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DSCY10180

Academic Year 2026/2027

Intercultural Encounters: A Multi-Perspective Approach (DSCY10180)

Subject:
Discovery
College:
VP for Global Engagement
School:
Global Engagement
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Ailish O'Halloran
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

Intercultural Encounters: A Multi-Perspective Approach, is an introductory level interdisciplinary module designed to offer students (international, visiting and domestic) across all disciplines and cultural backgrounds an opportunity to build their intercultural awareness, responsibility, communication and creativity in an activity-based and student-led environment. The module begins with building self awareness and psychological safety. In groups, students will empathise, discuss, debate, observe and reflect on a range of topics. The teaching team will facilitate students to interactively explore what has shaped their world view, cultural dimension theories, stereotyping, ethnocentrism, identity, similarity, difference, and the value of multiple perspectives. Topics on interculturalism in today’s world (communication, global health, social justice and intersectionality) will be introduced and explored with subject matter experts from different disciplines offering a variety of different perspectives. Students will be introduced to tools and techniques, which support collaborative and effective multicultural group engagement, an important 21st century skill. Specifically learners will use the Design Thinking process within multicultural groups to co-create user centric solutions to tackle real world problems. This module is grounded in the value of diversity, peer learning and asks students to approach interactions and engagement with a respectful, curious and open mind.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Through reflection, discussion and debate develop an awareness of one’s own identity, beliefs and values and understand how they shape their view and perspective.
2. Appreciate the importance of empathy in intercultural interactions.
3. Recognise unconscious bias, ethnocentrism and stereotyping in society and adopt a more ethno-relative perspective.
4. Apply the design thinking process to harness the creativity of interdisciplinary and multicultural groups to develop user centric solutions to real world problems.
5. Implement a range of techniques to successfully collaborate with peers in multicultural groups.
6. Engage and communicate with peers on themes including; global health, social justice and intersectionality with an ethno-relative perspective.
7. Explore how different communication modes and strategies vary across cultures.
8. Recognise the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the classroom and beyond.

Indicative Module Content:

Ethnocentrism
Steryotyping
Empathy
Values
Cultural Dimension Theories
Intercultural Communication
Intersectionality
Social Justice
Global Health
Design Thinking

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

36
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures
Reflective Writing & Learning
Debate
Problem and Enquiry Based Learning in Groups
Peer-Peer Learning through Discussion
Design Thinking
Case Study Discussion

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Design Thinking Challenge Group Presentation Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
50
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Reflective Report - written, audio, video or other. Week 14 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
50
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Mr Alan Morgan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Isabelle Nic Craith Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Sandrine Peraldi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Ernesto Vasquez Del Aguila Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20 Wed 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 22 Wed 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 25 Wed 13:00 - 14:50
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