Conference Announcement
(Separate Website To Follow)

COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES:
CRITICAL REFLECTIONS

An International Conference Organized By

• International Association for Intercultural Education
• International Association for the Study of Cooperation in Education
• University of Turin

In Conjunction With

• Cesedi (Centro Servizi Didattici) - Province of Turin
   

The fields of intercultural education, cooperative learning and intercultural awareness will converge at an international conference hosted by several organizations active in the field of cooperative learning.

The conference organizers have combined efforts to convene this conference in response to the critical need to promote communication and cooperation in today's diverse learning communities. The conference offers concerned educators a venue to explore formal and informal educational means for the development of successful cooperation in intercultural education.

At the conference you will be able to interact with other educators who are dealing with the increasing diversity of the ethnic and cultural composition of classrooms, and share your resources and expertise. There will be many opportunities - lectures, workshops, symposia and informal interaction - to exchange ideas about theory and practice for enhancing cooperation in intercultural classrooms and societies, as well as to learn new methodologies and skills. The conference aims to engage educators in discussion about ways to:

• increase students' meaningful, active participation in learning

• develop teachers' and students' positive attitudes towards and acceptance of diversity

• promote equal access to knowledge for all students

• manage diversity in a learning community

• encourage learners' sense of belonging to groups, without the loss of individuality

• enable learners to contribute their diverse interests, experiences and knowledge to the learning experience

• refine research design in cooperative learning and intercultural education.

The language of the conference will be English, with several workshops during the pre-conference in Italian.

Conference Strands

The conference invites presentations that address theory and practice, and traditional and action research in the following areas:

• Building Cooperation and Resolving Conflict in Schools and Communities with Diverse Populations

Large-scale and/or long-term planning and implementation projects for school improvement and reform that incorporate cooperative learning. Models and programs for the development of cooperative social skills for conflict resolution in settings where cultural diversity may lead to social adversity. 

• Cooperative Learning in In-service Teacher Training

Projects and programs to prepare teachers who value collaboration and cooperative learning and contribute to sustainable incorporation of cooperative learning principles and methodologies in their work.

• Using Cooperative Learning for Intercultural Education, Social Justice and Equity

Examining the close connection between intercultural education, social justice and equity issues and the role of cooperative learning. How does cooperative learning promote the development of critical attitudes, responsibility, independence and democratic citizenship.

• High Quality Implementation of Cooperative Learning

Task design, strategies and models of CL that address the challenge of rigorous implementation in varying subject areas at all levels, including second language learning, inter-religious understanding and adaptation of CL in the specific context of intercultural classrooms.

• Cooperative Learning in Higher Education

Projects, models and programs that address the challenges of cooperative learning in colleges and universities.

• Promoting Intercultural Dialogue Through Technology

Ways that collaboration on online interactions and other technologies contributes to understanding and strengthening of cultural diversity.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Saturday and Sunday, January 19^th and 20^th, 2008

Two pre-conference days – half-day intensive experiential workshops for those who wish to learn more about

- the implementation of cooperative learning in specific settings

- the intercultural classroom

- intercultural education and social justice

Monday and Tuesday, January 21^st and 22^nd, 2008

Two days of plenary sessions, symposia and informal interaction.

A Call For Papers will follow In February/March 2007 on a separate conference website, together with more information about fees and other details. Check the IASCE website: http://www.iasce.net