Multicultural pedagogy and Web-based technologies.

Abstract

This paper reviews existing literature on the use of online resources as instructional tools in developing cultural competencies among students. It also discusses certain challenges to using online multicultural resources and suggests ways in which traditional graduate multicultural counseling courses can incorporate Web-based technologies that may enhance the cultural competencies of school counselors in training.

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Within the past two decades, multicultural counseling research has stressed the need for counselors to become culturally competent to appropriately address the needs of diverse client populations (Sue, 2001). Given the increasingly diverse cultural representation in school systems, one of the emerging roles of school counselors is the need to be multiculturally sensitive and knowledgeable about working with diverse student populations (Benedetto & Olinsky, 2001). According to Sue, Arrendondo, and McDavis' (1992) model of multicultural counseling competencies, being culturally competent refers to a counselor's capacity to be aware of his or her own cultural identity and biases, to develop a perspective which encompasses learning about worldviews of groups who are culturally different, and to develop appropriate intervention strategies to work with culturally diverse clients.

In addition to implementing traditional multicultural courses in counselor preparation program curricula, another viable resource for developing cultural competencies is the use of online resources (Ancis, 1998; Gorski, 2001). Online resources refer to Web-based technological tools such as asynchronous and synchronous learning tools (e.g., email, chat rooms), Web-based hypermedia (e.g., search engines, browsers), and Web-based multimedia resources (e.g., visual and audio tools). These resources provide critical information regarding cultural groups that have helped to enhance knowledge and awareness of diverse groups and also increase communication among members of these groups (Gorski, 2001). Considering the rise in technology (e.g. computers, internet, etc.) available to many school systems (Fabos & Young, 1999), online resources may have the potential for serving as multicultural training tools to enhance school counselors' cultural competencies. The purpose of this paper is twofold--first to examine how online resources have been used to promote cultural competencies among students and second, to propose an online training approach that may provide effective, Web-enhanced instructional interventions that can complement or guide traditional graduate multicultural counseling courses and provide opportunities for empirical research.

The Role of Online Resources in the Teaching of Multicultural Counseling Courses According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1992), today's American society is more multilingual, multiethnic, and multicultural than any other nation in the world. For instance, it has been reported that the U.S. is comprised of at least 276 ethnic groups including 170 Native American ethnic groups (Gollnick & Chinn, 2002). Specifically, within educational settings, by the year 2020, the majority of K through 12 school children in the United States will be comprised of ethnic minority groups (Lee, 1995).

There is little debate in the field regarding the need to train counselors to work more effectively with culturally diverse clients (Reynolds, 1995; Sue, Arrendondo, & McDavis, 1992). In fact, within the past two decades, researchers have challenged traditional counseling practices that are based on Euro-centric philosophies and have identified culture-specific interventions necessary in working with diverse populations (Gorski, 2001; Sue, Arrendondo, & McDavis, 1992). However, despite many attempts to incorporate multicultural training into counselor preparation programs, studies have shown that many counselors continue to lack the necessary skills to work effectively with diverse client populations (D'Andrea, Daniels, & Heck, 1991).

Some reasons why counselors continue to demonstrate deficiencies in multicultural counseling skills acquisition include the following 1) lack of consensus concerning the definition, content, and assessment of cultural competence, 2) lack of consensus concerning the type(s) of training required to develop cultural competencies (e.g., single course approach versus infusion approach), and 3) lack of time and resources to develop and implement multicultural training elements in counselor preparation programs (D'Andrea, Daniels, & Heck, 1991; Sue, 2001; Pope-Davis, Breaux, & Liu, 1997). A possible alternative to revitalizing the content, improving assessment and addressing the lack of time and resources available to implement multicultural training initiatives into counselor preparation programs involves the use of online resources as complementary learning tools (Ancis, 1998; Damarin, 1998; Gorski, 2001; Merryfield, 2001).

