Race, Ethnicity, Dress, and Identity Module

In a social psychology of dress course in the undergraduate textile and apparel major, I developed the race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module for asynchronous online delivery in a lower-level course that averages 300 students. In the module, I created four components (two course materials and two direct assessments) for online teaching to enhance student through an innovative strategy resulting in successful online practices: (a) digital open-source textbook chapter; (b) YouTube wardrobe interview videos; (c) case study; and (d) quiz. The open-source digital textbook has interactive and aesthetically pleasing components. I also created open-source videos of people from historically marginalized communities discussing how their identities intersect with how they appear and how they experience different spaces; during the interviews, individuals shared photographs representing their styles, clothing, and accessories. To add richness to the classroom prior to the pandemic, I often invited diverse guest speakers who would bring objects from their closets for a “wardrobe interview” (Woodward, 2007). Given the change to online learning, I created videos and made an open-source YouTube channel to engage guest speakers. The videos are embedded in the textbook. In the module, students complete a quiz and case study using the module materials, which assisted them in meeting the module and course learning outcomes. Overall, students responded favorably to the module.


Introduction
The race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module is appropriate within social psychology of dress or related courses such as the following from various universities across the United States: • University of Rhode Island, TMD 224: Culture, Dress, and Appearance This type of course has numerous possibilities to fit in textile and apparel undergraduate curriculum.In some instances, the course meets a social science university requirement.Within the textile and apparel curriculum, there is typically a social psychology course, which aligns with the ITAA content and process knowledge meta-goal: appearance and human behavior (TAPAC, 2020).These courses may be within the required core courses or sometimes they may be offered as an elective.The courses listed above demonstrate that many institutions incorporate this type of course into their curriculum.
To complete the race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module, instructors need to have familiarity with specific content knowledge including dress and identity with a focus on race and ethnicity (Kaiser & Green, 2021).Additionally, it is required that the instructor understands social justice philosophies (e.g., Asare, 2020;Crenshaw, 1989;Forbes Nonprofit Council, 2017;Ornstein, 2014;Räikkä, 2014) and how they relate to fashion, appearance, and the body.Specifically, having heightened attention to histories of oppression, power, and privilege for historically marginalized communities is of great significance because the content focuses on these issues.For students, the content knowledge can all be gained through the module as it is presented and there are no prerequisites for the course or module.
To complete the module, students need access to the following technology skills and resources.This language would be provided to students on the syllabus: • Computer • While tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices may allow for some completion of coursework, they are not guaranteed to work in all areas.It is recommended that you have access to a Windows or Mac-based computer to complete coursework in the event your selected mobile device does not meet the needs of the module.The instructor will need also need numerous technical skills.First, they need to be able to utilize a student learning platform such as Canvas or Blackboard.They need to know how to use basic video recording technology.These skills can be very beginner such as using a phone to record as phones typically have a high-resolution option that is sufficient.Additionally, instructors need to know how to video edit.Again, this can be beginner knowledge.I used iMovie to edit the videos and there are numerous YouTube tutorials on how to edit videos that are easy to follow.Instructors also need knowledge on YouTube channel management.For example, they need to understand how to upload a video, enter text content about the video, and then organize videos in a playlist on the channel.Again, this information is available via tutorials online and requires beginner knowledge.They also need knowledge and skills to build an opensource textbook using Pressbooks or another similar platform.
The recommended format for this module is an asynchronous online activity completed as an individual.Students would engage in the module as individuals on their own time.They would have numerous interactions with the materials and then would complete the associated assessments (quiz and case study) on their own time.

Activity Description
The 2023 Nancy Rutherford Teaching Innovation Award theme is strengthening global and intercultural competences in the classroom; for the sake of this submission, global and intercultural competencies refer to understanding and appreciating different perspectives and world views and being able work with and understand people from different backgrounds.In this activity, we focus on understanding people from different racial backgrounds.
In the race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module, I created four components to enhance student experiences.The module includes the following components: .

