Intercultural Understanding and Pedagogy of Empathy: A Cultural Experiential Learning from an Interdisciplinary Dialogue Project

This paper is grounded on Manassis’ four steps of the pedagogy of empathy. These empathic steps are coupled with Killick’s Critical Intercultural Practice as analytical lenses for my teaching notes and students’ reflective writings. My paper is a pedagogical reflection on the development of intercultural understanding in the context of a Bachelor of Social Work course called Intercultural Practice in Social Work. Social workers who are informed by intercultural learning, knowledge, and skills are well-equipped to work with individuals, families, and community to consider cultural differences and identities. MacEwan University’s Interdisciplinary Dialogue Project is used to enhance experiential learning stimuli in the Intercultural Practice course content, design, and delivery. The discussions and lessons learned illustrate the development of students’ intercultural understanding as participants in the interdisciplinary dialogues.