1. What is Multicultural Learning?
Multicultural Learning is learning that integrates and explores the rich tapestry of
perspectives reflected in our diverse world. It occurs when differences among learners are
both valued and explored. Multicultural Learning recognizes and reaches across boundaries
of ability, age, class, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation and other personal,
social and cultural identities so that learners will more thoroughly understand the multifaceted
dimensions of knowledge.
Multicultural Learning re-examines and expands what is taught, and attends to who is in the
classroom and is transparent about why this matters. It embraces the lived experience of the
students, their families and their communities, connects with concepts of social justice and
power, and teaches students how to investigate and integrate diverse ways of thinking and
doing.
Multicultural Learning must be cultivated. Learners need practice and guidance to become
active listeners, readers and writers striving to understand what others are saying and
meaning. Sustaining Multicultural Learning involves creating classroom climates in which
students and teachers can acknowledge and address the discomfort of working across
boundaries, learn how to respond to difference, and grow intellectually and personally as a
consequence. To make multicultural learning both possible and effective, instructors must
structure classroom interactions to be respectful and challenging, creative and meaningful,
engaged and transformative. In such an environment, inaccuracies, mistakes, hasty
generalizations and intolerance are addressed with honesty and care.
Through regular and purposeful interactions that encourage students to reflect on and
explore the implications of diversity and power, Multicultural Learning is education for life in
our multicultural world.
Written for the Driven to Discover Campaign, April 2008
Ilene D. Alexander
Carol Chomsky
“Bridging Emotion and Intellect”
Jane Fried. College Teaching: Fall 1993.
The work of a teacher involves (1) development of critical thinking skills, so that students
understand how to organize data, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and draw conclusions; (2)
recognition of meaning attribution and the power that emotions, values, and personal
experience have in shaping one's interpretation of information.
The professor, therefore, becomes responsible for teaching students three sets of skills:
• first is separating facts from cultural assumptions & beliefs about those facts
• second is teaching students how to shift perspective.
• third is perhaps the most difficult to learn, that of differentiating between personal
discomfort and intellectual disagreement.

2. Universal Design for Instruction
Disability is a difference. Being disabled, in itself, is neutral.
Disability derives from the interaction between the individual and society.
The remedy is a change in the interaction between the individual and society.
The agent of remedy can be the individual, an advocate, etc.
Carol Gill, Director
Chicago Institute of Disability Research
On “the Interactional Model”
Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) refers to a teaching process that considers the
potential needs of all learners; it is an inclusive model of teaching and learning. There are a
number of variations of Universal Design, and somewhat different approaches with regard to
what principles comprise good UD. This listing of principles, based on work at the University
of Connecticut inform our work at the University of Minnesota:
The generally recognized principles of Universal Design are:
1. Equitable Use
2. Flexibility in Use
3. Simple and Intuitive
4. Perceptible Information
5. Tolerance for Error
6. Low Physical Effort
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use
8. A community of learners
9. Instructional climate
And Meaningful Access is sought across four environments:
• Physical Environment
• Program/Policy Environment
• Information Environment
• Attitudinal Environment
In all models, UDI begins with good curricular design: identification of clear and measureable
learning objectives, followed by creation of an assessment strategy that is linked to these
outcomes, and then moves to the formation of teaching and learning activities. This cycle of
design begins with a mapping of environmental factors – including generalizations about
students on campus, campus and department expectations of learning, teaching practices
and goals, and learning outcomes expected on and beyond campus. The mapping, in part,
calls attention to gaps between what is and what is sought so that these can be attended to
in design.