Digital Open-Source Textbook Chapter
I creased an open-source, online textbook, which has a chapter for each module including the race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module.I took my existing PowerPoints, notes, and other course materials and turned them into an aesthetically pleasing book using Pressbooks, an opensource platform.I re-created the course content in an aesthetically pleasing layout that was easy to follow.The textbook has interactive components including imagery, videos, hyperlinks to © 2023 The author(s).Published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ITAA Proceedings, #80 -https://itaaonline.org current events or peer-reviewed literature, and other creative interactive components such as selfassessment quizzes and matching exercises.Prior to using this open-source textbook, I had the various course materials loaded on Canvas.Now, everything is in one easy-to-use space that is interactive and nice to look at.In the module, the students are graded using two direct assessment tools: a 20-question quiz and a case study.

Quiz
The first direct assessment tool is a quiz.After students engage with the course materials, they take a 20-question quiz based upon materials in the module textbook chapter.The quiz questions are true and false or multiple choice.The following instructions were provided to the students.

Purpose
In this quiz, you will read and engage with module materials related to race, ethnicity, fashion, identity, appearance, and dress.Then, you will answer multiple choice and true/false questions.This assignment will help you to • Your score is an average of both attempts.
• The correct answers are visible once after each attempt.
• You can view one question at a time, but can move back and forth.
• You have unlimited time to take the quiz.
• You can use your notes and module materials.
• This is not a group quiz, take on your own.• Quizzes cannot be re-set for any reason.
• Be sure to have secure internet.
• Format is T/F and multiple choice.
• Your lowest quiz score is dropped.
• Submitting the quiz after the due date and time results in a 10% points reduction per day, so be sure to start early and do not wait until the due date.• The quizzes have questions specifically related to the "read and engage materials" for each module.Grading Criteria To successfully complete this quiz, you will answer all of the questions using the materials for each module under "read and engage."The quiz is 100 points total and 5 points per question.There are 20 questions.
ethnicities.In each short video, the person discusses how their race and/or ethnicity influences how they appear, what they wear, and/or their related experiences.Then, you will answer questions related to the videos and the module materials.
The purpose of this assignment is to: • MLO 13.5 Explain the role of dress and appearance in the development of one's racial and/or ethnic identity.[CLO 2] • MLO 13.6 Examine how dress and appearance of people of color are represented in the fashion system (e.g., advertisements or retailers).[CLO 3] • MLO 13.7 Examine social justice issues related to dress and appearance for people of color.
[CLO 3] • MLO 13.8 Deconstruct your own perspectives and approach to understanding the dress and appearance of people of color.[CLO 4] • MLO 13.9 Identify the driving forces of transformative social justice change in the fashion system related to people of color.[CLO 5] Formatting • Turn in Microsoft Word document or PDF.
• Use this document as the template, and save it as "Name_of_Case_Study_firstname_lastname."• Record responses below each question.
• Single-space your document.
• Do not create a cover page for your document.
• Use full sentences in all responses.
• Keep all of the assignment instructions and questions in your document.
• Answer the questions beneath each question; that is, keep the questions in your document.
• Answer the questions by using the materials in the module.
• Be sure to cite or reference the reading when paraphrasing or using a direct quote.In this assignment, do not use or refer to other sources that discuss similar topics.Each students' Race and Ethnicity Case Study was evaluated with the rubric inserted above, which was built using holistic rubric principles (DePaul University, 2021).Students each received a numeric score and written feedback on their answers via the online learning management system (e.g., Canvas).

