Promoting the study of diversity under such circumstances is a special challenge. Professors can teach about the many cultures that have contributed to American history and society, but frequently their students have little sense of cultures markedly different from their own. Furthermore, by focusing on race in the classroom and on the minority status of a few individuals, we may increase the alienation students of color often feel in racially homogeneous classes. Computer mediation alleviates the panoptic pressure of oral discourse and reduces the struggle to monopolize the discourse space. Students can have a greater sense of safety and students in general and students of color in particular may assert their ideas more forcefully and directly.
Technology also offers new ways of diversifying the classroom itself.
The broad reach of the Internet makes it possible to pair racially homogeneous classes with more diverse classes at other institutions. Inter-class dialogues about such issues can be difficult, but also provide valuable learning opportunities not available in traditional classrooms at predominantly white institutions. This conflict can be highly productive, however, in revealing prejudice and mistaken assumptions that underlie some of our students' beliefs. By challenging ignorance and stereotypes as part of a more overarching curriculum in the study of diversity, we can promote greater racial understanding and open-mindedness among our students, and perhaps even a new interest in learning from people different from themselves. The media and the public are interested in new applications of technology and classroom applications that bring together diverse populations.