Culturally Responsive Training

How to effectively train volunteers for cultural sensitivity

with Sarah Gaither, MA and The Refugee Center Online

The Refugee Center Online therefugeecenter.org/help-refugees @RCOEducate ERIS@therefugeecenter.org

Meeting Plan1 ) Intros (10 min)

● Group Norms and Goals

2) Foundations (10 min)

● The Field● The Trainer● The Learner● The Needs

3) Practice (10min)

● Design● The Role of Culture● The Methods● The Skills● Curiosity & Creativity

4) Questions (30 min)

Group Norms - Ground Rules for DiscussionCultural Humility suggests that we:

● Recognize that different, even conflicting, cultural perspectives can be equally legitimate

● Suspend judgement about ideas different from our own● Assume we may NOT know what is really going on● Remember that forgiveness, not perfection, is the hallmark of an

interculturally competent person

Group Norms - Ground Rules for DiscussionAs participants in this intercultural group, we seek to:

● Allow for different styles. Silence is an acceptable form of participation, telling stories is as valuable as making a clear point, and emotionally expressive statements can be a resource for our learning.

● Consider the impact of our statements and actions on others● Give others the benefit of the doubt and assume their intentions are positive● Respect the different ways people process information. Open discussion, group dialogue and the

use of words to communicate are not universals, but stem from cultural norms● Maintain Confidentiality● Understanding is necessary, agreement is optional.

Group Goals -

Mindset: Knowledge

● Cultural self-awareness● Culture-general knowledge● Culture-specific knowledge● Interaction analysis

Skillset: Skills

● Relationship building skills● Behavioral skills like listening

and problem-solving● Empathy● Information gathering skills

Heartset: Attitudes

● Curiosity● Cognitive flexibility● Motivation● Open-mindedness

Intercultural competence: The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in a variety of cultural contexts.

IntrosName

Location

BRIEF description of the work you do

Experience training volunteers? Training needs?

Focus: Knowledge, Skills or Attitudes

The Field: Training & DevelopmentWhat is the goal of your training?

What effect do you hope to attain in the lives of your volunteers?

The Trainer Use culturally responsive strategies to increase adult motivation to learn -

● Establish Inclusion : How does the learning sequence create or affirm a learning atmosphere in which we feel respected by and connected to one another?

● Develop Attitude : How does this learning sequence make use of personal relevance and learner choice to create or affirm a favorable disposition toward learning?

● Enhance Meaning : Are there engaging and challenging learning experiences that include learners perspectives and values in this learning sequence?

● Engender Competence : How does this learning sequence create or affirm an understanding that learners have effectively learned something they value and perceive as authentic to their real world?

Cultural Humility refers to respecting the validity of other people’s cultural perspective.

● Recognizing that different, even conflicting, cultural perspectives can be equally legitimate

● Suspending judgement● Questioning the primacy of our own

perspective● Assuming we may not know what is really

going on● Clarifying what is expected● Allowing others to direct us in

(in)appropriate behavior● Accepting the creative tension of holding

two or more perspectives● Seeking a “third culture” common ground

for effective interactions

The Learner1. Select training content based on your

needs assessment and the learners’ developmental level of intercultural sensitivity

2. Modify your presentation of the content based on the learner’s cognitive style

3. Design the training based on the learners’ likely learning style preferences, beginning at their probable preferred entry point

4. Deliver the program with attention to the learners’ culturally influenced communication styles

The NeedsTypes of Need:

1. Normative Need: exists when an individual or group has less than some widely recognized standard.

2. Felt Need: exists when an individual feels want.3. Expressed Need: exists when an individual is

ready to speak out and request what they want.4. Comparative Need: exists when two similar

audiences do not have similar services or benefits.5. Future Need: exists in the projected or anticipated

demands of the future.

Needs Assessment Test:

1. Why am I doing this?2. Who cares?3. What am I going to do?4. What is the gap? (assessment)5. What have I learned? (analysis)6. What now?7. Who cares? (revisited)

The Program: Design IssuesEstablishing Goals & Objectives

Sequencing Learning

1. Knowledge: what are the facts? The definitions?2. Comprehension: What do these ideas mean?3. Application: How can I use this learning?4. Analysis: What do I learn when I take these ideas

apart?5. Synthesis: What do I create when I put these ideas

together?6. Evaluation: How can I assess it inside and out?

