Part 2: Focus on the Learner

Unit 2.2 Student Diversity

Module 4: Individual
DifferencesDr. Cecille C. Cerezo
 Individual Differences
(Student Diversity)

Individual Differences Benefits of Diversity Classroom Strategies for

Factors in the Classroom Student Diversity
Some factors of diversity
1. Socioeconomic status – lifestyle differs from that of the
middle income or lower income group.
2. Thinking/Learning style – some learn better by seeing
something, others by just listening; and still others by
manipulating. ( You will learn more of this in Module 5)
3. Exceptionalities – In the class, there maybe one who has
difficulty in spoken language comprehension or in seeing,
hearing, etc. (We will have more of this in Module 6)
How Student Diversity Enriches
the Learning Environment
1. Students’ self-awareness is enhanced by diversity
 Exposing students to others with diverse backgrounds and
experiences also serves to help students focus on their awareness of
themselves. When they see how others are different, students are
given reference points or comparative prospective which sharpen
assessment of their own attitudes, values and behavior.
2. Student diversity contributes to cognitive development
 The opportunity to gain access to the perspectives of peers
and to learn from other students, rather than the instructors only, may
be especially important for promoting the cognitive development of
learners. Student diversity in the classroom brings about different
points of view and varied approaches to the learning process.
3. Student diversity prepares learners for their role as
responsible members of society
 Suzanne Morse stresses our competency that has strong
implications for instructional strategies that capitalize on diversity,
“The capacity to imagine situations or problems from all perspective
and to appreciate all aspects of diversity.” Furthermore, she
argues: “The classroom can provide more than just theory given by
the teacher in a lecture.” With student’s diversity, the classroom
becomes a ‘public place’ where community can be practiced.

4. Student diversity can promote harmony

 When student diversity is integrated into the classroom
teaching and learning process, it can become a vehicle for
promoting harmonious race reactions. Through student-
centered teaching strategies, diverse students can be
encouraged to interact and collaborate with one another on
learning tasks that emphasize unity of effort while
capitalizing on their diversity of backgrounds.
Some Tips on Student Diversity
1. Encourage learners to share their personal history and
experiences.
 Students will be made to realize that they have something
in common with the rest. They also differ in several ways.
2. Integrate learning experiences and activities which
promote students’ multicultural and cross-cultural
awareness.
a) You can encourage or even initiate co-curricular experiences that
are aimed at promoting diversity awareness
b) Let students interview other students on campus who are from
diverse background
 c) Invite students to internet discussion groups or e-mail; have
students “visit” foreign countries and “talk” to natives of those
countries
d) Ask students if they have ever been the personal target of
prejudice or discrimination, and have them share these
experiences with other members of the class
3. Aside from highlighting diversity, identify patterns of unity
that transcend group differences
4. Communicate high expectations to students from all
subgroups
5. Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student
diversity in learning styles
6. Vary the examples you use to illustrate concepts in order
to provide multiple contexts that are relevant to students
from diverse backgrounds.
7. Adapt the students diverse background and learning styles
by allowing their personal choice and decision-making
opportunities concerning what they will learn and how
they will learn it
8. Diversify your methods of assessing and evaluating student
learning
9. Purposely form small-discussion groups of students from
diverse backgrounds. You can form groups of students with
different learning styles, different cultural background,
etc.