Examining Collaborative Learning Modalities (CLM): Critical Multicultural Education Online?

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a very difficult, yet all important and ongoing research question--how do we best use online collaborative learning modalities (CLM) to supplement conversations in multicultural education courses? Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study examined emergent themes in asynchronous threaded discussions created by 23 students within a Master's level multicultural education course at a large land-grant university in the USA. Findings: Engagement in threaded discussions fostered student understanding of a systems perspective of social realities. Power, privilege, and oppression related to race, gender, and economics in the USA were explored through student use of real world, concrete examples--something that does not always occur in face-to-face classroom encounters constrained by time and the pacing of curriculum. Research limitations/implications: Researchers would like to see more empirical research in using technologically mediated, CLM to foster conversations surrounding power, oppression, and privilege in efforts to advance the pedagogies of critical multicultural education. Practical implications: Using threaded discussions seems to be a promising practice in teaching critical multicultural education content. Social implications: This research project provides understanding of how CLM can help establish systems perspectives--perspectives critical to multicultural education. Originality/value: This paper advances the conversation related to promising practices in multicultural education. Scarce empirical research exists related to critical approaches to multicultural education online.