Managing Risk

Balancing Challenge and Support

The Role of CultureSome essential conversationsUninformed questions/interactions WILL happen. How do we establish an open climate for forgiveness?

1) People may hold and express a variety of cultural identities: Why does this matter to our training?

2) Cultural stereotypes vs. generalizations: Are stereotypes or generalizations ever useful in our training?

3) Culture and Race: What is the difference? Why does it matter?4) Nonverbal Communication: How has non-verbal communication affected

your work?5) High vs. Low context communication: 90% of the world uses high-scan,

how can low-scan people get better at communicating this way? Why would we want to?

6) Communications Styles: What particular cultural communication styles doe you have more questions about? What have been your successes and failures?

Curiosity & Creativity: Increasing our capacity“Wonder… points to something beyond the accepted rules…. Wonder is the state of mind that signals we have reached the limits of our present understanding, and that things may be

different from how they look.” - Paul Martin Opdal, 2001

Train participants to:

● Suspend assumptions and value judgements● Enhance perception skills● Develop multiple perspectives● Increase tolerance of ambiguity● Ask questions as appropriate● Become participant observers● Become analytically inquisitive● Assess the credibility of sources

1. Use Culture bump/Activating event: Description, Interpretation, and evaluation activity

2. Use a light-hearted touch when possible: Cartoons, FrameGames, etc.

The Methods● Lecture● Briefing/Debriefing● Interview● Discussion● Case Study● Critical Incident● Role Play● Simulation● Game● Film/Slide Show● Online

Training Methods Test

1. This method can be used primarily to address this learning cycle: Concrete/Reflective/Abstract/Active: Why?

2. The risk to the facilitator in using this method is: (ie. what can go wrong?) High/Medium/Low: Why?

3. The risk to the learners in participating in this method is: (ie. what will they resist or be uncomfortable with?) High/Medium/Low: Why?

4. This method would be most useful if you objectives were: Cognative/Affective/Behavioral

5. How does this method affect pacing? When should it be used during the day? What kind of activity should precede or follow it?

6. The advantages of this method are:

7. The limits of this method are:

The Skills● Activity Selection● Set-up● Group facilitation & managing “participants from hell”● Debrief

○ How do you feel?○ What happened?○ What did you learn?○ How does this relate to the real world?○ What if?○ What’s next?

The EthicsEvery learner undergoes ethical transition through several periods of development.

Hearing personal stories is one of the most powerful forces for moving people through the stages of development.

This is just one (old) model

CreditsGroup Norms - Janet M. Benet, Ph.D., 2010The Field - Orientation, Training and Education. The Theory and Practice of Training. Roger Buckley and Jim Caple, 1990.The Learner - Motivational Framework: Questions for Instructional Planning. Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. Wlodkowski, Raymond J. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999.The Needs - Types of Needs. Janet M. Bennett, Ph.D. 2006The Program - Goals and Objectives. Janet M. Bennet, 1998., Sequencing Learning - based on A Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook I. Cognitive Domain by Bloom, B.S., Englehart, M.D., Furst, E.J. Hill, W.H. and Krathwell, D.R. (Eds) 1956. Training Challenges, Process and Risk Management - Janet M. Bennett, PhD. 2007The Role of Culture - adapted from Janet M. Bennett, PhD 2006, 2009, 2010. High scan, low scan - Kazuko Ikeda and Janet M. Bennett, 2009Curiosity - adapted from Janet M . Bennett, PhD. 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009. Lecture Games: From Passive Presentations to Interactive Instruction. Amherst, MA: Thiagi 1994.The Methods - adapted from Kohls, L. Robert, ed. Training Know-how for Cross Cultural and DIversity Trainers. DUncanville, TX: Adult Learning Systems, 1995.The Skills - Selecting Activities - adapted from Janet M. Bennett, PhD and Milton J. Bennett, PhD. 2001, Game suggestions adapted from H. Hutson and D. Dormant, “The name of the game is frame.” Training, April 1981 and www.thiagi.com/gameblogThe Ethics - Intellectual/Ethical Development adapted from: Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years Wm. G. Perry, Jr. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970