What to Turn In
The case study has an indirect assessment tool built into it when I asked, "Reflect on these short films.What did you learn and what did you already know?"Below are a few student responses to these questions: • What I learned from these short films is that ethnicity and race influence many peoples dressing styles, which is what makes the fashion community so unique.There are so many different styles that are influenced by ethnic outfits.These short films showed me also how different ethnic styles can be and how some people are so oblivious to what they say regarding it.• While watching these short films I learned a lot about other cultures, that I had never been exposed to before.I was also able to learn about how these individuals were able to adapt their traditional ethnic dresses to fit within American standards in or to avoid judgment and microaggressions.Despite these adjustments, all these individuals still faced microaggressions, and it was very interesting to hear their perspectives on the looks and comments they receive, since I am not a part of the community and have never face the same aggressions as they have.Overall, during these shirt films I was able to learn more about each of these ethnic dresses and why those in these ethnicities choose to wear them.• What I learned about Black hair in the video is the many different hairstyles that Black people wear for their hair.This could include anywhere from braids, twist outs, hair wraps, or using heat like a flat iron.• I already knew the microaggressions regarding black hair, as I saw it growing up in society at school, but everything else was all brand new information to me.I have not educated myself on other heritages and cultures and the way they dressed until now and now I know some examples of what these ethnic people are going through based off what society says around them.I think that it is very important for people to educate themselves on different cultures around them to help prevent microaggressions from continuing on.• Before watching these short films, I did not know much about the ethnic dresses and specific microaggressions that these individuals face.However, I was aware of the prejudice that many people face when they go against the societal norm of typical American dress, so to me I was expecting some sort of microaggression before watching the films.Finally, before watching these films there were many ethnicities that I had heard of such as the Korean, Indian, and the Chinese ethnicities where I knew about the traditional dresses and the standards of their own cultural dress which in turn impacted their influence of what they wear.

Conclusion
The activity has been delivered in the course three times: Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Fall 2022.In the second iteration of the course, I added the last question to the case study, ""Reflect on these short films.What did you learn and what did you already know?"I added this because I • 6% earned a D-In the end-of-semester student evaluations, students respond to the question: what helped your learning the most in this course?When reviewing these assessments, the students provided general comments about the case studies (each unit in my course has a case study).Therefore, I provide a few examples of students who commented on case studies and videos overall belowplease note they are not specific to the race module, but they do highlight how the students appreciated this type of activity in their learning.Overall, their responses were quite favorable and frequently mentioned the impact and success of the case studies and/or videos in their learning.They also mentioned they that appreciated having the content in one easy-to-access place.
• I enjoyed learning through the weekly case studies.It allowed us to go farther in depth through videos and multiple readings.• I learned the most in doing the study cases.
• Being able to further dive into them using the case studies really enforced the subjects and main points of the class.• During this course I learned the most from completing the case studies.Actually applying the knowledge and watching examples of what • Having a textbook with highlighted terms so that I could easily find the terms in the book and read more about it if needed.• Quizzes and reading helped me understand and gain knowledge to apply to study cases we were covering in class really helped my learning.• The feedback given for each case study was very helpful.If points were dropped, it was helpful to know why that was so that I could work on that in future case studies.Grading was done in a timely manner, which was very helpful as well.Overall, just having a positive • environment to discuss various topics made it very easy to learn.
• The case studies were the most impactful part of this course for my learning because they made me think harder about each topic.• The case studies, to me, were the most effective assignments because they forced selfreflection and introspective thinking.

