• Racial equality strategies in learning and teaching
• Classroom environment
• Meeting the needs of UK and international bilingual students
• Learning styles
• Placements and field trips

RACIAL EQUALITY STRATEGIES IN LEARNING AND TEACHING

Classroom environment

• Are all students valued equally regardless of their ethnicity, culture, faith and diverse backgrounds?
• Is racism within the learning environment - whether overt, covert, intended or unintended - swiftly addressed?
• Do other learning environments, such as the virtual learning environment, promote and assist equality and diversity?
• Within the context of race equality, how can the quality of lecturer/student relationships affect the learning environment in the class?
• Is there consideration of how being in a minority in a student group might impact on learning and teaching?
• Managing student diversity: How can lecturers assist the management of inter-ethnic or intercultural value differences?
• Resources

Are all students valued equally regardless of their ethnicity, culture, faith and diverse backgrounds?

Providing respect to all students in an equitable manner is a principle already held important by lecturers. Sensitivity is required to ensure that some students are not valued more than others on the basis of their nationality or their cultural or faith backgrounds. Students are likely to pick up on such attitudes, and they can affect learning and student self-esteem.

Now I get the feeling from staff, they are going "ah ... the Polish students are really good." As though, though these are foreign students, because they are from Europe, they are a cut above the Indians, Chinese and Africans.

Academic staff comment

• If your student cohort is diverse, endeavour to find out some information about the countries, cultures and faith backgrounds students are from, particularly if these countries, cultures or faith groups are ones you are less familiar with.
• Seek opportunities to ensure that all students engage in discussions; it may be appropriate and effective to consult with student groups on this issue, with emphasis being placed on what participation means and why students should contribute, as well as to identify and address any potential barriers that could prevent students contributing.

Is racism within the learning environment - whether overt, covert, intended or unintended - swiftly addressed?

Comments from fellow students that demonstrate insensitivity on racial, cultural or faith matters need to be addressed swiftly but thoughtfully by the lecturer. If this is not done, such comments will appear to be legitimised.

This was the only black minority ethnic student in the learning group - this student complained that he was being ostracised, others keeping things from him. I investigated and found out that was the case. I think tutors need to be aware that these things might be happening.

Academic staff comment

• Comments based on ignorance from fellow students should be used as educational opportunities to raise discussions on topics. It is important not to avoid what might be considered difficult topics to discuss, for example, sexism and the treatment of women within different cultures.

Quite frankly, and I am going to be honest, but there is nowhere to go for racial discrimination. There is not really a proper system that quickly deals with the situation ... there's so much paperwork ... so people don't really know where to go if they have issues. Most just ignore whatever is happening to them and get on with life. Students are too busy trying to get through coursework - who can be bothered with the hassle?

Student comment

• It should be made clear to all students that support will be available if students encounter discriminatory behaviour (including racism) within the context of learning. As part of induction, students should be informed of the mechanisms for seeking support. Students are often very reluctant to come forward as they do not wish to be perceived as complaining or having a 'victim' mentality so it is important for lecturers to be proactive in this area.
• Where students have come forward, it is important to review and monitor their experience so that the students know that the support and advice systems work.

Do other learning environments, such as the virtual learning environment, promote and assist equality and diversity?

The virtual learning environment (VLE) allows greater flexibility of access to learning materials and discussion forums. It enhances the student experience of existing teaching methods. Those who place materials onto the VLE, whether for on-line courses only or for delivering in a classroom, could be provided with brief guidance on equality and accessibility issues e.g. avoidance of unnecessary jargon and 'eduspeak'.

A positive feature of the VLE is that it can afford a degree of neutrality (for example, the ethnicity or gender of a person may not be readily identifiable), fostering open discussions and/or co-operative and collaborative study. To enable this, it is important to remind students of the principle that all communication should be respectful of other learners and, in the case of e-mails, respectful of the recipients. Moderators of the VLE, particularly those involved in discussion forums, need to ensure that racially prejudiced, offensive or discriminatory materials are removed immediately.

Within the context of race equality, how can the quality of lecturer/student relationships affect the learning environment in the class?

It is easier to be receptive when learners have rapport with their lecturers. For students who are in the minority within the university student population - e.g. international students and minority ethnic students - the need to 'belong', or not to be viewed, per se, as problematic, may be present. How these students are received, valued, and recognised by lecturers is important for the self-esteem of the individual students and for the ethos of the course group.

Scottish students have an innate advantage because they have the language and culture, they can easily build a good relationship with their [Scottish] lecturer.

Student comment

I would feel a lot more comfortable if my lecturer remembered my name and not just refer to me as 'you over there' when I put my hand up. I think it helps good integration if lecturers make this effort.

