teaching, learning and culture at hbcus

Teaching, Learning and Culture at HBCUs

NILL

San Diego, California

January

Dr. Joyce Williams-GreenAssociate Provost for Information Resources / CIO

Winston-Salem State University

What is Culture?

The lens through whichwe view the world.

CultureSir. E. B. Taylor (1871)

“…that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals,law,custom,and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”

Banks (1994)

Cultures are dynamic, complex and changing.

Cultures are systems, they must be viewed as wholes, not as discrete and isolated parts

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

• 116 Nationally• Most in South East• AN-MSIs• Technology Status

– NAFEO Infrastructure Study

– Cencus Reports

– Campus Computing Project

Cultural Nuances at HBCUs

Institutional

– Evolving networks– Limited staff – Increasing computer access– More diverse socioeconomic status of students– Evolving access to software and upgrades– Traditionally African American

Microculture*

• Oral traditions

• Communities e.g. it takes a village

• Ethos (We/they)

• *smaller cultures that make up the national shared macroculture

HBCU Student in the Knowledge Age

• Older

• With Children

• Working

• Limited Access

• Largely African American

• Larger Percent of white students

Teaching and Learning for the Knowledge Economy

and

HBCU Students

Instructional Applications and Culture

• Cultural Cognitiveness: Aware of and think about HBCU microculture as unique and distinct from other cultures– Dr. Bell’s Class– Community Knowledge Centers (CKCs)

• On-Line Courses and WSSU-TRI– Designed to meet need of Knowledge Age HBCU Student

• PDA Project– Designed to compensate for institutional cultural nuances and meet needs of

knowledge age student

• Center for Innovative Teaching Technology, Learning and Evaluation (CITTLE)– Implemented to support changing roles of faculty in teaching and learning

Dr. Bell’s Work

• Cultural Competence• Parental Involvement• Southern Poverty Law

Cultural Competence

Parental Involvement

Southern Poverty Law Center

Community Knowledge Centers(CKC)

On-line Courses

• Problem Based/Constructivist Approach

• More activities that require person-to-person interaction

• More visual and oral presentations

Blackboard – Welcome

Blackboard – Course List

Blackboard – Course Catalog

WSSU-TRI

• Computer and PDA Requirement for freshman, new, transfers, distance education students, and graduate students.

Remote Access

PDA Article in Black Issues in Higher Educationlink to article

Tools That Provide Access

• PDAs• Remote Access Tools• Off-Site Instruction

and Access Sources

PDA Pilot Project

- PDA Pilot Page- Call for Proposals- Proposal Bell – Berry – Hafar - Herring- Evaluation- Student Agreement- iPAQ

Center for Innovative Teaching, Technology, Learning and Evaluation

(CITTLE)

References

• DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago:A.C. McClurg & Co. 1903. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DubSoul.html

• Williams-Green, J. F. , Holmes, G. A. and Sherman, T. M.(1997-98) Culture As ADecision Variable in Instructional Design.. Journal of Instructional Development. V. 26, 1, p. 3-18.

Dr. Joyce Williams-Green

Winston-Salem State University

Wmsgreenj@wssu.eduWmsgreenj@wssu.edu

(336) 750-2092

HSIs