Embracing Student Diversity
With an increased focus on internationalization and the worldwide rising enrollment of international students, faculty are recognizing the advantages of transforming their curricula to meet the needs of a diverse student population. International students often experience academic and social dissonance in new learning environments. Information and communication technologies (ICT) offer alternative ways of interacting with students by increasing their engagement while facilitating cross-cultural learning experiences. In this chapter, the authors discuss how ICT can be utilized to support the experience of international students as they navigate the academic landscape and to provide all students with a more holistic education. Research-based best practices are discussed to illustrate the ways technologies can be utilized to facilitate active learning and enhance cross-cultural interactions, thereby allowing students to develop cross-cultural competencies. Examples of applications or tools that support these practices are presented.