Abstract
To be successful members of a diverse, multicultural society, individuals must possess a fundamental level of knowledge about others and develop strategies to work with other individuals. Multiculturalism and diversity, as content areas in education and training opportunities, are of critical importance in our search for global understanding. The outcome of such content areas is to help learners relate personal belief systems and behaviors to the world and their place in the world. Integrating distance and mobile technologies instructional strategies helps to meet learners where they live, work, and play at times and places of needs. Innovative and, hopefully, motivating instructional strategies that promote engagement and active learning. Instructional strategies that integrate a variety of technologies permit the instructional technologist or educator the capability to craft an environment that is comprised of highly supportive, engaging virtual environments that promote dignity, respect, and understanding. In this chapter, we focus on strategies that can be delivered virtually, through online and mobile environments.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Strategy: Strategy is tactics, techniques, or approaches that are used in instructional or teaching processes.
Case Study: A case study is an instructional strategy involving complex scenarios where students analyze problems and forecast solutions.
Mobile Learning: Mobile learning is mediated or facilitated by devices (e.g., PDAs, smart phones, cell phones, etc.) that are not physically attached to networks, through wireless connections or infrastructure.
Diversity: Diversity is the study of and related to gender, racism, sexism, religion, disabilities, and social class to explore complexities of culture and differences between and among individuals.
Motivational Strategies: Motivational strategies are tactics, techniques, or approaches to encourage learners or students to participate in the teaching and learning process.
Virtual Environment: A virtual environment is where interactions or learning is facilitated at a distance through technology, such as servers and learning management systems.
Multiculturalism: Multiculturalism is the study of and related to gender, racism, sexism, religion, disabilities, and social class.
Interaction Strategies: Interaction strategies are tactics, techniques, or approaches to communication, collaboration, support, and feedback that are used to support teaching and learning.
Multicultural Education: Multicultural education consists of teaching and learning situations or courses that focus on current events, research, and practice of multiculturalism.