Introduction

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Teaching Across Cultures: What many faculty do when they teach online classes. Online education has allowed access to higher education for learners from across the globe and from diverse cultural backgrounds. The “anywhere, anytime” evolution of online education has made it more globalized in recent years. As faculty navigate teaching in multicultural online learning environments, it is important that they build their cultural awareness and develop strategies to create more inclusive and engaging online classes.

In this book, Teaching Across Cultures: A Pedagogical Guide for Online Faculty in Higher Education, faculty will learn strategies they can use to effectively teach multicultural online classes. This book is intended to serve as a guide for faculty who want to enhance their online teaching. Throughout this book, faculty will engage in various forms of self-reflection to help them consider how their current teaching strategies can evolve.

In Part 1, Building the Foundation for Culturally Responsive Online Teaching, faculty will develop foundational knowledge of intercultural teaching. The chapters in this section will explore the rise of online and international education and cultural considerations in online learning.

In Part 2, Designing Culturally Inclusive Online Courses, faculty will learn how to design courses that meet the needs of diverse learners. The chapters in this section will provide faculty with strategies for creating accessible and engaging content, building community in online learning, and developing intercultural competence.

In Part 3, Supporting Diverse Learners and Self-Reflection, faculty will learn how to support learners from various cultural backgrounds. The chapters in this section will provide faculty with strategies for online communication across cultures and how to support online learners from diverse backgrounds. The final chapter in this section and book will encourage faculty to continuously engage in self-reflection.

This book is intended to be a valuable resource for faculty who want to create more inclusive and engaging multicultural online learning environments. New and seasoned online faculty alike can benefit from this book.

Upon reading this book, educators will be able to:

1. Develop awareness of how culture impacts online learning in higher education.
2. Identify factors that influence student learning styles, communication preferences, and educational paradigms.
3. Design culturally inclusive online courses to meet the needs of diverse learners from various backgrounds.
4. Create a sense of community and belonging in online learning environments.
5. Develop strategies to support online learners from diverse backgrounds and with various needs.
6. Engage in continuous self-reflection to build cultural awareness, online teaching practices, and cross-cultural connections.

For audio learners, there is an AI generated Podcast based on this book below:

Disclaimer:

In this text, the terms “Eastern” and “Western” are used to reference broad cultural trends commonly found in different parts of the world. “Eastern” is generally associated with parts of Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and India, where education often emphasizes memorization, respect for authority, and knowledge transfer from teacher to student. “Western” is generally associated with the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, where education focuses on critical thinking, active learning, and questioning of ideas. These are broad generalizations and individual learners within any country may have educational preferences that are different from these generalizations.