Student comment

• In classes, where it is possible, refer to students by their names, rather than using general references, such as 'the student second from the left', or specific references to visible markers, such as 'the student wearing the turban'.
• If and when using names, it is important to remember the names of students from visible minorities, taking care with pronunciation and accuracy of address. Too often, names of minority ethnic students appear more difficult to remember, and the lecturer remembers the names of others more easily. This may cause more interaction between lecturers and those whose names they remember and find easy to pronounce - for example, the lecturers may ask those whose names they remember for views and suggestions more frequently than other students. This gives the impression that those who are referred to more often are more valued. The reverse may also occur where visible minority ethnic students are constantly asked their views as an inclusive gesture from lecturers. In such situations, the individual student might feel 'placed on the spot' and other students might feel they are less valued or that there is positive discrimination in favour of visible minorities.
• Some students may be used to a learning experience where lecturers will know students' names and will address students personally. One suggestion is for lecturers to ask students to write a short biography of themselves in the first class, or to dedicate some time in class for 'introductions'. This will not only allow the lecturer to become familiar with the students and their backgrounds, but also allow students to feel that they are building a positive relationship with their lecturer, opening avenues for future development. It is appreciated that this may not be possible in lectures where hundreds of students are in attendance.
• Care needs to be taken to be sensitive to terminology. For example, use of inappropriate words during lectures such as referring to visible minorities as 'coloureds' (a manner of address that has historical political connotations and is now considered outdated and inappropriate) or to Southern nations consistently as 'the Third World' gives out cues of potential insensitivity to matters of race equality and to the dynamics of globalised discourses.

Is there consideration of how being in a minority in a student group might impact on learning and teaching?

Visible minority ethnic students may face challenges simply as a result of 'looking' different, and the classroom environment can inadvertently be discriminatory as a result.

The lecturer was talking about the first earthquake detector invented in China about 2,000 years ago. He proceeded to ask the Chinese student all about it and we were like, 'oh my goodness, this is ridiculous'. If I were put on the spot like that I'd feel self-conscious.

Student comment

I feel self-conscious the whole time - every single second.

Student comment

• Visible minority ethnic students can be noticed more easily, so care should be taken to ensure that these students are not singled out by, for example, treating them as spokespeople for their ethnic, cultural or faith group.
• Pose questions about particular groups to the whole class, rather than directing them to members of the group in question. Students from a visible minority background may feel that they are getting undue attention if they are being asked to supplement knowledge/experience from the perspective of their group. For example, in a class where the topic of discussion is about women and feminism, the lecturer attempting to be inclusive may ask an Asian woman student in the class to talk about the perspective of the Asian culture. This is likely to place that individual in a difficult position; it may make her feel unduly burdened, and can cause resentment or withdrawal from future active participation in the class or tutorial group.
• Phrase questions in such a way that students can draw from the diverse experiences of friends and colleagues as well as their own experiences.
• Avoid assumptions that all students from the same nationality, culture, or faith group share similar viewpoints.
• Avoid any assumption that students from particular cultures or nationalities are likely to be more argumentative or more passive in their participation in class. Such stereotyped perceptions can affect lecturer/student relationships as well as participation within class.
• When engaging in group work, keep an eye open for visible minority students being excluded, subtly or otherwise - e.g. not being picked for a group project, being the last to be selected into a group, not being allowed to participate fully, or having their views taken less seriously by their peers or by the lecturer. If necessary, engage the class in discussing what anti-discrimination ground rules for group work might entail.
• Students may face certain challenges that unfairly compromise their learning environment. For example, students may not be allowed to do assignments on certain topics because of the instructor's assumption about the students' biases. In one example within a particular course in the United States, women wearing Islamic headscarves were easily identified as Muslim and were not allowed to write an essay on Islam; it was more difficult to identify students as Christian from their appearance, so they were not prevented from writing papers on Christianity.
• Avoid making assumptions about students - for example, that a Muslim student wearing a hijab or jilbab will not be able to cope with certain placements or academic activity, such as researching the needs of male migrant workers. Check any concerns out with the student rather than assuming negative capacity.

Managing student diversity: How can lecturers assist the management of inter-ethnic or intercultural value differences?

A range of factors may create disagreement or conflict, for example:

• differing background, values and experiences may create barriers rather than clear pathways to a shared sense of being part of the same learner community: for example, some cultures value the group as opposed to the individual and others do the opposite;
• communication styles and learning approaches may differ: for example, lack of eye contact can be a mark of respect for some and a sign of disrespect or lack of understanding for others;
• codes of conduct and behaviour may differ as a result of cultural or faith/belief diversity, for example on the subject of time and space: some cultures have a more relaxed attitude to time than others; some cultures are less worried than others about keeping a physical distance from other people in conversation;
• approaches to handling or resolving conflict may be different: for example, some cultures value harmony at all costs, perceiving dissent as argumentative and impolite: others emphasise the value of participative debate, viewing silence as ignorance or incapacity;
• understanding of equality and anti-discrimination may be different: for example, different cultural backgrounds might accord different status to men and women, and for some, only men or older people are given positions of authority, so that deferring to a female group leader or a young lecturer might be seen as unacceptable.

Most times these situations can be managed. However, prejudice and racial discrimination are not static issues. They change according to the social, political, economic and geographical context. For example, in Scotland, the issue of anti-English prejudice and discrimination can be evidenced but may for some people be seen as less serious than prejudice and discrimination based on colour. Migration of refugees and asylum seekers as well as the presence of migrant workers creates different dynamics and levels of prejudice. For example, settled minority ethnic populations may resent new arrivals or Fresh Talent initiatives as they fear that their own needs will receive less attention.

