Culturally Appropriate Instructional Design

The technique used by educators to create learning events, such as classes and workshops, is called instructional design (ID). There are many approaches to ID, but the overall goal is to ensure that the targeted learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform successfully. What many instructional designers do not know, however, is that people in countries or cultures other than their own are likely to learn and teach differently. This entry examines the intercultural competencies that are required at each step of a culturally responsive ID process.

[Page 182]In the United States, for example, college professors design or teach their courses to stimulate their students. They expect students to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to apply learning to the “real world,” and to seek ...