Designing a cross-cultural collaborative online learning tool-kit for SUNY faculty is aimed at helping instructors who teach online courses to understand the cultural knowledge of students and providing resources for teaching diverse students in online learning environments. This tool kit also provides instructional strategies that increase faculty awareness about cross-cultural online collaboration and skills of connecting with the increasing diverse student population in the online learning environments. The project is focused on how SUNY faculty who teach online courses can incorporate strategies of culturally responsive pedagogies to promote cross-cultural collaboration in online learning environments to meet students’ diverse cultural, social, and academic needs. The project developed a tool-kit for faculty on how to address multicultural issues in online learning environments, such as addressing cultural sensitivity issues, dealing with asynchronous and synchronous communication, language and cultural issues, and promoting effective interaction with students from diverse backgrounds.

The study provides insight into the way in which cultural diversity affects instructional practices of college instructors, and how to incorporate diversity into instructional strategies to help diverse students succeed. This study opens the door for additional research on instructors’ perspectives and understandings of cultural diversity to help them facilitate cultural response pedagogy to support diverse learners in online learning environments. At a broader level, the study provides an opportunity for instructors who teach online courses to design and implement collaborative learning activities to help diverse students succeed in online learning environments.

Project Outcome Report
Final Report