Building Culturally Responsive STEM Peer Mentoring Relationships Through Virtual Training: A Case Study

• In Event: Designing for Games, Simulations, and Virtual Learning Environments

Abstract

The National Science Foundation (2017) cited that racially minoritized women accounted for only 11% of earned STEM degrees. To better understand this inequity, one must delve into the intersectional barriers that create and contribute to these disincentives. This learning experience design study examined a virtual training program’s impact on cultural responsivity. Four themes emerged: (a) mentoring as a conduit for giving back and catalyst for belonging, (b) reflective practice to acknowledge differences and promote awareness, (c) interactive instructional design elements as a measure of mastery, and (d) culturally responsive curriculum and aesthetics. The findings of this study push the limits of current LDX research and support the applied incorporation of cultural and socioemotional components into instructional design practices.

Author

• Chelsie Marie Dubay, East Tennessee State University