• The videos of real-life examples
• The videos that we watched were very educational and interesting.The case studies we completed also were quite relatable to both everyday life and our lessons.• What helped me learn most during this course was the videos added in some modules.It is easier to learn when someone is speaking to you rather than you reading a passage.• I liked that the information was presented to us in a bunch of different ways.We had readings, videos, articles, documentaries, etc. and I think it kept the class interesting and, for me, it kept me more engaged throughout the semester.• I learned a lot through case studies and videos.
• I liked the videos that were provided in the modules and in the case studies.
• I really enjoyed going through the provided content that aided in performing the case studies and found they were very useful in exposing me to new walks of life.• The videos I watched for my case studies • I felt the case studies were the most interactive and provided the best learning experiences.
• All of the course content was in one convenient place, making it easy to find what I needed to know!Students also responded to the question: what changes could have been made to enhance your learning in the course?In these responses, student generally requested that they watch more films.Below are a few example responses.
• I think that the films we watched were really informative so more of those would be better.• I think more videos wouldn't hurt.
One of my recommendations for those who may incorporate this, or a similar module is to reiterate to the students that the videos reflect one viewpoint, and do not represent the entire community.Often times, marginalized communities are described as a monolith, and making sure that the instructor emphasizes this is important.I also recommend that students have an activity or readings on empathy and approaches to understanding cultural perspectives (e.g.holistic, cultural relativism, and/or ethnocentric).These approaches are outlined in Reilly et al.'s (2021) textbook, which is often used in these types of courses.Adding in this concept will help students develop a framework for how to approach new and different cultural practices that are different from their background.
The advantage of using this module is that it draws upon open-educational resources.By developing open-educational resources, the module in this lower-level course breaks down barriers to affordability and accessibility in higher education (Hilton, 2016).There is significant research to demonstrate that cost impacts students' ability to obtain resources needed to use in their college course (Redden, 2011).The students also will continually have access to the updated materials long after they graduate.They can continually come back to the material as it is updated over time and do not have to purchase materials to engage in the most recent research and content on the topic.
The open-source textbook and videos brings richness to the material presented in the readings for social psychology of dress courses.Hearing the experiences and voices of individuals who are similar and/or different from them can be powerful in developing empathy for others.Another advantage of this activity is that in place of guest speakers, this activity allows the students to really engage with the material.They are able to pause, stop, and start to hear the stories.When

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Cover of digital open-source textbook which has the materials for each module including the race, ethnicity, dress, and identity module.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Example of an interactive auto-graded self-assessment in one of the chapters.In this screen capture, the person chose the wrong answer to the question.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Example of an interactive auto-graded self-assessment in one of the chapters.In this screen capture, the person chose the correct answer to the question.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Chinese culture, appearance, and fashion video.The screen capture shows a picture the interviewee shared during the interview.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. India, women, dress, and identity video.The screen capture shows the interviewee in front of various garments from her closet.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Photo that the interviewee for the Korean culture, woman and identity video shared of her family wearing hanbok during a wedding event.

Figure 7 .
Figure 7. Photos the interviewee for the Korean culture, woman and identity video shared during the interview that highlights that she wears trendy clothes on a regular basis and does not wear traditional clothing on the everyday.
c. What is one driving force needed in society for transformative social change in Comanche identity and identity?Watch this short video of one Chinese woman's [link to video has been removed to preserve anonymity] description of how her ethnicity and race influence how she dresses and her related experiences.5. How does the women describe how her Chinese identity influences what she wears?a. Reflect on these short films.b.What did you learn?c.What did you already know?

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Access to the Internet• Have access to and use Microsoft Word.•Be able to save a word file with a new name and then submit Word files on Canvas.This link shows you how to submit assignments on Canvas.
• This course uses Digital Press for your open-source textbook.Please refer to the How to Use This Book (Links to an external site.)[link removed to preserve anonymity] chapter.You can access the textbook online or download for offline use.
MLO 13.2 Identify different types of dress worn by people of color.[CLO 1] • MLO 13.3 Identify people of color's experiences wearing different dress object reflecting their race and/or ethnicity.[CLO 2] • MLO 13.4 Identify different fashion brands that produce and sell dress objects for people of color.[CLO 2] Task • You have 2 attempts to take the quiz.
• MLO 13.1 Identify foundational concepts related to race, ethnicity, fashion, identity, appearance, and dress.[CLO 1] • How does she describe how she feels when she wears clothes that reflect her ethnicity?c.What types of microaggressions did the woman describe?Watch this short video of one Korean woman's description [link to video has been removed to preserve anonymity] of how her ethnicity and race influence how she dresses and her related experiences.3.In the video, how does the young Korean woman describe how her ethnicity influences what she wears?Watch this short video of one Comanche woman's [link to video has been removed to preserve anonymity] description of how her Comanche identity influences how she dresses and her related experiences.4. In the video, a.How does the woman describe how her Comanche identity influences what she wears?