Building Community in Culturally Diverse Classrooms at University

Abstract

Internationalization strategies at Canadian universities have increased the recruitment and enrolment of international students diversifying the demographic of today’s classrooms. Classroom diversity presents opportunities for instructors and students to broaden their awareness and understanding of differing worldviews through a fostering of classroom-based communities. However, ethnorelativism is not an automatic outcome of bringing people together; it is developed through intentional approaches that increase a sense of belonging. Students feel they belong when their opinions and prior experiences are valued, recognized, and encouraged. This paper explores how university instructors can create equitable learning environments using permeable boundaries that value and accept difference.