POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Polangui, Albay

MODULE 4: INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this module, the students must have:

1. Identify the different factors that bring about diversity in the classroom.
2. Demonstrate a positive attitude towards diversity as an enriching element in the learning environment.
3. Come up with teaching strategies that consider student diversity.

II. CONTENT DISCUSSION OR ABSTRACTION

A. INTRODUCTION:

You have probably heard someone say, “Everyone is unique.” Though it sounds really like a cliché, one
cannot ignore the truth in it. As a facilitator of learning, the teacher is tasked to consider the individual differences
among the students in planning for effective instruction.

Individual Differences
(Student Diversity)

Individual Differences Benefits of Diversity in the Classroom Strategies for

Factors Classroom Students Diversity

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

B. ABSTRACTION

FACTORS THAT BRING ABOUT STUDENT DIVERSITY

In all learning environments, individuals interact with others who are in some ways different from
them. Recall how these differences were shown in your class tally – gender and racial, ethnic or cultural
background. (nationality, province, language). This diversity also comes from other factors like the following:

1. Socioeconomic status – the millionaires’ lifestyle differs from that of the middle income or lower income
group.
2. Thinking/learning style – some of you learn by seeing something; others by just listening; and still
others by manipulating something.
3. Exceptionalities – in class there may be one who has difficulty in spoken language comprehension or in
seeing, hearing, etc.

HOW STUDENT DIVERSITY ENRICHES THE LEARNING EVIRONMENT

A teacher may be “challenged” to handle a class with students so diverse. There may be students
having different cultural background, different language abilities, different attitudes and aptitudes and
behaviors. Some teachers might see this diversity as a difficult predicament, really a hassle! Yet a more
reflective teacher may see a diverse classroom as an exciting place to learn not just for her students, but
also for herself, as well. A wise teacher may choose to respect and celebrate diversity! Read on to discover
the benefits and learning opportunities that student diversity can bring to your classroom.

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
perspectives which sharpen assessment of their own attitudes, values and behaviors.

2. Student diversity contributes to cognitive development . The opportunity to gain access to the
perspectives of peers and t learn from other students, rather than the instructor only, may be especially
important for promoting the cognitive development of learners. Supreme Court Justice, William J.
Brennan said: “The classroom is peculiarly the “marketplace of ideas.” The depth and breadth of
student learning are enhanced by exposure to others from diverse backgrounds. Student diversity in the
classroom brings about different point of view and varied approaches to the learning process.

As the German philosopher, Nietzsche, said over 100 years ago: “The more affects we allow to speak
about one thing, the more eyes, different eyes we can use to observe one thing, the more complete will
our concept of this thing, our objectivity, be.”

3. Student diversity prepares learners for their role as responsible members of the society . Suzanne
Morse stresses one competency that has strong implications for strategies that capitalize on diversity:
“The capacity to imagine situations or problems from all perspectives and to appreciate all aspects of

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

diversity”. Furthermore, she argues: “The classroom can provide more than just theory given by the
teacher in a lecture. With student 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 relations.
Through student-centered teaching strategies, diverse students can be encouraged to interact and
collaborate with one another on their diversity of backgrounds.

SOME TIPS ON STUDENT DIVERSITY

1. Encourage leaners to share their personal history and experiences . Students will be made to realize
that they something in common with the rest.

2. Integrate learning experiences and activities which promote students’ multicultural and cross-cultural
awareness.

 You can encourage or initiate co-curricular experiences that are aimed at promoting diversity
awareness. These activities could be held to coincide with already-scheduled national weeks
or months which are designated for appreciation of diverse groups: Disability Awareness
Week, Linggo ng Wika, Indigenous People’s Week, etc.
 Let students interview other students on campus who are from diverse backgrounds (foreign
students or students from other ethnic/racial groups). These students of different racial and
ethnic origin serve as source of first-hand information on topics related to their culture. This
can also provide opportunity for interaction among students who may otherwise never come in
contact with each other.
 Invite students to internet discussion groups or e-mail; have students’ “visit” foreign countries
and “talk” to natives of those countries.
 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 . Clyde
Kluckholn, an early American anthropologist who spent a lifetime studying human diversity across
different cultures, concluded form his extensive research that, “Every human is, at the same time, like
all other humans, like some humans, and like no other human” (cited in Wong, 1991). His observation
suggests a paradox in the human experience, namely: We are all the same in different ways. It may be
important to point out to students the biological reality that we, human beings, share approximately 95%
of our genes in common, and less than 5% of our genes account for the physical differences that exists
among us. When focusing on human differences, these commonalities should not be overlooked;
otherwise, our repeated attempts to promote student diversity may inadvertently promote student
divisiveness. One way to minimize this risk, and promote unity along with diversity, is to stress
universality” of the learning experience by raising students’ consciousness of common themes that bind
all groups of people – in addition to highlighting the variations of those themes.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

