Abstract

ABSTRACT
Designing Learning Environments for Cultural Inclusivity:
Case Studies with three Instructional Designers and a Teacher Exploring Their Practises
Ludmila Messitidis
There has been a limited amount of research concerning designing learning environments for cultural inclusivity. Even though students enter educational systems with cultural designations, the teaching workforce in this system does not reflect their cultural composition. There is a need for bridging the cross-cultural teaching gap. The purpose of this study was to explore whether three instructional designers (i.e. current graduate students enrolled in a Master’s program of Educational Technology in the Department of Education) from Concordia University are in the process of designing learning environments for cultural inclusivity. In order to successfully accomplish data enrichment one more participant/teacher with experience in Nunavik was added to this case study. This study addresses how participants are proceeding in order to design learning environments for cultural inclusivity. The three participants were chosen through a purposeful sampling method and one participant was chosen through a snowball sampling method, and case studies were constructed mainly through in-depth interviews. Results show that all of the participants are prepared to take extra steps to maximize their knowledge and skills to design for diverse learners. Results reveal how these instructional designers, Linda, Eduard and Francine, as well as a teacher Sydney are developing appropriate strategies and techniques for their culturally diverse learners while developing an effective program or training materials. The key strategies for instructional design that demonstrate respect for multicultural diversity include: (1) researching the target audience in-depth, (2) integrating a diverse perspective across cultures, (3) incorporating the characteristics and learning styles of diverse cultures, (4) including both individual and cooperative learning, (5) tailoring the design to students’ different strengths and needs, (6) implementing ongoing effective communications throughout the lesson in order to monitor students’ understanding, (7) being flexible and adaptable to make adjustments if necessary, (8) using educational technology tools, (9) providing flexibility by offering students multiple options, and (10) making learning more effective by asking a lot of questions, which will allow students to actively participate during their learning, rather than passively consuming the information. These prescriptions are discussed in the context of creating a more effective school experience for students and teachers.

Keywords: culture, sociocultural consciousness, culturally sensitive instructional designer,
collectivism versus individualism, instructional design, multicultural competence, cultural inclusivity.