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Problem‐based learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy that is currently being introduced in undergraduate curricula in colleges and universities across the country, particularly in applied areas such as engineering and the biological sciences. Faculty are increasingly interested in using PBL as an instructional tool because students more readily transfer the knowledge they acquire using PBL to real‐world situations. Librarians at a June 2002 LOEX‐of‐West pre‐conference workshop on PBL questioned how it could be used in the 50‐minute library instruction period, since PBL relies on cooperative learning techniques for successful implementation. The librarians determined that PBL could be applied in the 50‐minute library instruction period using specific Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards, but it could be more effectively implemented in two 75‐minute periods where collaboration among students may more easily be facilitated.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of students following the completion of an online doctoral level multicultural diversity course at a university in the Midwestern USA based on Banks' transformative approach to learning in an effort to determine if the online environment could successfully intervene to change student attitudes. Few studies examine the impact of a transformative approach to learning diversity in the online environment.

This mixed methods study employed the Munroe multicultural scale and phenomenological analysis. The Munroe multicultural attitudinal scale questionnaire (MASQUE) is based on Banks' approach to multicultural learning and was administered in a pre‐ and a post‐test, and 594 pages of student journals were qualitatively analyzed using phenomenology.

Of the 28 questions on the MASQUE scale, students showed a significant difference between pre‐ and post‐scores on two questions: “I am knowledgeable regarding differences among economic classes,” and “I react positively to cultural differences.” A phenomenological analysis of journal entries showed that students perceived benefits in rural living, understood privilege, and felt compelled to act on what they learned from the course. The students in this course came to understand cultural difference through the lens of dominant Euro‐American culture.

This study was limited in several ways. First, the discussion board was not analyzed. If the discussion board had been analyzed, it would have been possible to triangulate the data and further validate the findings. Second, longitudinal analysis would strengthen study findings. The study was limited to one snapshot of one course and would be stronger if future courses were analyzed over time, including long‐term analysis of student journals. Third, while phenomenology restricts qualitative analysis to one person, the study would be stronger if someone other that the professor teaching the course administered the survey, allowing more honesty from students in their responses. Inter‐rater reliability would be necessary for this approach.

The curriculum for this study was designed to be replicated and may be used in future courses to address prejudicial attitudes in students.

Transformational learning that addresses prejudicial attitudes has far reaching implications for eliminating inequality and discrimination.

This study showed that transformative learning can take place in the online environment.