Sarah Dietrich & Didem Ekici Transcending Boundaries of Language and Culture: Developing Cultural Competence through Online Interaction  Sarah Dietrich & Didem Ekici

Presentation Outline Definitions of cultural competence and service learning Cultural competence and service learning in online collaborations Explanation of our project study step by step Data analysis and project assessment through the lenses of the framework Principles of good practice QA

What is cultural competence? Cultural competence is generally defined as the ability to effectively communicate with people from different backgrounds. (Diller & Moule, 2005; Hammer, Bennet & Wiseman, 2003)

What is service learning? Transformative Experiential education Links to curriculum New skills, knowledge, leadership, self-awareness Social responsibility http://source.jhu.edu/publications-and-resources/service-learning-toolkit/what-is-service-learning.html

In online collaborations Cultural Competence E- Service Learning Direct contact with people from other cultures

Integrating Service Learning into Curriculum (http://academics. utep Selecting Projects Developing the Syllabus Orientation/Training Supervision Reflection Assessment/Evaluation

1- Selecting projects Course goals and objectives Community partner Mutual benefit

Wicked Local: Marblehead. Marblehead, MA. January 2, 2017 

Participants UNITED STATES (tutors) AFGHANISTAN (tutees) TESOL Graduate students Current and future teachers Two international students (Syria, China) Female and male students from Herat and Mazer-el Sherif Age range: 18-24 English language proficiency level: Upper intermediate and advanced level

2- Developing the Syllabus Service learning (SL) project expectations Course content/objectives and SL project Materials (readings, videos, websites) Assessment (journals, discussions, presentations)

3- Orientation/Training Explore expectations, objectives, and logistics Invite someone from the partner organization as a guest speaker Provide the background information about the organization, students and their culture Address student concerns, fears, and expectations regarding the service experience

4- Supervision Make sure the students are not falling behind the timeline you created Have a back up plan for the others Always be in touch with the community partner

5- Reflection Connection(s): course content and service learning In-class discussions Graduate student journals

6- Assessment & Evaluation Ongoing data collection Analysis and assessment Program evaluation

CULTURAL COMPETENCY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Cultural competence for social justice is defined as the ability to live and work effectively in culturally diverse environments and enact a commitment to social justice (Goodman, 2016) CULTURAL COMPETENCY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE SELF AWARENESS UNDERSTANDING AND VALUING OTHERS KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIETAL INEQUITIES INTERACTING EFFECTIVELY WITH DIVERSE PEOPLE IN DIVERSE CONTEXTS FOSTERING EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Self awareness: privilege (4), prejudice (1) Understanding and valuing others: intersection of culture and identity, learning about another culture and appreciating difference (8) Knowledge of societal/global inequities, (4) eye opening, better understanding of the world, so g=hard to access education etc. Skills to interact effectively with diverse people in different contexts: (2) Skills to foster equity and inclusion: continuing working together, Educating themselves (4): more confident, willing to take risks, learning persistence etc.

Transcending boundaries (participant’s quote) “….in light of the horrific events this weekend, I would like to touch on the impact this tutoring experience has and will have on me moving forward. As I was listening to the news and reading posts on the internet about the Orlando shootings connected to Islamic extremism, I could not help but reflect upon my brief but growing relationship with my tutee in Afghanistan. With so much hate and misunderstanding between the U.S. and the Middle East, it is not only refreshing but overwhelmingly encouraging to know that it is still possible for two people from completely different walks of life to make a genuine connection despite the political/ideological chaos that surrounds. I am hopeful that someday we may focus our attention on building such positive relationships rather than condemning each other for our differences.” (Student journal, Summer 2016)

Service-Learning Pedagogy: Principles of Good Practice (Howard, 2001) Principle 1: Academic credit is for learning, not for service. Principle 2: Do not compromise academic rigor. Principle 3: Establish learning outcomes for students. Principle 4: Establish criteria for the selection of service/community placements. Principle 5: Provide educationally-sound learning strategies to harvest community learning and realize module learning outcomes. Principle 6: Provide supports for students to learn how to harvest the community learning. Principle 7: Minimize the distinction between the student’s community learning role and the classroom learning role. Principle 8: Re-think the academic staff (lecturer’s) teaching role. Principle 9: Be prepared for uncertainty and variation in student learning outcomes. Principle 10: Maximize the community responsibility orientation of the module/ course. Bender (2005), p. 6

Conclusion Build bridges, despite the walls Connections to better understand “the other”

Reflection from one of the tutors

SARAH DIETRICH (sdietrich@semo. edu) DIDEM EKICI (dekici@dons. usfca SARAH DIETRICH (sdietrich@semo.edu) DIDEM EKICI (dekici@dons.usfca.edu)