Delivering Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
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Cultural Orientation (CO) is usually an in-person learning experience. However, there are occasions where in-person delivery is not possible due to distance, health, or other constricting circumstances. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated an unprecedented move to remote delivery for the safety of participants and service providers.
Remote Cultural Orientation is administered either by telephone, virtually, or through a combination of these two methods. While CORE has existing resources on How to Deliver Remote Cultural Orientation, the following promising practice provides additional in-depth guidance and tips.
What to Consider Before You Begin
Who is Involved?
To implement remote Cultural Orientation, you will start by engaging organizational leadership and, if appropriate, your designated Cultural Orientation Coordinator or Cultural Orientation Focal Point. In addition to leadership, information technology staff and interpreters also play vital roles in facilitating remote Cultural Orientation. For information on working with interpreters, complete CORE’s online course on the topic. For guidance on using volunteers in Cultural Orientation, access CORE’s Promising Practice: Using Volunteers for Cultural Orientation.
Materials and Resources Needed
The precise materials and resources needed for remote Cultural Orientation will vary based on your decision to use telephonic or virtual Cultural Orientation, or a combination of these two methods. Decisions on design and delivery should account for digital access and the abilities of you, other involved staff or volunteers, and the participants. For details on how to make these decisions, review CORE’s How to Deliver Remote Cultural Orientation. Those delivering telephonic Cultural Orientation can use CORE’s Telephonic Cultural Orientation Guidance and Curriculum. For virtual Cultural Orientation, you can adapt many of the resources and materials used for in-person or telephonic Cultural Orientation. This includes using refugee-facing resources from the Settle In website and the Settle In app, in addition to the Welcome Guide, and, as appropriate, activities and images from the Making Your Way Curriculum.
Timing
The time involved in designing and implementing remote Cultural Orientation programs will vary. Factors that will influence time include your experience as a Cultural Orientation provider using technology and applying adult learning principles, the method selected to deliver remote Cultural Orientation (telephonic vs. virtual), training required for interpreters, and the needs and abilities of the participants. During COVID-19, some Cultural Orientation providers have mobilized quickly to deliver remote Cultural Orientation by telephone only, while others have used an iterative process to deliver remote Cultural Orientation using both telephonic and virtual methods.
Application
Goal of Promising Practice
When delivering remote Cultural Orientation, you will be able to:
- Provide vital Cultural Orientation messages to participants in cases where in-person Cultural Orientation is not possible
- Create interactive remote Cultural Orientation that draws on adult learning principles, student-centered learning, and management of cognitive load
- Enhance participant learning and engagement by integrating digital technology for the development of digital skills relevant to the refugee resettlement process
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Assess need
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Steps to Deliver Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
Assess need
The first step in implementing remote Cultural Orientation requires conducting a needs assessment. The needs assessment includes examining your organization’s capacity in terms of time and resources to deliver telephonic or virtual Cultural Orientation, staff abilities in delivering remote Cultural Orientation, and asking key questions about the participants’ digital abilities and access to technology. Again, for more guidance, review CORE’s How to Deliver Remote Cultural Orientation. As a part of the needs assessment, you will want to consider what devices (phones, tablets, or computers), and as applicable, what digital platforms (Bluejeans, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Zoom) to use for remote Cultural Orientation delivery. There is no one–size–fits–all digital platform that will work for every participant. In fact, you may use multiple digital platforms to deliver remote Cultural Orientation, such as combining WhatsApp with Zoom. When choosing and using any digital platforms, you should also develop and follow the necessary protocols to protect personally identifiable information of participants.
Steps to Deliver Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
Determine method and structure
Once you have assessed needs, you can determine what method of remote Cultural Orientation will work best for your organization, you, and your participants. You can select from either telephonic, virtual, or a combination of the two. While there are benefits to virtual Cultural Orientation, it may not always be the best or most feasible option. For example, participants may lack access to digital devices or stable WiFi. After selecting the method, consider the structure for delivery, in terms of length, number of sessions, and number of participants in a session. When determining the structure, be mindful of preventing cognitive overload by conducting multiple shorter sessions or building in breaks for sessions longer than an hour.
