Some Tips on Student

Diversity

By: Glenn John M. Balongag

1. Encourage learners to share their
personal history and experiences.

Common with the rest

Common with the rest
Differ in several ways
Differ in several ways
2. Integrate learning experiences and activities
which promote students’ multicultural and cross-
cultural awareness
Co-curricular experiences Interview
Disability Awareness Week Diverse
Linggo ng Wika Backgrounds
*Foreign students
Indigenous People’s Week
* ethnic/racial group
Internet Discussions Source of first-hand
information
“visit” foreign Countries
“talk” to natives Personal target of
prejudice or
discrimination
3. Aside from highlighting diversity, identify
patterns of unity that transcend group
differences
“ Every human is at the same time like all
other humans, like some humans, and
like no other human”

95% of our genes in common

Less than 5% of our genes account for the
physical differences
Homogeneous group
Shared demographic
characteristics
e.g. same-gender groups or same race/ethnicity
groups

different
e.g. similar gender but different with respect to
similar race/ethnicity or similar in age but different gender.

Self- assessment
e.g. learning style inventories or personality
profiles

i. e. students can see how individual similarities

can often overshadow group differences
4. Communicate high expectation to students
from all subgroups
Questioning techniques
a. Assigning them the role of reporter in small
group discussion
b. Engaged in paired discussion
c. Scheduling instructor-student conferences

Learn the names of the studenrts

Establish early personal rapport
Serve as a social/emotional
foundation or springboard
5. Use varied instructional methods to
accommodate student diversity in learning styles
Sensory/perceptual modalities
e.g. orally, in print, diagrammatic and pictorial
representation or “hands-on” experiences

Formats/procedures
Student-centered e.g. class discussion, small work group

Teacher-centered e.g. lectures, demonstrations

Unstructured e. g. trial and error discovery learning

Structured e. g. step-by-step instruction

e. g. independently completed projects,
Independent
individual presentation
Interdependent e. g. collaborative learning in pairs or small
groups
6. Vary the example you use to illustrate concepts in
order to provide multiple context that are relevant to
students from diverse backgrounds.

Complete information cards

Use ideas, comments and suggestions
Provide their own examples of concepts

Apply concepts
7. Adapt to the 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.

Promotes positive students

attitudes toward the subject matter
Fosters more positive interactions
among students

Results in students working more consistently with

lesser teacher intervention.
8. Diversify your methods of assessing and evaluating
student learning.
Individually-delivered oral reports.

Panel presentations
Group projects
Visual presentation
e.g. concept maps, slide presentations,
PP presentations collages, exhibits
Dramatic vignettes-presented live or ob
videotape
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.

Peer-learning groups
The instructor is removed from center
stage

Students are exposed to the

perspectives of other students
THANK YOU!