3. What is Universal Course Design?
Adaptation of PDF at http://ecinstructors.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/What+is+UCD.pdf and principles of UD from http://udi.uconn.edu.
Universal Course Design (UCD) is constructing college courses including course curriculum, instruction, assessment and the environment to be
usable by all students, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for accommodations.
Faculty Goal: What should all students know and be able to do by participating in this learning experience?
Faculty Challenge: High standards and greater student diversity.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS UDI PRINCIPLES
Use in conjunction with Integrated Aligned Design Primary Starting Points
Course Curriculum
• Determine the specific content, skills, and strategies to be learned. 1. Equitable use
• Ask the question, “How will the students access the information?” 2. Flexibility in use
• Provide flexible media & materials to ensure information access & learning. 3. Simple and intuitive
• Motivate & engage the students based on interest, experience & application.
Instruction
• Provide multiple and flexible methods of presentation. 1. Flexibility in use
• Provide multiple models of correct performance, multiple opportunities to practice with 4. Perceptible information
supports & flexible opportunities to demonstrate skill. 9. Instructional climate
• Provide choices of content and tools, choice of learning context all of which are culturally
responsive.
Assessment
• Create two or more assessment choices for students to choose from to coincide with their 1. Equitable use
learning style 5. Tolerance for error
• Provide ongoing evaluation of “what is working and what is not.”
• Change methods according to the effectiveness & appropriateness of pre-sentation
format, expression methods & level of engagement of all students.
• Measures a range of student performance across multiple levels.
Environment
• Create a campus-wide climate that is safe, caring, and nurturing. 6. Low physical effort
• Build a personalized learning environment. Teach respect for all learners. 7. Size and space
• Use physical space to enhance student participation and engagement. 8. Community of learners
• Student-teacher social interactions, classroom climate, and peer group relationships

4. enhance student learning.
EXAMPLES: Suggestions from Early Childhood Instructors’ Wiki RESOURCES: Suggestions from us for Further Information
Course Curriculum
A statistics professor at New Hampshire Community Technical College began his • Developing an Inclusive Curric. http://z.umn.edu/ukinclusive
course by asking students name their interests. He then incorporated the • Creating an Inclusive Campus: http://z.umn.edu/3h8
interests into the statistical data sets he used in class. Students reported being
more interested in the class and better able to understand how information they
learned applied to their profession.
Instruction
A family studies professor at the University of Vermont teaching a large lecture • Preparing Future Faculty portal: http://z.umn.edu/ida8101
class used to lecture for an hour but noticed that after 20 minutes students’ eyes • Improving web access for learning: http://webaim.org/
look dazed and they stopped taking notes. When the mid-term exam scores were • Accessible PowerPoints: http://z.umn.edu/3h9
not great he decided to begin providing the class with an outline of session
• Connecting: http://z.umn.edu/findingcommonground
concepts & content. Also, students broke into groups to discuss a particular
problem and then report to the entire class. This strategy increased the level of • Merlot on UCD: http://z.umn.edu/udmerlot
engagement in class. Using an MP3 player to audio, he recorded lectures, and
after class put the audio file on the website for students to download. As a result
of this technique, students were better prepared to participate in class.
Assessment
An education professor at Rhode Island College recognized the diverse learning • Accessible Assessments: http://z.umn.edu/assmt
styles in her classroom and decided that a typical final exam would not • Universal Design for Testing: http://z.umn.edu/3ha
accurately reflect what students had learned. So, she gave them a choice: take • Universal Design for Assessment: http://z.umn.edu/3hb
the final exam or develop a website in groups of 3 using wikis to reflect what they
had learned in the class. 65% of the students chose to develop a website, which • Writing & Multilingual Students:
they still refer to that site as a resource and she has used it as a resources in http://z.umn.edu/multilingual
subsequent classes.
Environment
A nursing professor at the UMassachusetts-Boston assigned a small classroom • Multicultural Learning/Teaching: http://z.umn.edu/islands
with rows of chairs does not like the arrangement because it does not permit her • Universal Design for Instruction: http://udi.uconn.edu/
to freely interact with all students. She arrives in the classroom a ½ hour early to
rearrange the chairs into a large circle, equalizing the learning environment for all.
Students not only take a more active role in the conversation during the class, but also
arrive early to help her with the chairs & speak to her about their work.