DE Oracle @ UMUC

No Boundaries Online? How to Respond to Culturally Inappropriate and Controversial Online Conversations

Barbara Schwartz-Bechet

Program Director, Certification Programs

Graduate School of Management and Technology

Published: May-June 2010

Category: » Online-pedagogy » Teaching-strategies

In an online environment, particularly with written text, comments and responses can be read and re-read, and tones can easily be misconstrued. Difficult conversations--those with unintentionally offensive language and emotionally laden remarks--are challenging to deal with in face-to-face classes but even more so in classes that are online. The words created in an online format are permanent; even if they are deleted, those words can be retrieved. It is imperative that any comments or responses that may be taken as offensive be addressed.

How can faculty structure the online classroom to create a safe, open, and respectful climate? When online conversations that are perceived as offensive occur, how might faculty use the conversation as a teachable moment? In the global society of the 21st century, students and faculty need to be mindful of and sensitive to cultural differences and commonalities. This article identifies strategies that faculty can use to prevent problematic conversations from occurring in the classroom as well as strategies for dealing with controversial conversations that have indeed occurred.

Strategies to Use to Prevent Problematic Conversations From Occurring

Best practice in online discourse is usually demonstrated if certain classroom parameters or guidelines are developed, shared, and discussed at the start of the course. Some of the steps that can be taken to minimize controversial conversations include the creation of online classroom rules (boundaries) that are preferably created by students and the instructor at the beginning of the class. Faculty may wish to engage students in a conversation about netiquette as part of the creation of class rules. It is essential that the tone of the class environment is one of acceptance.

The instructor must also create an atmosphere of expression safety and openness so that students are made to feel that opinions are important. As such, open discourse should be encouraged and feelings should be valued. However, the focus of discussion should not be on personal experiences but should allow for the inclusion of personal examples that support understanding of content and concepts being taught.

Some strategies for fostering respectful, interactive engagement in the online classroom to avert insensitive conversations include:

• Modeling appropriate online behaviors that discourage the use of inappropriate or controversial conversations that do not relate to the topic
• Teaching the skills of accepting varying ideas and opinions and taking multiple perspectives
• Promoting the use of Socratic dialogue and other discussion methods to enable students to agree to disagree (for example, formulating discussions that focus on opposing viewpoints, issues, and ideas)
• Explaining the use of person-first language, a term that means acknowledging the individual prior to attaching a label (e.g., "person with a disability" rather than "disabled person") to help students understand that language matters
• Creating classroom opportunities (such as a debate) for students to confront culturally sensitive issues, related to the course content, with a specific requirement not to use offensive or stereotypic language

Strategies to Use When Problematic Conversations Occur

Once the course has begun and parameters have been developed, there is still a possibility that inappropriate or controversial conversations and statements may appear in course conferences. Several strategies may be used to dissipate the situation or develop the experience into a teachable moment. Which strategies to use depends on the faculty member's judgment about the class members, the class climate, and the content of the course.

Oftentimes, it is best for the instructor to observe the dynamic that occurs within the discussion before participating. Many students in a course will attempt to respond substantively to a culturally inappropriate or insensitive comment in a proactive manner. Others may perhaps lighten the discourse if they feel uncomfortable. Once the instructor determines how the participants have responded, then he or she interacts. Here are a few ideas that guide when an instructor should participate in the conversation:

• A statement goes unaddressed by students.
• A student directs inappropriate language toward a specific student during the conversation.
• A request is made for the instructor to participate.
• Enough dialogue has occurred that has set up an opportunity for a teachable moment.
• The conversation has effectively resolved itself and the instructor can reinforce the successful resolution.

In addition to determining when to enter the conversation, faculty need to determine how to join and direct the conversation. Possible options include both public and private guidance:

• Invite the student who made the comment to self-correct in the conference. (The faculty could ask the student why he/she believed what he/she said or ask the student a question that places him/her in the position/role/place of the person who may have felt offended by the original comment.)
• Create a mini-lecture or a separate discussion topic in the class that explains the issue's importance and allows all class members to learn more about the topic by expressing their viewpoints and researching the topic. The goal is to shift the conversation from the personal level to the realm of ideas.
• Develop a question or scenario for all students that is based on the original statement and that intentionally creates cognitive dissonance or discomfort for students, with the goal of increasing students' awareness and sensitivity.
• Delete the comment (or have the student delete the comment). With this approach, faculty would address the student privately to determine why he/she posted something perceived to be inappropriate, make the student feel that his/her participation is valued in the course, and help him/her recognize the reactions (or potential reactions) of others in the class. Furthering of the discussion between the instructor and the student may lead to critical thinking that could potentially be added later to the course conference.

There is no one solution to addressing potential culturally offensive or insensitive comments posted in the online classroom. Every case is unique and builds a faculty member's repertoire of strategies. We invite faculty to respond to this article by sharing strategies utilized in the faculty member's unique situation so that we can all learn from one another.

Note: This article is based on the authors' presentation at the Maryland Distance Learning Association's conference on March 4, 2010.