This is one of several similar story-telling structures that foster openness, especially in diverse groups. Story Circles is promoted as an intercultural dialogue activity by UNESCO.

Although it does take work to set up and does not lend itself well to virtual environments, this is one of my favorite activities related to openness. I have used it many times with learners of all ages and in many contexts, and it has always been eye opening for them to see how many different valid ways there are to categorize or organize information (beyond their first instinctive effort). See the HubICL toolbox for more details.

This experiential activity that builds openness is versatile in that it can be adapted to a range of contexts and is appropriate for use with learners across the spectrum of orientations toward difference. See the HubICL toolbox for details.

One of the experiential activities I recommend that supports development of openness is this online YouTube Ethnography assignment. See the HubICL for details.

Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale is a short open access instrument that can be used in a cloud software platform to provide automated feedback to learners as a formative assessment. See the HubICL toolbox for details, and contact cilmar@purdue.edu if you would like a demo of how we have the survey set up in Qualtrics.

The Miville-Guzman Universality Diversity Short Scale is sometimes used to measure intercultural openness. You can learn more about it here in the HubICL toolbox.

The Intercultural Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge Short Scale Plus is a quantitative instrument aligned with the AAC&U VALUE Rubric for Intercultural Knowledge and Competence. Check it out in the HubICL Toolbox.

You can see Dr. Horane Diatta-Holgate explain how to use the ASKSS and other short scales aligned with the AAC&U VALUE rubrics by clicking on the link to the Research Repository. The slides for that video are attached here as well.

You can download the VALUE rubrics free from the AAC&U site.

This series of seven 90-minute webinars offers professional development in the facilitation and assessment of one facet from the AAC&U Global Learning (GL) VALUE Rubric and/or the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence (ICKC) VALUE Rubric during each webinar. The series begins in early August 2024 and ends in mid-June 2025.

See the CILMAR website for additional information about other sessions in the series.

• Ethnocultural Identity Behavioral Index (10 minutes)
  This assessment measures an individual's degree of involvement with a specific, self-identified ethnic peer group and connections between behavior and cultural identity.

• Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education
  This book, available for purchase, provides case studies to encourage analysis and reflection on equity and social justice in educational settings.
• Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication (15 hours)
  This lesson plan includes foundational intercultural communication instruction along with case studies upon which to apply intercultural frameworks.
• Critical Incident Role-Plays (1 hour)
  This activity provides a framework for role-playing and discussing critical incident case studies.
• Fifty Case Studies in Intercultural Communication (duration variable)
  This resource provides 50 case studies in intercultural communication for facilitators to present and debrief with groups. The case studies were intended to teach through "real-life stories, how practitioners apply intercultural communication skills in multicultural situations" (Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication, Università della Svizzera italiana, n.d.).
• Multicultural Problem Solving: Case Studies (30-60 minutes)
  This activity "engage[s] participants in a process of collaborative problem-solving around equity related issues through the use of case studies. Participants will develop an understanding of the necessity to include a variety of voices and perspectives in order to successfully address issues that arise around race, gender, class, sexual orientation, or any other identity dimension. They will begin to better understand the collaborative process and how they tend to participate in it. This activity can be a useful springboard into conversations about specific issues drawn from the cases or case studies" (Gorski, n.d.).
• On the Train
  This case study (available within Berardo and Deardorff's book for purchase Building cultural competence: Innovative activities and models) encourages participants to "explore situational, cultural, and personal factors that influence intercultural interactions and analyze a critical incident and interpret the situation from various perspectives" (Hiller, 2012, p. 326).

• The Classroom Critical Incident Questionnaire (15 minutes)
  This assessment can be used after a class activity to gauge student engagement and lack of engagement, supportive action, unresolved issues, and surprise. It is cited in this article entitled, 'Dear Professor': On Anti-Blackness and Learning, as an example of inclusive learning and assessment - "using assessment as a way to build relationships of solidarity with our students" (Learning Scientists for Racial Justice, 2020). 
  
  Learning Scientists for Racial Justice. (2020, November 18). 'Dear Professor': On Anti-Blackness and Learning. Inside Higher Ed.

• Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence: A Critical Distinction in Defining Physician Training Outcomes in Multicultural Education (Tervalon & Murray-García, 1998)
  This article details the semantics and implications of utilizing the concept of cultural competence vs. cultural humility in multicultural education, specifically within the healthcare profession. The article details how the word "competence" denotes an arrival at an outcome, whereas cultural humility denotes lifelong learning and process-centered growth. 
• Clarifying Concepts: Cultural Humility or Competency (Isaacson, 2014)
  This article details a research study on cultural humility and perceptions of cultural competence in nursing students before and after a cultural immersion experience on an Indian reservation. The study explores cultural humility as an alternative to cultural competence and the importance of introducing students cultural humility not only in graduate education, but in the undergraduate levels as well to foster cultural responsiveness in healthcare professionals as they care for patients in multicultural settings. 
• Rethinking Cultural Competence: Shifting to Cultural Humility (Lekas et al., 2020)
  This article provides cautionary advice regarding cultural competence training and introduces an alternative: cultural humility training in healthcare.
• Client perceptions of therapists’ multicultural orientation: Cultural (missed) opportunities and cultural humility (Owen et al., 2016)
  This article details a study where clients were surveyed regarding the degree of cultural humility they experienced in their therapists. 
• Cultivating Cultural Humility in Education (Haynes-Mendez & Engelsmeier, 2020)
  This article details a history of the term "cultural humility," and applies it to a k-12 educational context.

• Multi-dimensional Cultural Humility Scale (10 minutes)
  This instrument explores openness, self-awareness, lack of ego, supportiveness, and capacity for self-critique.
• Willingness to Listen Measure (10 minutes)
  This instrument explores perceptions and willingness around listening.

• Questions Across Cultures (2 hours)
  This activity challenges participants to consider the motive and meanings behind the questions they ask others and develop strategies for asking questions that are effective, appropriate, and satisfactory (as per Stella Ting-Toomey's work).
• Mind the Gap (1 hour)
  This activity guides participants as they explore the gap between cognitive and affective/behavioral competencies as it applies to negotiating third culture spaces via a case study as well as their own life experience(s).
• Counter-Storytelling (45 minutes)
  Counter-storytelling, a method often used in critical race theory, highlights the stories of individuals who are marginalized within society. It aims to push back against dominant narratives that often privilege certain voices over others. This activity introduces the concept of counter-storytelling through the points of view of Asian/Asian American individuals who have experienced racialized microaggressions. 
• Barbie Savior: A Lesson in Intercultural Empathy (1 hour)
  This activity is inspired by an Instagram account called Barbie Savior. Barbie Savior calls attention to the issues with the well-intentioned—but often problematic—"voluntourism,” i.e. short-term volunteer trips. Barbie Savior parodies the voluntourism experience by placing Barbie in various scenes across Africa along with tone deaf captions that demonstrate Barbie’s lack of knowledge about her impact as a “voluntourist.” In this activity, participants will analyze one of Barbie Savior’s posts and coach Barbie on intercultural empathy and considering different perspectives.
• Reclaiming our Stories: Narratives of Identity, Resilience and Empowerment (4 hours)
  This book (available for purchase) includes 19 narratives which explore themes such as systemic racism, inequality, trauma, outrage, healing, triumph, love, resilience, and empowerment.

This article details Edward T. Hall's influence on the history of intercultural communication, specifically in the U.S. and Japan. 

• Attitudes Toward Implicit Bias Instruction (ATIBI) (10 minutes)
  This assessment can be used to learn how much survey subjects value instruction about implicit bias, are aware that they have bias, & recognize that being able to identify implicit bias is an important professional skill.
• Project Implicit Association Tests (IAT) by Harvard (10 minutes)
  These assessments measure participant's implicit attitudes, stereotypes, and biases related to a specific phenomenon or identity characteristic.  Test options include attitudes/biases as regards skin tone, disability/ability, mental health status, transgender status, sexuality, race, ethnicity, weight, age & religion.
• IDADA: Individual Difference Approach to Diversity Awareness (15 minutes)
  This assessment measures how personal biases (in terms of dress, communication, personal behavior, etc.) may affect how participants view a potential job candidate.
• Match the Bias Type (Quiz) (15 minutes)
  This assessment measures the ways in which bias can be a barrier to scientific processes, political or policy choices and/or good decision-making.

