Work in progress - teaching diversity one minute at a time

Diversity and globalization are both buzzwords in engineering education. How can these concepts be successfully integrated into a curriculum such that they avoid sacrificing content, pique student interest, and provide measurable learning outcomes? Many instructors have diverse experiences or origins, yet rarely are details shared with students. The diversity minute is an effective way of transmitting knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures or viewpoints without sacrificing valuable class time. It is simply a one or two minute break between sections of a class period where the instructor fields questions about their diverse experiences, cultural background, or other perspectives. Students find these minutes refreshing while their brains process the previous lecture information and prepare them mentally for the next part of the class. Over a full semester, these breaks can add up to approximately one class period, which is substantial enough to construct a reasonably coherent picture of a culture or diverse perspective that may otherwise never enter the classroom.