A growing trend during the past decade has been the use of online resources as a teaching and/or training tool for students and educators (Fabos & Young, 1999; Gorski, 2001). Several researchers who have studied the use of online resources as a device for promoting multicultural discourse have found that online multicultural education courses and activities (e.g., global telecommunication exchange projects; synchronous and asynchronous online interactions) have been successful in promoting multicultural awareness among school educators and students (Ancis, 1998; Cifuentes & Murphy, 2000; Damarin, 1998; Gorski, 2001; Kitsantas & Chow; Merryfield, 2001).

For example, Cifuentes and Murphy (2000) used a case study approach to examine how online resources such as distance technologies (e.g., expansion of learning communities) and multimedia resources (e.g., videoconferencing) could promote multicultural relationships and understanding among school educators and students at two geographically separated schools. During the school year, school educators and students selected from two culturally and geographically different schools participated in collaborative activities and shared multimedia files via interactive videoconference. Findings from this study revealed that participating educators who used these online resources developed empowering relationships with one another while their students developed an understanding of cultural differences, positive self-concept, and meaningful applications of technology (Cifuentes & Murphy, 2000).

Similarly, Merryfield (2001), using a content analysis approach, discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a campus based graduate course in Web-based multicultural education. Through her analysis, it was shown that graduate students enrolled in her Web-based course were more enthusiastic and willing to share and discuss thorny multicultural education topics than graduate students enrolled in a traditional multicultural class setting. Also, Merryfield (2001) found that use of an online multicultural course led to more equitable discussions and interaction among participants of different cultural and religious backgrounds.

Correspondingly, other researchers (Kitsantas & Chow, 2002; Riel, 1995; Tille & Hall, 1998) contend that the use of technologies can broaden students' learning experiences through exposure to diverse perspectives, can reduce perceived threat, and can bring fruitful educational interactions regardless of economic or geographic barriers. Finally, according to Ancis (1998) and Gorski (2001), online resources can assist students to 1) build upon their own knowledge of the worldviews of culturally different individuals and groups by exploring the WWW and forming connections and exchanging ideas with people nationally and internationally; 2) gain an awareness and understanding of their own cultural beliefs and biases by engaging in cultural and racial dialogue with others; and 3) develop the skills to create culturally appropriate counseling interventions by learning from their peers and multicultural scholars in the field.

Although use of the Internet for educational purposes does not come without challenges such as limited direct and experiential interactions and exposure to unverified educational information from online resources (Gorski, 2001; Fabos & Young, 1999; Riemer Reiss, 2000), our review of the literature found that online resources can play a significant role in broadening school educators and students' cultural awareness and tolerance. Specifically, online resources can provide opportunities to build distant relationships through cross-classroom collaborations that allow participants to connect with others globally and provide safe environments for positive multicultural discourse among students. In addition, online resources can offer students opportunities to enhance their cultural competencies through the use of training methods that can be time and cost effective, that can allow for more in-depth and genuine interactions among diverse groups and can create less threatening learning environments for multicultural discourse.

In light of the above findings, the critical question remains as to what efforts have been made to incorporate online multicultural resources into traditional multicultural counseling courses? Furthermore, few empirical studies have examined the effectiveness of online multicultural resources as a training alternative. Since more schools have access to technological capabilities (Fabos & Young, 1999), we recommend that traditional multicultural training approaches incorporate the use of online multicultural resources to assist school counselors in training to become more effective in a multicultural and technologically advanced society. Below, we suggest how online resources could be incorporated into multicultural courses to enhance cultural competencies among school counselors in training. Further, we advocate for the testing of such an approach to demonstrate the effectiveness of Web-enhanced instruction.

Based on our review of traditional multicultural counseling courses, our current online teaching initiatives (e.g., use of Web-based technologies to enhance teaching and learning), and current qualitative research (see Merryfleld, 2001 and Cifuentes & Murphy, 2000), we suggest the development of a three-phase Web-enhanced multicultural training approach that incorporates Sue et al.'s model of cultural competencies. As previously stated, the model posed by Sue et al. urges counselors to become aware of their racial or cultural identity, to acquire the knowledge to describe and understand the cultural patterns of behaviors among their clients, and, lastly, to develop the skills to appropriately address cultural concerns within counseling sessions (Coleman, 1997; Helms, 1995; Sue et al., 1992). Within this model of cultural competencies is the assumption that counselors will also go through the process of becoming aware of their affective and cognitive reactions towards culturally different people and their worldviews and will contemplate how their own feelings may affect their counseling relationships with diverse clients (Sue et al., 1992).