• Circle of Trust (15 minutes)
  In this activity, participants take stock of the individuals in their personal circle of trust and assess shared and differing identities (gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, age, etc.).  
• Lookism (45 minutes)
  This activity challenges participants to consider "how appearance affects bias" (Clark, 2017).
• Check Your Bias Blind Spot (30 minutes)
  This activity challenges participants to engage with their "bias blind spot" (Pronin et al., 2002) and consider how bias impacts their behaviors and conclusions about situations.
• Count the F's (15 minutes)
  In this Thiagi activity, participants interrogate their preconceived notions and cognitive biases, such as overconfidence.
• Incremental Process (30 minutes)
  In this activity, participants learn to recognize that learning how to interact with individuals who are different from them is an incremental process and develop strategies for learning from past mistakes. 
• Implicit Bias and Self-Regulation (30 minutes)
  In this activity, participants watch a video and answer questions to reflect on their implicit biases and develop skills to avoid responding and reacting to others based on stereotypes.
• Subtle Prejudice Activity (30 minutes)
  In this activity, participants fill out a questionnaire on their level of comfort in different situations and discuss as a group to develop awareness of how subtle beliefs and behaviors can affect social interactions in everyday life and reflect on situations where race, gender, sexuality, disability, weight, and age affect interactions.

• Unpacking Implicit Bias in Mentorship Self-Directed Learning Module (Duration: 2 hours)
  In this course, we will explore the intricacies of mentorship, addressing implicit biases to create an inclusive environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to recognize  biases, enhance communication, and foster inclusive mentorship practices.
  
  To access the course:
  • Click Register
  • Click Offerings in the grey tab
  • Click Enroll in Course
  • Click Outline
  • Click through the Course Outline to see the content
    
    To access the Unpacking Implicit Bias in Mentorship Self-Directed Learning Module YouTube playlist click here. 
     
• Twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management (Gonzalez et al. 2021)
  This article introduces 12 practical tips for practitioners seeking to introduce and explore implicit bias with learners. 
  • How to Make or Break Implicit Bias Instruction: Implications for Curriculum Development (Gonzalez et al., 2018)
    This article (same first author) provides data on educators who facilitate implicit bias content, including challenges and implications.
• Understanding Implicit Bias (Staats, 2015)
  This article encourages practitioners to analyze their own implicit bias and how it impacts the lives of those around them and provides case studies where implicit bias was at play, as well as strategies for addressing implicit bias.

• Mindset Assessments
  These surveys from mindsetworks assess mindset and identify development areas. 
• Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset (2 minutes)
  This video details the definitions and differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.
• Growth Mindset: What it is, and how to cultivate one
  This article from Oregon State University gives a definition of growth mindset and offers ways to develop this mindset.
• The role of growth mindset in shaping teachers' intercultural competencies: A study among Finnish teachers
  This scholarly article explores the relationship between teacher growth mindset, intercultural competencies, and orientation toward students. 
• Why Is Intercultural Learning Important?
  This article details the importance of intercultural learning within a study abroad context and its role in developing a growth mindset.
• Growth Mindset and Learning about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  This article explores the intersection between fixed vs. growth mindset and approaches to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• CILMAR's Growing Intercultural Leaders Program Participant Reflection Essays (both essays attached as Word documents to this post)
  These essays provide insight into Karcher's and Krishnan's personal intercultural growth:
  • "My Journey as an Academic Mama" - Liz Karcher, Associate Professor, Animal Sciences, Purdue University
  • "How do you understand yourself as an intercultural leader?" - Lata Krishnan, Clinical Professor Emerita, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
     

• Growth Mindset Activity for STEM (1 hour)
  "This activity is an intervention to instill a growth mindset in students in a STEM classroom" (LSA Inclusive Teaching Initiative, University of Michigan, 2018).
• My Plan for Intercultural Growth (2 hours)
  This activity provides a framework for learners to identify areas of intercultural growth, steps to take to begin developping, and how they will assess their growth.