A trans-cultural wisdom bank in the classroom: making cultural diversity a key resource in teaching and learning

The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(4), 2006. © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2006. http://jsi.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online.This article presents an account of how I have made cultural diversity a powerful pedagogical resource for my teaching rather than a burden. I suggest that such an approach can deliver real educational benefits, rather than simply being a protocol to meet the requirements of “political correctness” or commercial imperatives. The issues I have addressed include how and why: (a) I mobilise cultural diversity and a comparative perspective in my curriculum; (b) I propose the notion of ‘trans-cultural wisdom bank’ (c) I bring cultural diversity into students’ active learning which is achieved with intellectual depth and personal engagement; and finally (d) I demonstrate with a learning infrastructure of group work and a 'super-structure' of cultural contrasts to generate surprises and provoke new thoughts and discovery