Cultural awareness requires that you understand your cultural worldview and how the experiences you have lived can impact your perceptions of cultural differences. Regardless of your experiences, it’s important to listen to others with empathy and give them a safe space to communicate and be heard. In this discussion, you will explore strategies you can use to listen to others with empathy in online learning environments. You do not need to describe a specific event; you only need to discuss the strategies for listening with empathy.
Discussing challenges that face our world often means investigating opinions and ideas different from your own. Remember to remain thoughtful and respectful towards your peers and instructor in your initial and response discussion posts.
Create one initial post and respond to at least two of your classmates.
For your initial post, address the following:
1. How do you listen to others with empathy in the online learning environment? (Or how could you?)
2. How have others listened to you with empathy?
For your response posts, address the following:
1. How can you move from listening with empathy in the classroom to listening to others with empathy outside the classroom?
2. What additional feedback and strategies may strengthen your peer’s opportunities to be more inclusive of others with diverse backgrounds?
Peer 1:
One effective way to show empathy and understanding towards others while communicating online is by asking clarifying questions and assuming that the other person has positive intentions. It’s important to respect and appreciate diversity and different cultures to understand people and their perspectives without being judgmental. Culture plays a vital role in providing a sense of belonging, and it is crucial not to pass any judgment. To be empathetic, it’s crucial to be supportive and compassionate towards others.
As I engage in conversation with someone who is fully present and attentive, I cannot help but feel a sense of empathy. It is a rare and wonderful feeling to have someone’s undivided attention. Their eyes remain fixed on me, without distraction or excessive movement, and they even lean in closer to speak. Their engagement draws me in, even when I am initially guarded.
Peer 2:
Empathetic listening is a great way to build connections with others. In the online learning environment, I listen to others with empathy by responding in a way that shows that I am interested in what they have to say. I may ask questions about something they said to show that I am actively following the discussion. I also listen with empathy by having an open mind and not judging others.
Others have listened to me with empathy by showing interest or that they genuinely care about what I am saying. For instance, when the term began, I posted in a discussion about how hard it is for me to be my authentic self around my family. Even though I could not see my classmates body language or hear their tone, their responses showed me that they were listening empathetically. They showed interest in what I was saying by talking about their experience in similar situations or offering to be a listening ear if I needed. The responses showed me that my peers truly cared about what I was saying.
