The Intercultural Learning Hub (HubICL)

When Kris Acheson-Clair began working in Purdue University's International Programs (there was not yet a CILMAR) in July 2016, one of her goals was to create an on-line searchable database that would contain intercultural learning (ICL) activities submitted by practitioners from all over the world. With support from the vice president of Global Parternships and Programs, this legacy project came to fruition in 2018. With full stack development by HUBzero™ on a science gateway platform, the Intercultural Learning Hub (HubICL) includes not only the specially developed digital Toolbox that Kris had envisioned but also areas common to all HUBzero™ science gateways such as a place for intercultural Collections of materials, Groups for sharing information, and a Research Repository for publications.

Offered at no cost to users, all are invited to create an account at hubicl.org/register.

Once you create an account, not only can you use everything in the HubICL, but you can also share your own resources and research with others in the HubICL. The HubICL accepts submissions pertaining to intercultural learning; global learning; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Below we offer tips and tricks on making the most of the HubICL experience.

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The Professional Development Zone--The most recent addition to the HubICL

In 2019, a dozen leaders within the intercultural learning (ICL) and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) fields gathered together on the Purdue campus for 24 hours to discuss how we might work together synergistically, especially within the intersection of ICL and DEIB. One of the topics of discussion involved how to use the HubICL to make professional development searchable in the same way that HubICL Toolbox tools and Research Repository publications are.

Listen in below as CILMAR's director Kris Acheson-Clair and Annette Benson discuss how the PDZ came to be.

A huge thank you to the intercultural leaders who inspired the creation of the HubICL's PDZ!

As a result of these discussions, CILMAR again contracted with HUBzero™ for special development of the Professional Development Zone (PDZ).

To get started in the PDZ

The PDZ makes professional development (PD) opportunities searchable by theme, level, audience, depth, breadth, cost, and prerequisites. And, when attendance is taken at events and shared in the HubICL, participants can see their completion of various learning opportunities show up in your HubICL profile.

Besides promoting larger workshops and conferences, the PDZ also contains some no-cost intercultural self- learning modules. If this is of interest, Katherine Yngve's Choosing Assessments for Global, Intercultural and Equity-Inclusion Learning and Kris Acheson-Clair's The Intercultural Pendulum Model: An Open-Access Self-Paced Learning Module could be good places to begin your exploration in the PDZ.

To promote a learning opportunity in the PDZ

If you have an upcoming workshop or conference event that you would like publicized in the HubICL's PDZ, please send a link for the event, along with a biography of the speaker(s) and a photo of the presenter(s). We'll create a placeholder in the PDZ and then ask you to fill in the rest of the information, especially your learning outcomes and learning plan.

To create your own self-learning module in the PDZ

CILMAR is also interested in including self-learning modules in the PDZ that our users have created and are willing to share with others. This is a good use for past presentations. Dig out those PowerPoints, add a voice over and don't forget to add some materials (such as your hand-outs) to provide opportuntities for adult learners to interact with the material.

An added benefit

Contributors to the HubICL's PDZ receive the added benefit of having their conference, workshop, or module promoted through CILMAR's social media channels.

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The HubICL Toolbox--How to make it work for you

With its 800+ intercultural learning resources, the Toolbox can feel a bit overwhelming to the first-time user. Putting the left search menu to use and also using the Tag function are great ways to limit a search in the Toolbox.

The left search menu

Going from bottom to top of the left Toolbox menu, users can first search learning objectives according to the facets of the AAC&U Intercultural and Knowledge VALUE Rubric and then add into the search such logistical elements as whether an experiential activity, assessment, curriculum, media, or reflection/debriefing tool is needed (Tool Type), time available, kinesthetic abilitites of the group, etc.

The short video below demonstrates the unwieldy results (350!) that arise when only Openness is used as the search parameter:

On the other hand, filling in all of the parameters results in fewer suggestions (14 in this case):

The periwinkle book icon

When your search results include a tool with the book icon, you have found a resource which is one of the most robust ICL resources in the Toolbox. These include a complete lesson plan, participant instructions, and (usually) more.

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Assessments--They show up everywhere in the HubICL!

The CILMAR staff regularly track which of the HubICL's resources are being accessed. Year after year, assessment resources are at the top. Some good places to find assessments and publications about them in the HubICL are:

In the Collections--