In the first phase of our Web-enhanced multicultural training approach, we suggest that school counselors in training enrolled in a semester-long graduate multicultural counseling course initially partake in racial and cultural identity assessments such as Helms' White Racial Identity Scale (Helms, 1995). Helms' White Racial Identity Scale would assess a student's racial identity development, which, in turn, would provide information to the student regarding his or her cognitive processing schemas for dealing with racial issues (Helms, 1995). Further, students would be required to record their affective reactions towards each of their responses by using journaling techniques. This phase of the training approach would potentially allow a student to become aware of his or her own racial and cultural assumptions, values, and biases and students would be encouraged to process their reactions in class.

In the second phase of our Web-enhanced multicultural training approach, after assessing their racial and cultural identity, students would be exposed to informational cultural websites via hypermedia that expand their multicultural knowledge base. Also students would be offered opportunities for multicultural discourse through the use of various online resources (e.g., asynchronous and synchronous tools and multimedia technology) (see Table 1). For example, students would be required to participate in weekly discussion boards via Blackboard that discuss multicultural issues as well as participate in additional listservs sponsored by external multicultural groups. This phase would potentially result in students gaining an increased understanding of the cultural values, patterns of behaviors, and attitudes of various cultural groups and enable them to recognize cultural concerns among students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

In the third phase of our approach, students would be exposed to online interactive simulations (e.g., performance vignettes via multimedia technology) that would allow them to respond to various culturally and racially-loaded situations. Students would be able to process these experiences in class, and ultimately develop skill sets to address multicultural issues as school counselors. For example, school counselors in training would engage in performance vignettes with other online participants that would allow them to provide in-the-moment reactions to racially and culturally loaded scenarios and help them become equipped to develop counseling techniques that clearly create culturally-sensitive counseling climates conducive to positive psychosocial well-being. Table 1 provides examples of how online resources can promote the three areas of cultural competencies (i.e., awareness, knowledge, and skills). See issue's website <http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/spr2003.htm>

Taking into account the limitations regarding use of online training, such as lack of human interaction (Merryfield, 2001), throughout participation in the three phases of this training approach school counselors in training would have the opportunity to convene with other class participants and their instructors to engage in additional face-to-face multicultural discourse, role playing, and immersion activities that would further enhance their understanding of what it means to be culturally competent. At the end of the semester, students would once again assess their cultural and racial identity development to see whether they had experienced growth. This last step would provide additional quantitative data that might support the use of online methods of instruction.

In effect, we are proposing that counselor preparation programs provide online resources that enable school counselors in training to gain additional exposure to culturally relevant materials and exercises beyond a classroom environment and provide students with online growth opportunities to becoming culturally competent counselors. Second, we propose that use of online resources could be efficient and cost-effective since they allow for culturally boundless opportunities for learning and exposure at one's own work or home environment. Nevertheless, additional quantitative and qualitative research is needed to test the effectiveness of this Web-based instructional approach.

Conclusion

Based on school counselors' responsibility to assist in shaping and developing the minds of youth in our society, there exists a need for them to have the resources to develop culturally sensitive interventions that promote awareness among themselves, and ultimately their students. Many traditional multicultural training initiatives have been examined and often have faced controversy with respect to content, time, money, and effectiveness. Future research examining Web-based multicultural approaches will help to establish the effectiveness of innovative online training initiatives that can advance school counselors' preparation in dealing with increasingly diverse student populations in the United States.

References

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Regine M.Talleyrand, George Mason University
Anastasia Kitsantas, George Mason University

Regine M. Talleyrand, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of counseling and development in the Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include assessment, racial identity theory, multicultural competencies, and eating disorders. Anastasia Kitsantas, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of educational psychology in the Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include social cognitive processes, self-regulated learning, self-efficacy and instructional planning.