Teaching Diversity Online What Worked and What Did Not Work

1. Teaching Diversity Online What Worked and What Did Not Work Audrey L. Mathews DPAProfessor Emerita California State University, San BernardinoCollege of Business and Public Administration, Department of Public Administration Presented by: Ethel Williams, Director School of Public Administration University of Nebraska, Omaha

2. What worked – Core Curriculum (only) • Instructor – Picture Course Banner • Audio and Video lectures (commonly known as talking heads) • Pictures of students in the classroom • Focused on developing effective and efficient techniques for planning, organizing, designing, and implementing online distance education • Hybrid classes (partial face to face and online) • Uploading research papers into drop box • DVDs and Movies • Quizzes • Videoed Guest Lecturers • Exercises • Discussion Board • Videos of classroom activities

3. Diversity and public Administration • Face to face, teaching in most of the core classes translated well into the online setting. • Continued teaching online in the same format that we taught face to face with online amenities. • Transforming "Role of Organizations in a Multicultural Society and Diversity and Public Administration" into an online format was a horse of a different nature.“ • Although the successful face to face format and framework was used in the design and content for the online class it did not transition well.

4. What Did Not Work For online Diversity/ Multicultural Classes • The online format and framework did not translate well for the diversity management classes that are taught, comingled, and linked to organizational behavior theory. • The platform did not matter, Blackboard, eCollege, Moodle or others, the online class evaluations did not meet my standards • I am doing something wrong, but WHAT?

5. Methods tried and stumbled • Taught in the face to face format, but with online amenities added • Evaluations reflected a down turn in the success rate • Taught as a hybrid(some face to face and some online) • Evaluations reflected and upturn but not as high as the face to face classes • Taught as a combined class undergraduates and MPAs together. • Master students thought it was great because they were group leaders • Undergraduates were overwhelmed. Not enough time devoted to their needs. Evaluations remained static • Taught as a hybrid combined class of undergraduates and MPAs together. • Master students thought it was alright because they were group leaders . Too much attention given to the undergraduates • Undergraduates were overwhelmed. Not enough time devoted to their needs. Evaluations went down again

6. What Did Not Work • Cause • What is lost in the online format is the touchy feely environment of the classroom. • The eye-to-eye contact is missing. • Instructor is not there to handle immediately unintended incidents or to curb misplaced enthusiasm at its inception. • Online teaching is a reactive environment • The immediate exchange between the student and instructor is missing. • The instructor is frustrated • The students are frustrated • The environment is cold and impartial

7. Gaining back control of the online class environment • Took a class on how to teach in a online environment at Park University (Kansas City Mo.) • Total eye opener - What’s different • Refresher course in Adult Learning theory and application • Update the class each term with current organizational behavior and diversity and multicultural content and stories • Use relevant tools, videos, DVD, guest lecturers that move around, Utube, face book, blogs, journals, games, • Avoid the “talking head” syndrome.

8. Gaining back control of the online class environment • Simple formatting – Start each class the same way • Rubrics, include class policies and detail grading for every assignment • “Institute the core rules of Netiquette by Virginia Shea (download Albion.com) • Students need to know you are active in the class room • Students need to know that you are reasonable available to them and you will respond to them in a reasonable time frame.” (Park University 2012)

9. Gaining back control of the online class environment • You have to keep the student motivated, on task, engaged in critical thinking, and help them to overcome obstacles. • Actively participate in all discussions with helpful and encouraging statements. • Tell stories and engage and encourage comments back and forth between students and yourself. • Because it is online and you do not have immediate control so your design and discussion should consider different adult learning styles and use as many as you can to ensure you are reaching everyone. • Encourage and if necessary jump start participation by stimulating the threaded discussions (e.g. Did you think about … )

10. Finally I am currently teaching Diversity and Public Administration . I have adapted what I learned from my online teaching class to fit into CSUSB's platform We are four weeks into the class and I am practicing what I learned, online facilitation The discussions are breathtaking , so far The group members are interacting as if they have known each other for decades The personal stories that fit into the diversity theme for that week are told each week in a Lesson Learned essay. The Lesson Learned essays are often heart warming or chilling, but what you know is taking place is Learning and Critical Thinking without being there in person.

11. References: Adapted from Park University 2012) • “Chickering, A, & Ehrmann, S (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. AAHE Bulletin. October , pp. 3-6. http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven.html • Graham, C, Cagiltay, K, Lim, B, Craner, J, & Duffy, T (2001). Seven principles of effective teaching: A practical lens for evaluating online courses. The Technology Source Archives. March/April. http://technologysource.org/article/seven_principles_of_effective_teaching/ • Reeves, T (1998). Evaluating what really matters in computer-based education, Retrieved March 17, 2008, http://www.eduworks.com/Documents/Workshops/EdMedia1998/docs/reeves.html” • Mathews, A (1999). The Sum of the Differences: Diversity and Public Organization. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc • Rice, M (2005, 2011) Diversity and Public Administration , 2nd Edition: Armonk, NY: ME Sharpe