 Periodically place students in homogenous groups on the basis of shared characteristics (e.g.
same-gender groups, or same-race/ethnicity groups), and have them share their personal
views or experiences with respect to course issues. Then form a panel comprised of
representatives from each group who will report their group ideas. You can serve as moderator
and identify the key differences and recurrent themes that emerge across different groups, or
students who are not on the panel can be assigned this task.
 Try to form groups of students who are different with respect to one demographic
characteristic but similar with respect to another (e.g. similar gender but different with respect
to race/ethnicity or similar in age but different gender). This practice can serve to increase
student awareness that humans who are members of different groups can, at the same time,
be members of the same group – and share similar experiences, needs or concerns.
 After students have completed self-assessment instruments (e.g. learning style inventories or
personality profiles), have them line up or move to a corner of the room according to their
individual scores or overall profile. This practice can visibly demonstrate to students how
members of different student populations can be quite similar with respect to their learning
styles or personality profiles, i.e. students can see how individual similarities can often
overshadow group differences.

4. Communicate high expectations to students from all subgroups.

 Make a conscious attempt to call on, or draw in students from diverse groups by using
effective questioning techniques that reliably elicit student involvement. In addition, to
consciously calling on them in class, other strategies for “drawing in” and involving students
include: (a) assigning them the role of reporter in small-group discussions, i.e. the one who
reports back the group ideas to the class, and (b) having them engaged in paired discussions
with another classmate with the stipulation that each partner must take turns assuming the role
of both listener and speaker, and (c) scheduling instructor-student conferences with them
outside the classroom.
 Learn the names of your students, especially the foreign names that you may have difficulty
pronouncing. This will enable you to establish personal rapport with them which can later serve
as a social/emotional foundation or springboard for encouraging them to participate.

5. Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student diversity in learning styles.

 Diversify the sensory/perceptual modalities through which you deliver and present information
(e.g. orally, in print, diagrammatic and pictorial representations or “hands on” experiences).
 Diversify the instructional formats or procedures you use in class:
 Use formats that are student-centered (e.g. class discussions, small group work) and
teacher- centered (e.g. lectures, demonstrations).
 Use formats that are unstructured (e.g. trial-and-error discovery learning) and
structured (e.g. step-by-step instructions).

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

 Use procedures that involve both independent learning (e.g. independently completed
projects, individual presentations) and interdependent learning (e.g. collaborative
learning in pairs or small groups).

6. Vary the examples you use to illustrate concepts in order to provide multiple contexts that are relevant
to students from diverse backgrounds. Specific strategies for providing multiple examples and varied
contexts that are relevant to their varied backgrounds include the following:

 Have students complete personal information cards during the first week of the class and use
this information to select examples or illustrations that are relevant to their personal interests
and life experiences.
 Use ideas, comments and questions that students raise in class or which they choose to write
about to help you think of examples and illustrations to use.
 Ask students to provide their own examples of concepts based on experiences drawn from
their personal lives.
 Have students apply concepts by placing them in a situation or context that is relevant to their
lives (e.g. “How would you show respect to all persons in your home?”).

7. Adapt to students’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles by allowing them personal choice and
decision-making opportunities concerning what they will learn and how they will learn it. Giving the
learner more decision-making opportunity with respect to learning tasks: (a) promotes positive student
attitudes toward the subject matter, (b) fosters more positive interactions among students, and (c)
results in students working more consistently with lesser teacher intervention. Also, when individuals
are allowed to exert some control over a task, they tend to experience less anxiety or stress while
performing that task.

8. Diversify your methods of assessing and evaluating student learning. You can accommodate student
diversity not only by varying what you do with your teaching, but also by varying what you ask students
to do to demonstrate learning. In addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil tests and written
assignments, students can demonstrate their learning in a variety of performance formats, such as: (a)
individually-delivered oral reports, (b) panel presentations, (c) group projects, (d) visual presentations,
(e.g. concept maps, slide presentations, Power Point presentations, collages, exhibits) or (d) dramatic
vignettes – presented live or on videotape. One potential benefit of allowing students to choose how
they demonstrate their learning is that the variety of options exercised may be a powerful way to
promote student awareness of the diversity of human learning styles.

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. small-peer learning groups
may be effective for promoting student progress to a more advanced stage of cognitive development.
Peer-learning groups may promote this cognitive advancement because: (a) the instructor is removed
from center stage, thereby reducing the likelihood that the teacher is perceived as the ultimate or
absolute authority; and (b) students are exposed to the perspectives of other students,, thus increasing
their appreciation of multiple viewpoints and different approaches to learning.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

III. LEARNER’S EXPERIENCES OR ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES

1. Describe/present the concept on individual differences by means of a poem or a jingle.

2. Complete the statement to come up with a short essay: From the module Individual Differences, I realized
that…

IV. ASSESSMENT/REFLECTION TOOLS

1. Creative Literary writings

2. Rubrics
3. Essay

V. MATERIALS/REFERENCE LINKS

a. Book:
Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process
- Maria Rita D. Lucas, Ph.D.
- Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph.D.
b. Internet

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