Students and staff within universities can be seen as a microcosm of society at large, so these issues will affect the experience of learning and teaching in different parts of Scotland and staff will need to be able to adapt and adjust to such variations. There are also matters of jurisdiction, where issues may occur between students outwith class or campus resulting in the residue of such interactions being brought into class in an unhelpful way.

While different value bases and tensions may be present, there are conduct-related requirements stemming from equality legislation, university equality and diversity policies and profession-based codes which staff may draw upon.

• All student cohorts should be provided at induction with information about university equality and diversity policies and anti-harassment/bullyng polices as well as equality legislation and their responsibilities as learners within the institution on these matters. For example, it would not be acceptable for male students to specify that they would only wish to be taught by male lecturers as the Sex Discrimination Act 1976 and the Gender Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2006 would prevent such situations.
• Students should be clearly informed that they have a contract with their university which includes having due regard to university policies. It may therefore be helpful to state explicitly what is expected in terms of respect within a learning and teaching environment.
• Opportunities should be provided for students to discuss issues of diversity e.g. during induction, specific 'culturefest' events and bonding sessions geared towards giving students an idea of how diversity can impact on their student lives as well as on their current and/or future professional lives.
• Opportunities should be provided for students to discuss pertinent issues that reflect contemporary global issues e.g. inter-ethnic conflicts, race relations, commonalities and differences.
• Support should be provided for students who are facing stresses as a result of global tensions e.g. war in their home country.
• Students should be assisted to engage in ways of thinking and behaving that do not pre-judge their fellow students; they should be helped not to draw rash conclusions from, for example, ethnic background, name, accent, fluency in English, faith or belief.
• Prejudices and discrimination can exist between minority groups. Staff need to be confident about university policies on harassment, bullying and racism. Dealing with racism and racial discrimination/harassment between minority groups is essentially no different from dealing with racism and racial discrimination/harassment between majority and minority groups. Racial discrimination/harassment, where it happens, should be dealt with. Fear of getting things wrong may delay action. In such circumstances, staff should know where and who to go to for advice in order to take the next step. Ignoring or being seen to condone the issue will not inspire confidence about the student body and may lead to a repeat of the disagreements. For example, if a student from one ethnic or faith group refuses to be part of a group with a student from another ethnic or faith group, this would not be acceptable as part of university equality policies and would also be contravening aspects of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 which requires public bodies to promote good relations between people of different racial groups.

The following comment comes from an academic who was sent abroad by their university to teach.

The students came from all over the Middle East and there were cultural issues I could not grasp. When I tried to organise group work, many appeared uneasy talking to the opposite sex and they kept changing my open classroom layout into traditional rows, sitting behind the desks.

The next year, I began by 'problematising' the issue of culture and course methodology. I explained how I thought the class should run (which included mixed group discussions) but gave students the responsibility of alerting me to any relevant cultural issues. Working in groups, they wrote any anxieties they had about the course on 'post-its', classified these into columns and put them up on the wall for everyone to see. It provoked much fascinating discussion and heated debate among the students - over Islam and the role of women, for example - and made it easier for me to negotiate the cultural minefield and proceed to the next stage. As the classes developed, the students (male and female) began to integrate into a large group anyway, culture never being static, always negotiable.

I think it is helpful for lecturers to

• openly admit there will be limits to their understanding of cultural issues which could be relevant to their classroom
• impress on students that they are keen to learn more and are open to dialogue on these issues
• openly place some of the responsibility onto students for alerting staff to what these issues might be.

Academic staff comment

Resources

The following websites provide further useful advice for developing generic inclusive teaching and also refer to cultural and ethnic diversity.

Inclusive Teaching Practice (University of Tasmania) This is an on-line resource for staff to consider diversity issues in developing an inclusive learning and teaching environment.

Overcoming the cultural issues associated with plagiarism for International students This report by Juwah et al. of the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen presents the findings of the Higher Education Academy Business Management Accounting and Finance (BMAF) Subject Network, the aim of which was to investigate the reasons why international students plagiarise, to identify the cultural factors which cause them to engage in plagiarism practices, and to identify strategies to enable international students to overcome the cultural factors that cause them to plagiarise.

Seven Principles for Good Practice: Enhancing Student Learning (Winona State University) This set of principles has been established after reviewing fifty years of research on learning and teaching in undergraduate education. It focuses on policies and practices that enhance the student learning experience.

Strategies for Inclusive Teaching This focuses on strategies that are designed to help teachers communicate positively with students and involve them all as equal learners.

What Excludes Students? This elaborates on subtle as well as direct ways in which the teacher can exclude students in the class, and provides strategies to address these issues.

The following provide useful advice for working with international students. British Council (2002) Feeling at Home: A Guide to Issues of Cultural Awareness for Those Working with International Students ,available for order.

University of Bournemouth: International Capability A range of articles can be found on this site related to issues of cross-cultural and international capability.

Robert Gordon University: Supporting International and Ethnic Minority Students