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Geography Forum: Intercultural Learning OnlineMargaret C. KeaneSt Mary’s University College, 191 Falls Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT12 6FEe-mail: m.keane@stmarys-belfast.ac.ukAbstractThe growth in cultural diversity in most European countries and the increasing contactsbetween peoples from all over the world has heightened awareness of cultural difference. Ithas become evident that models of geographical education which emphasise ‘tolerance’ and‘respect’ are inadequate. Instead, there is a need to recognise difference and make sensibleuse of the knowledge acquired to deal with difference constructively. Intercultural learningaims to bring about a change in individual perceptions of the cultural practices of the ‘other’so as to learning to live and communicate effectively with people of other cultures. As ICTbegins to connect more geographically dispersed Geography Departments, the use of theonline discussion board is increasingly advanced as an accessible tool for interculturallearning. It is argued that it has the potential to act as the forum for communication withcounterparts from culturally dissimilar backgrounds since it can overcome constraints ofspace and time. This paper assesses the effectiveness of discussion boards for interculturallearning and considers issues of communication, student interaction, team working and therole played by verbal and non-verbal behavioural indicators.Key words: Geography,discussion boards, ICT, university, teaching,, cultural diversity,intercultural education, online learningIntroductionIn a world being re-shaped by knowledge technologies which are impervious to politicalboundaries, young people are living in the conscious presence of cultural differenceyet cultural and national identities still maintain their significance. Racism andxenophobia suggest a lack of understanding of the pace of change while employersincreasingly seek candidates who are able to cross cultural divides in the workplace.This paper assesses the effectiveness of computer-based Discussion Boards throughgeography activities for building intercultural competence, an indispensable goal ofgeographical education today.From the 1970s, European universities have provided opportunities for geographystudents to study in culturally diverse settings. Since 1987, for example, the Socrates-Erasmus programme and other European programmes have widened the horizons ofthousands of students. Now virtual global classrooms are available to those with theright facilities. Discussion Boards are a powerful forum for geography students tolearn through dialogue and collaboration; they afford vital opportunities for moderateddebate on controversial topics and they are a convenient means of linkinggeographically dispersed students. Sensitivity to cultural diversity and improvedcritical thinking are just two of the outcomes which have been noted by Merryfield236
(2003). Ma (1994) considers these Boards to be an ideal means of sharing culturalinformation and increasing cultural self-perception. Chen and Starosta (2000) addthat writing skills can be improved and critical thinking developed although othershave pointed out that the effects of cross-cultural communication online are eitherinconclusive or minimal (Fabos and Young 1999).Intercultural PedagogyChanges in concepts of intercultural learning relate to prevailing socio-culturaland geopolitical circumstances. “International understanding” stems from thepost-war era and shaped intercultural education implicitly and explicitly until the1990s. Hence, models of geographical education which emphasise ‘tolerance’ and‘respect’ and the belief that intercultural problems can be prevented or solved ina spirit of unprejudiced good will assumed that all people share the same values.The resulting pedagogies emphasise cultural similarities and the development ofunprejudiced minds.Now the relevance of cultural difference has shifted the paradigm for interculturallearning to deal with difference constructively. The learning process is viewed as aphased progression with individuals starting in a state of ethnocentrism and endingwhen they have incorporated the cultural differences of the other culture into theirown behaviour and simultaneously possess the knowledge and skills. It is an idealstate. Bennett (1993) models six stages beginning with the learner in Denial followedby Defence against difference. By Stage 3 there is recognition, though Minimization,of superficial cultural differences. Stage 4, describes Acceptance of difference andis, he asserts, the minimum requirement for cross-cultural communication to takeplace. Adaptation to difference through developing empathy at Stage 5 is a step closerto Integration at Stage 6. The movement is from “awareness” through “sensitivity”culminating in “intercultural communication”. And so, interaction of increasingintensity is needed to enhance students’ sensitivity to the cultural meanings ofdiversity and to increase their ability to live and work effectively and harmoniouslywith people of other cultures.The Geography Forum: Exploring NationalismThis paper reports on 28 undergraduates from Belfast, Northern Ireland who collaboratedin 9 international teams with 38 students from San Bernardino, California in afour –week online Geography Forum, the core component of the Online Centre forGlobal Geography Education Project on ‘Nationalism’. The theme was deemed tohave rich potential for intercultural learning. The central components were a website,core content, learning activities, on-line reading and assignments. The module used‘Blackboard’ to support an asynchronous threaded Discussion Board with e-mail,attachments and personal web pages. The materials and tools were designed byLuna-Garcia, Smith, Solem and Ray (2004). The data set for this analysis consistedof transcripts of 547 online contributions, focus group and individual interviews andpre- and post-test questions.237
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Changing Horizons inGeography Educa
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ContributorsAnouk AdangFaculty of G
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Margaret C. KeaneSt Mary’s Univer
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Artur ReligaDepartment of Geography
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Contents1. Exciting Geography......