Steps to Deliver Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
Analyze and adapt curricula and resources
You can apply much of what you know about delivering effective Cultural Orientation, such as applying adult-learning principles and student-centered learning, to remote Cultural Orientationdelivery. For telephonic Cultural Orientation, CORE’s Telephonic Cultural Orientation Guidance and Curriculum provides detailed instructions on how to draw on participants existing experiences and use questions and scenarios. If video capabilities are available as a part of telephonic Cultural Orientation, you can also incorporate activities using realia (objects and materials as teaching aids, i.e. luggage for travel to the U.S.) or ask participants to demonstrate skills, such as proper practices related to safety, housing, or hygiene.
For virtual Cultural Orientation, you can analyze and adapt existing resources using web-based digital platforms that allow for share screens, annotation, and video. You can conduct role plays, play games, use scenarios and images for discussions, or incorporate videos and podcasts.
Note that for planning purposes, virtual activities can take more time to implement.
Steps to Deliver Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
Train and prepare
Once you have established the method and structure, and determined the curriculum and resources for remote Cultural Orientation, you need to train and prepare yourself, your interpreter, and your participants. Starting with yourself, as appropriate, take time to practice using your selected digital platform. Become familiar and comfortable with using a digital platform’s features and being able to explain to others how to use them. Similar to in-person Cultural Orientation, set aside time and share proper instructions and materials with interpreters involved. Finally, prepare, train, and set expectations with participants prior to the first session. This may include providing detailed instructions or conducting a pre-Cultural Orientation call on how to use the selected digital platform for the session. Information and supporting materials should account for participants’ literacy, digital abilities, and language needs. You may also want to create a Cultural Orientation packet with materials and resources for participants and provide it ahead of the session either by dropping off or mailing physical materials or emailing soft copies.
Steps to Deliver Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
Delivery and troubleshooting
After proper training and preparation, it’s time to deliver remote Cultural Orientation. At the beginning of the session, you should invite participants to contribute immediately through an interactive activity or discussion. Done correctly, such an activity can help set expectations of engagement, establish trust, and build a sense of confidence and community. Since you are operating in a virtual environment, voice and tone will be even more important than in an in-person space. It is also useful to acknowledge and discuss with the participants the challenges and opportunities of using technology during the session.
During delivery, you may run into challenges with technology and maintaining participant engagement. As such, before the session, identify back up plans and options. Ask yourself: What will you do if participants cannot connect to audio? If a video doesn’t play? If the WiFi connection is not stable? Despite thorough planning, you may still encounter difficulties, and it’s important to be patient, flexible, and communicate clearly with your participants.
Recommendations to Troubleshoot Remote Cultural Orientation
- Use web-based digital platforms and their features with careful consideration for participants’ abilities to promote confidence; the technology should not distract from learning
- Practice and develop confidence in the digital devices (smartphones, tablets, computer) and digital platforms (Bluejeans, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, WebEx, Zoom) that you will be using for Cultural Orientation, including all the available features
- Conduct a needs assessment with the participants before Cultural Orientation to determine scheduling, digital abilities, and topics of interest
- Spend time preparing interpreters on expectations, content, and how to navigate technology during the session
- Hold a pre-Cultural Orientation orientation session to practice using selected technology with participants and provide any additional relevant materials and resources to participants before the session
- Take steps to create a safe space that promotes engagement by asking how participants prefer to learn, what they enjoy doing in a class, and discussing the importance of Cultural Orientation
- Use a variety of methods to encourage engagement, including asking a combination of open- and close-ended questions, conducting short energizers, and using different types of multimedia
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Pre-Departure Cultural Orientation Models
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Practice in Action
Pre-Departure Cultural Orientation Models
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs) had experience in delivering pre-departure remote Cultural Orientation, often telephonically or using Skype or Microsoft Teams. With continued movement restrictions due to COVID-19, each RSC is actively adapting and building on existing remote Cultural Orientationpractices, in addition to adjusting key messages to include information on COVID-19. Many of the RSCs that participated in CORE’s recent Virtual Practicum: Facilitating Remote Cultural Orientation, identified how to transition realia and process-based activities in a virtual space using visuals and props. For example, they used video to show objects in their review of what to pack for travel to U.S. RSC Eurasia and RSC Asia have also incorporated game elements into their remote Cultural Orientation with tic-tac-toe and external online quiz tools. In addition to maintaining a high level of interactivity, RSCs are sensitive to safety and security for the participants. Several RSCs are testing WebEx and Bluejeans and conducting Cultural Orientation one-on-one or with multiple families at the same time.
