Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Online Learning: Implications for the Globalized Community College

Abstract

Implicit in the open-door mission of the community college is the mandate that every learning experience should offer full equity and inclusion for all learners, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds. This mission is paramount, given the cultural diversity represented among learners served by the globalized community college. This paper presents a cross-section of research, practice, and discourse focused on expanding our knowledge and understanding of the diverse learning needs of community college learners. The relevance of the literature to the planning, design, and implementation of distance-learning is discussed. In the end, the authors offer distance-learning instructional strategies that may accommodate the unique needs of Hispanic/Latino learners. Implications for community college educators are discussed.Implicit in the open-door mission of the community college is the mandate that every learning experience should offer full equity and inclusion for all learners, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds. The commitment to equity and inclusion in today's globalized community college (Levin, 2001 ) has been stalwartly tested with the increasing reliance on instructional technology and the ascendance of online learning. Unfortunately, technologically mediated learning experiences may accommodate the singularities of a dominant Western culture at the expense of cultural responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds of all participants. More specifically, the dominion of Western culture may be amplified through the way in which instructional technology mediates interaction among participants in the learning experience.

Relationships Between Minority Students Online Learning Experiences and Academic Performance

“…Okwumabua, Walker, Hu, and Watson (2011) observed that while the majority of African-American students had positive attitudes toward computers, a significant number did not report high levels of confidence in working online. Other studies such as Ibarra (2000) and Smith and Ayers (2006) found that student groups with a high-context culture, such as Latino students, experienced disadvantages in a web-based learning environment designed with a low-context culture.…”

Retention in Online Courses

“…However, in the context of marginalization issues, although online environments can provide some protection, under certain circumstances, this environment can become the issue. D. Smith and Ayers (2006) discuss such implications through the lens of community colleges. Their examination points to the critical issue of the prevalence of Westernized curriculum within the United States that places marginalized learners in a situation where "the pro-Western bias inherent in the technological foundations of distance learning presents an obstacle both to access and to understanding" (D. Smith & Ayers, 2006, p. 402).…”

Mediating knowledge through peer-to-peer interaction in a multicultural online learning environment: A case of international students in the US

“…Moreover, data demonstrate that Cathy's online course provided ample opportunities for talking about cultural differences in the educational systems of two countries -US and China. Thus, while the online learning environment is currently dominated by Western cultures (Smith & Ayers, 2006), and might be perceived as much less suitable for promoting cultural understanding as compared to on-campus learning (Tan, Nabb, Aagard, & Kim, 2010), it is not inherently insensitive to the cultures of its inhabitants. Indeed, online courses may incorporate meaningful and relevant discussions that promote cultural awareness.…”