexanderCarol Chomsky

“Bridging Emotion and Intellect” Jane Fried. College Teaching: Fall 1993.

The work of a teacher involves (1) development of critical thinking skills, so that students understand how to organize data, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and draw conclusions; (2) recognition of meaning attribution and the power that emotions, values, and personal experience have in shaping one's interpretation of information.

The professor, therefore, becomes responsible for teaching students three sets of skills: first is separating facts from cultural assumptions & beliefs about those facts second is teaching students how to shift perspective. third is perhaps the most difficult to learn, that of differentiating between personal

discomfort and intellectual disagreement.

Universal Design for Instruction

Disability is a difference. Being disabled, in itself, is neutral.Disability derives from the interaction between the individual and society.The remedy is a change in the interaction between the individual and society.The agent of remedy can be the individual, an advocate, etc.

Carol Gill, DirectorChicago Institute of Disability Research

On “the Interactional Model”

Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) refers to a teaching process that considers the potential needs of all learners; it is an inclusive model of teaching and learning. There are a number of variations of Universal Design, and somewhat different approaches with regard to what principles comprise good UD. This listing of principles, based on work at the University of Connecticut inform our work at the University of Minnesota:

The generally recognized principles of Universal Design are:1. Equitable Use 2. Flexibility in Use 3. Simple and Intuitive 4. Perceptible Information 5. Tolerance for Error 6. Low Physical Effort 7. Size and Space for Approach and Use 8. A community of learners9. Instructional climate

And Meaningful Access is sought across four environments:• Physical Environment• Program/Policy Environment• Information Environment• Attitudinal Environment

In all models, UDI begins with good curricular design: identification of clear and measureable learning objectives, followed by creation of an assessment strategy that is linked to these outcomes, and then moves to the formation of teaching and learning activities. This cycle of design begins with a mapping of environmental factors – including generalizations about students on campus, campus and department expectations of learning, teaching practices and goals, and learning outcomes expected on and beyond campus. The mapping, in part, calls attention to gaps between what is and what is sought so that these can be attended to in design.

What is Universal Course Design?Adaptation of PDF at http:// ecinstructors.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/What+is+UCD.pdf and principles of UD from http://udi.uconn.edu.

Universal Course Design (UCD) is constructing college courses including course curriculum, instruction, assessment and the environment to be usable by all students, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for accommodations. Faculty Goal: What should all students know and be able to do by participating in this learning experience? Faculty Challenge: High standards and greater student diversity.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSUse in conjunction with Integrated Aligned Design

UDI PRINCIPLESPrimary Starting Points

Course Curriculum

Determine the specific content, skills, and strategies to be learned. Ask the question, “How will the students access the information?” Provide flexible media & materials to ensure information access & learning. Motivate & engage the students based on interest, experience & application.

1. Equitable use 2. Flexibility in use3. Simple and intuitive

Instruction

Provide multiple and flexible methods of presentation. Provide multiple models of correct performance, multiple opportunities to practice with

supports & flexible opportunities to demonstrate skill. Provide choices of content and tools, choice of learning context all of which are culturally

responsive.

1. Flexibility in use4. Perceptible information9. Instructional climate

Assessment

Create two or more assessment choices for students to choose from to coincide with their learning style

Provide ongoing evaluation of “what is working and what is not.” Change methods according to the effectiveness & appropriateness of pre-sentation

format, expression methods & level of engagement of all students. Measures a range of student performance across multiple levels.

1. Equitable use5. Tolerance for error

Environment

Create a campus-wide climate that is safe, caring, and nurturing. Build a personalized learning environment. Teach respect for all learners. Use physical space to enhance student participation and engagement. Student-teacher social interactions, classroom climate, and peer group relationships

enhance student learning.

6. Low physical effort7. Size and space8. Community of learners

EXAMPLES: Suggestions from Early Childhood Instructors’ Wiki RESOURCES: Suggestions from us for Further Information

Course Curriculum

A statistics professor at New Hampshire Community Technical College began his course by asking students name their interests. He then incorporated the interests into the statistical data sets he used in class. Students reported being more interested in the class and better able to understand how information they learned applied to their profession.

Developing an Inclusive Curric. http://z.umn.edu/ukinclusive Creating an Inclusive Campus: http :// z . umn . edu /3 h 8

Instruction

A family studies professor at the University of Vermont teaching a large lecture class used to lecture for an hour but noticed that after 20 minutes students’ eyes look dazed and they stopped taking notes. When the mid-term exam scores were not great he decided to begin providing the class with an outline of session concepts & content. Also, students broke into groups to discuss a particular problem and then report to the entire class. This strategy increased the level of engagement in class. Using an MP3 player to audio, he recorded lectures, and after class put the audio file on the website for students to download. As a result of this technique, students were better prepared to participate in class.

Preparing Future Faculty portal: http://z.umn.edu/ida8101 Improving web access for learning: http :// webaim . org / Accessible PowerPoints: http :// z . umn . edu /3 h 9 Connecting: http://z.umn.edu/findingcommonground Merlot on UCD: http://z.umn.edu/udmerlot

Assessment

An education professor at Rhode Island College recognized the diverse learning styles in her classroom and decided that a typical final exam would not accurately reflect what students had learned. So, she gave them a choice: take the final exam or develop a website in groups of 3 using wikis to reflect what they had learned in the class. 65% of the students chose to develop a website, which they still refer to that site as a resource and she has used it as a resources in subsequent classes.

Accessible Assessments: http://z.umn.edu/assmt Universal Design for Testing: http :// z . umn . edu /3 ha Universal Design for Assessment: http :// z . umn . edu /3 hb Writing & Multilingual Students:

http://z.umn.edu/multilingual

Environment

A nursing professor at the UMassachusetts-Boston assigned a small classroom with rows of chairs does not like the arrangement because it does not permit her to freely interact with all students. She arrives in the classroom a ½ hour early to rearrange the chairs into a large circle, equalizing the learning environment for all. Students not only take a more active role in the conversation during the class, but also arrive early to help her with the chairs & speak to her about their work.

Multicultural Learning/Teaching: http://z.umn.edu/islands Universal Design for Instruction: http :// udi . uconn . edu /