Introduction
A recent trend in Instructional design is the recognition that curriculum and instruction must accommodate students from different cultural backgrounds and students with diverse learning needs. Multiculturalism is based on an individual complexity. This paper assumes that all learners are multicultural. Language, cultural interpretations, and social norms require instructional designers to be strategic managers of culturally based content, assistive technology, and sensitivity training. \citep{dempsey2017} . To ensure that curriculum and instruction are designed to eliminate cultural barriers to learning, instructional designers must be sensitive to cultural differences and strive to create all-inclusive content which is free of cultural bias.
Universal Design
Universal design has evolved to address the challenge of instructing a diverse population of learners and to incorporate the benefits of inclusion. \citep{turnock2005} Universal design seeks to minimize barriers to learning achievement. The focus of universal design is to ensure that instructional materials are barrier free from the beginning. Thus, addressing the needs of diverse people from the beginning eliminates the need to make adaptions later. \citep{l2006} One key aspect of universal design is consideration for learners with disabilities. Multimodal instructional materials as well as utilization of assistive technology greatly compensate for environmental barriers such as low vision and auditory loss. Touch screens and voice activated technology also assist learners who have restricted movement. When embedding media , providing content in more than one language assists learners whose first language is not that which is used for the course. This concept also removes the barrier of speaking a foreign language from being able to master the instructional content.
Incorporating Multiculturalism
There are many challenges to incorporating multiculturalism into instructional design. First, the designer's own cultural experiences, perceptions, and personal belief system may result in delivery of content which does not resonate with the learner. To prevent this, the designer must first consider how culture can influence the individual learner's perception and ultimately educational outcomes. The instructional designer must also consider the needs of the audience and how certain instructional techniques might be perceived by a diverse population of learners.
P.B. Guild notes that interpretations of cultural experiences are essential when considering the design of instruction. \citep{b2001} Instructional designers must also consider the effects of social norms when designing activities for learners. Practices such as avoiding controversial topics and providing guidelines for discussions will enable learners to communicate with sensitivity and also promote cultural responsiveness. \citep{c2007} It is also particularly important that the instructional designer avoid framing instructional media to avoid emphasis on male versus female roles, societal traditions, or socioeconomic status. As an example, assuming that all students have the ability to access paid resources to complete course assignments might place students from lower socioeconomic groups at a disadvantage because of a lack of discretionary income. The student's performance on the assignment might be significantly lower than other students with more financial resources. Not understanding the underlying cause of the performance deficit, the teacher might simply imply that the student lacked intellectual capability in the subject area, or did not devote requisite time to the assignment.
The Multimodal Diversity Model
The Multimodal Diversity Model incorporates Universal Design for Learning and Diversity (UDL). Lewis and Sullivan state "This model includes strategies for physical, cognitive, and cultural diversity which addresses the issues of reaching as many learners as possible through multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. This model also assists instructional designers in the design of instruction in order to meet the needs of our evolving learning environments."\citep{s2014-11-27} The three most important principles of UDL are
- Multiple means of representation
- Multiple means of expression, and
- Multiple mean of engagement.
Take together, incorporation of these principles combine to connect prior learning with understanding new material, reduce the need for later accommodations, and provide flexibility of learning modes. \citep{meyer2002}
Conclusion
Because of an increasingly diverse population of learners, instructional designers need to ensure that curriculum and instruction are developed with consideration for inclusion. The cocept of Universal Design is an important medhodology for producing relevant instructional materials.