Practice in Action
Developing Cultural Orientation Protocols in Georgia
The International Rescue Committee Atlanta spent two weeks establishing protocols with interpretation and adapting in-person Cultural Orientation content for remote delivery. The resettlement agency is using an adaptive approach that focuses on participants’ needs and abilities. When scheduling Cultural Orientation sessions, participants answer questions on their availability and digital abilities, particularly their experience with Zoom. Interpreters call participants the day before Cultural Orientation sessions to walk through the process of joining the remote Cultural Orientation session, either by telephone, using a secure phone conference service or Zoom. The office has also made additional instructional videos in other languages using an app called Loom.
Practice in Action
One-on-One Remote Cultural Orientation in Indiana
At Catholic Charities of Indianapolis, Indiana, with lower arrivals, they have been providing remote one-on-one Cultural Orientation. After assessing digital abilities and access, they provided Cultural Orientation over two and half weeks with an hour session each day using a limited Zoom account. Even without screen sharing, the Cultural Orientation provider generated conversation and discussion using videos (played independently by the participant) and the guidance in CORE’s Telephonic Cultural Orientation Curriculum. In between sessions, the participant received homework using resources from the Settle In website, which the Cultural Orientation provider revisited in the following session.
Practice in Action
Language-Based Groups in Iowa
At the USCRI affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa, delivering remote Cultural Orientation has involved flexibility. Normally, the resettlement agency delivers Cultural Orientation to multiple language groups at the same time, during normal working hours, with childcare provided. In transitioning to remote Cultural Orientation, the site first separated Cultural Orientation by language and scheduled sessions for the evenings, due to work schedules. Next, they assessed the participants’ digital abilities and worked with participants on how to balance childcare with attending Cultural Orientation. The original intention was to use WhatsApp for the sessions, because of the video aspect, but due to technical issues, the Cultural Orientation provider transitioned to telephonic delivery. To maintain engagement, the Cultural Orientation provider used a combination of questions throughout the process, provided a Cultural Orientation packet before the session with additional visuals, and as possible, shared Settle In videos via email and text message to reinforce learning.
Practice in Action
Transition to Remote Cultural Orientation for New York
The International Rescue Committee New York began delivering remote Cultural Orientation in early March, after the entire resettlement agency moved to remote work. In response, the Cultural Orientation structure shifted from a six– to seven–hour in-person workshop format to three separate two– to three–hour sessions, plus a separate session to conduct the Cultural Orientation assessment with participants. Based on the participants’ digital literacy and access, the organization either uses the telephone, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts. Other changes in delivery included building in additional time to discuss COVID-19 and adapting in-person activities to be remote-friendly. For example, a previous Cultural Orientation session would involve an activity identifying city landmarks and transportation with a paper map, but in remote Cultural Orientation, participants used the public transit subway map online.
Resources and Tools to Keep Remote Cultural Orientation Engaging
The following are some additional resources to help inspire engaging Cultural Orientation sessions. As a general rule, you should design any remote session to adhere to a rule that prompts engagement from participants every five minutes.
- CORE’s online course Integrating Digital Technology in Cultural Orientation
- CORE’s Activity Bank with activities specific for virtual Cultural Orientation
- Personality Matters When Teaching Online
- From Instructor to Effective Online Facilitator
- Radically Remote: Facilitation Toolkit
- Top 18 Online Quiz Makers for Teachers and Educators
- How to Convert PowerPoint Into Interactive eLearning Module
- Learning Engagement in a Time of Zoom Fatigue
- Convert Your Classroom Training to Virtual Training
