Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education
Date of this Version
Spring 5-2015
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This is an inquiry into how online instructors embrace the diversity of their student body while facing the inherent differences between a traditional face-to-face class and one that is taught online. Current research suggests that diversity in a traditional classroom is an asset if the instructor is sensitive to students’ backgrounds. This paper examines if such philosophies in traditional classrooms translate well into a distance education environment, where the student body may be even more diverse than a face-to-face class, but possibly unrecognizable because of the lack of physical cues. Research on the topic of multiculturalism in an online classroom is limited; therefore, this paper helps to highlight the need of such conversation in the study of education. Multicultural pedagogy is usually acknowledged as an asset in a traditional classroom, but can the same techniques and ideas be transferred to online learning, and, if so, how? In this qualitative study, I conducted interviews with five instructors who teach both online and face-to-face classes to gain instructors’ perspectives on the topic online instruction, and specifically in the areas of support for both the instructors and students, community, and, curriculum.
Adviser: Elaine Chan
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons
Comments
A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts, Major: Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education, Under the Supervision of Professor Elaine Chan. Lincoln, Nebraska: May, 2015
Copyright (c) 2015 Jacob Petersen