Weaving UDL with Critical and Holistic Pedagogies in Intercultural Learning

For some years now, Canadian universities have been encouraged by national education bodies like Universities Canada and the CBIE to integrate intercultural learning in classroom, research, and community activities in order to promote valuing of diverse worldviews, empathy for ‘others,’ and respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

So, how can we do that? What are we actually putting into action? What might we do better?

Unsurprisingly, the research shows that variety in course materials, methods, and learning activities as described in the UDL framework is an important support. But UDL on its own is not enough. Other key supports include critical and holistic pedagogies, intentional design of experiential learning with ‘others,’ and facilitators with intercultural teaching competencies.

This experiential workshop will introduce you to weaving UDL with critical and holistic pedagogies and provide you with opportunities to practice intercultural teaching competencies – including designing an introductory learning activity that can support relationship building in culturally diverse groups. We will provide sample course scenarios for participants to work with, but please do feel free to bring a course outline if you’d like to develop or revise an opening activity in your own course.  

This workshop is facilitated by Donna DesBiens, Eric Bigrigg, Jason Keddie, and Valeria Cortes of Royal Roads University.  Donna, Eric and Jason are learning designers with the Centre for Teaching with Educational Technologies and Val is an instructor teaching intercultural communication and leadership theory.