The relationship between teachers and students is mediated by the norms and assumptions that each brings to the classroom, which are in turn inflected by national and cultural traditions. When is speaking out in the classroom rude, and when is it a sign of student engagement? What kinds of deference should students give to teachers, and what is involved in recognizing the authority of the teacher? What is the purpose of written and oral feedback, and what do the various points on the grading scale signify? What is the boundary between influence and plagiarism?
There is no one answer to any of these questions, but different educational traditions and cultural contexts can inculcate different views in teachers and students. Our aim in this session is to explore these differences, and to discuss techniques that establish shared understandings in the classroom.
This is session one in a three-part learning community series, "Columbia International: Cultural Diversity Among Teachers and Students," that explores the benefits for student learning that arise from an instructor’s ability to draw on a diversity of knowledge and experience in the classroom, and to assess the challenges that arise for teachers in preparing their classes whilst avoiding hasty assumptions regarding shared prior knowledge.