ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the usefulness of experiential activities in teaching about diversity. It focuses on sharing what has worked for students in incorporating issues of diversity into the curriculum, with the aim of providing instructors with useful information as they develop their courses. The chapter presents a list of resources that could help in incorporating experiential activities in teaching. Experiential activities on diversity bring course concepts to a more personal level increasing then the likelihood of effective cognitive processing and memory retrieval, an example of self-referencing. Developing a relaxed learning environment in which students feel open to sharing their thoughts on these sensitive issues is quite instrumental. Although a certain amount of guardedness in sharing about one’s biases and experiences with diversity serves as a healthy self-protection strategy, open dialogue is a key factor in the development of multicultural awareness.
