Active Learning Strategies for Promoting Intercultural Competence Development in Students

Abstract

Students entering higher education often lack a sense of cultural awareness and a basic understanding of what diversity, multiculturalism, and intercultural competence (ICC) have to do with their future goals. Ironically, student populations tend to be diverse in and of themselves. Yet the critical element that is often missing is their ability to interact across these differences, to confront (and engage with) their discomfort in the face of something new and unfamiliar. Getting students to overcome this discomfort so that meaningful learning and critical skill-building can take place is challenging for a number of reasons. Students are typically more motivated to expend effort in a course if they can recognize and appreciate the value and relevance that the material may have on other areas of their lives, most notably their professional pursuits. This appreciation can best be cemented though the use of active, rather than passive, learning strategies. This chapter introduces strategies for the intentional design of a classroom environment that will engage students and promote the development of ICC. Activities and assignments designated as promoting the accumulation of specific knowledge (K), the development of particular skills (S), or the exploration of certain attitudes (A) are shared.

Citation

Havis, L.R. (2020), "Active Learning Strategies for Promoting Intercultural Competence Development in Students", Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P. and Makhanya, M.S. (Ed.) Developing and Supporting Multiculturalism and Leadership Development: International Perspectives on Humanizing Higher Education (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 30), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000030011