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Barbara Katharina Mayerhofer, Teach
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How to design and implement excitin
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only increase their motivation to l
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Ministry of Education. Having in mi
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eEurope and the Bologna agendaIn hi
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The main learning approachesencoura
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as a vibrant exciting subject at un
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include ICT as part of the educatio
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19. RICHARDSON J. A. 2001. Collabor
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class using identical instructions
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ability to hold and move a load is
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the range of practical activities.
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Multimedia learning of geographical
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• an organizer and manager of a l
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Geographical fieldwork in forestsJa
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One of these field study laboratori
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learning“, to develop and then in
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egin). It is referred to the inter-
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overruled by the judge and some sus
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esses or their reciprocal relations
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formulated one of key principles in
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Dress rehearsalHow should a present
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of the world, but multiple maps of
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focused on landscape, climate, popu
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ments in academic geography, could
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Training geography teachers in Pola
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a series of intellectual as well as
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• optional subject (30 hours) use
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of the lower levels of education. H
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• the one-subject model: the cont
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delivery, and the methods of the pa
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• Pathways signal important tasks
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Geography competitions as stimuli f
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Figure 1. Changes in the structure
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Challenges for the futureNowadays t
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A perspective from the United State
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The process of GIS inquiry - Thinki
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Remote Sensing in Geography Educati
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IntroductionThe Democratic Republic
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images visualise the “tree vegeta
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PART TWOProfessional Developmentand
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Key elements of an introductory stu
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Some textbooks also provide self-le
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Geography programs and BolognaThere
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equirements. In the faculties of Ar
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Even though this only is a short an
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Background of international student
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students in their language skills.
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International collaboration in dist
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Designing and teaching the distance
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audio lectures - one for presenting
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enrolled in geography courses at po
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development experience. Whilst Craf
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Networking and social diffusion of
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is mistreated, the culture is a-cul
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3. ABALAR. 2004. “Editorial”, i
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to gather process and store spatial
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1. Fundamental to understanding GIS
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The Future of Geography and Geograp
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of geography. In Singapore Social S
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geography should become much more s
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the handful of disciplines that has
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and respected and the institutional
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3. The strength of school and unive
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It is quite clear that Vidal de la
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Effective Practices in Distance Edu
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on to the other satellite school. O
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4. Ministry of Education. 1999. The
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schools is the result of the role e
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• A statistically significant dif
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Charles University geography gradua
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Table 1. First job in studied field
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importance in geography study progr
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The Anglo-Saxon model was collectiv
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academic science. I do believe that
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can convene. Details of these modul
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preparation and to some extent, tea
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The assessment must form the basis
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The teaching shall build on the pup
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The Relationship between Geography
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Geography and Territory Planning ha
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we wished, of course we have obtain
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Why Managers from Multinational Com
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able to have training in different
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ContextUtrecht University is a larg
Page 186 and 187: Typical is the very open atmosphere
Page 188 and 189: Times of Change for Geography Educa
Page 190 and 191: where it is divided into specific b
Page 192 and 193: • traditional versus progressive
Page 194 and 195: on European Dimension of Teaching g
Page 196 and 197: With the ongoing development of tel
Page 198 and 199: Figure 2. Present at Annual Congres
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Page 202 and 203: An evaluation of geographyand geogr
Page 204 and 205: The problems of geography and geogr
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Page 208 and 209: Then these results were compared to
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Page 212 and 213: Internationalizing geography in hig
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Page 230 and 231: What Europe do we teach?A view from
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Page 242 and 243: Higher education (University) as a
Page 244 and 245: This table shows the importance of
Page 246 and 247: the studies on what exists, to cons
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Page 250 and 251: as K. De Bot calls it, is a variety
Page 252 and 253: Do you speak European? or: Why even
Page 254 and 255: Years’ Religious War in the 17 th
Page 256 and 257: Why geographers should be able to s
Page 258 and 259: Intercultural education in Italian
Page 260 and 261: of geography in the process of inte
Page 262 and 263: 9. BRUSA C., ed. 2002. Processi di
Page 264 and 265: Nowadays, according to the literatu
Page 266 and 267: In the gymnasium and in high school
Page 268 and 269: 3. Dziennik Ustaw nr 61 z dnia 19 c
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Page 272 and 273: dropping litter. There is circle ti
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Page 278 and 279: ole: they form attitudes, views, pr
Page 280 and 281: Field lessons can engage the pupil
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Page 284 and 285: Some backgroundFor a number of year
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issues that will shape the future g
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Geography and Environmental Science
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(2000) cautioned an awareness of cu
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Geography and Languages in Intercul
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Table 1. The most widely taught for
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the whole world will, according to
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References1. CALVET L. J. 2002. Le
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Sustainable development: let geogra
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predecessor “green,” or the pre
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8. GUNN A. S., “Professional Ethi
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Much research in Environmental Educ
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Sustainability, Development and Sec
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includes geography. The context is,
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• protected areas8. Landscape sec
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Developing geographical professiona
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tion contributes to the growth of e
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cooperative learning using as theor
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Studyng climate and water resources
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By signing and ratifying the Kyoto
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and political implications of plann
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8. UNITED NATIONS 1997. Kyoto Proto
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Conference Changing Horizons in Geo
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