Technology and Diversity

In Thomas C. Reeves article, “An Evaluator Looks at Cultural Diversity,” (1997), he emphasizes the fact that when developing programs for students to use in school, the software needs to be culturally sensitive to anyone who might use it. I thought it was poignant that he said that it is naïve of a person to think that they can detect cultural insensitivities on their own. I wonder if having a more diverse development team would be a starting point to help relieve some of this problem. I would not be very surprised if most developers currently have similar backgrounds.

I thought the example of Johnny going home to meet his mom’s new boyfriend was interesting. I can definitely see how it could offend some people. I think it could offend some people in the US just as much as the people in China– I am sure you will find many people in the US who stress the importance of the traditional family. At the same time, you will also find many people in the US who have never experienced a traditional family. What would be the right answer to this? Should the question have two options? Should the topic be avoided altogether? I feel like there are always going to be some fundamental life situations that either are going to offend someone or someone will not be able to relate to it. Maybe the questions need to be broader and allow students to express their own situations without have to specifically suggest what they are. On the other hand, would it be useful to introduce the different situations to the students to make them aware of other cultures? I do not know.

In depth multicultural research and consultation are obviously extremely important when it comes to developing technology for schools. Next to that, perhaps the most important factor is to make sure that questions do not inadvertently put down other insult other cultures. Moreover, if there is a controversial question or situation introduced, the teacher should take the time to address it with his or her students (Banks, J. A. & McGee Banks, C. A., 2005).

References:

Banks, J. A., McGee Banks, C. A. (Eds.) (2005). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reeves, T. C. (1997). An evaluator looks at cultural diversity. Educational Technology, 37(2), 27-31.