Cultural Diversity and its Effects

on Learning and Teaching in the

classrooms
Diverse Students

 motivational and learning characteristics of students different

from white, middle class males
 interplay of social and cultural diversity and learning style,
curriculum content and instructional style
Diverse Students

 Social relational skills, values, characteristics

 Information processing orientations and skills
 Communication patterns
 Learning styles and strategies
 Motivational styles
 Psychological characteristics
 Cultural, Learning and
Motivational Styles
 Non-traditional
 Traditional
 Social interactions
 Independence
 Peer cooperation
 Competition
 Performance
 Verbal skills
 Visual perception
 Symbolic expression
 Narrative
 Cultural, Learning and Motivational
Styles in the classroms

 Males
 Females
 separation
 affiliation
 autonomy
 relationships
 competitive achievements
 collaborative- cooperative
interaction
 Learning Styles
Relational Analytical
 holistic, global  focus on detail
 intuitive  sequential
 social  impersonal
 verbal  abstract
 nonacademic task oriented  academic task oriented
 affected by opinions  not affected by opinions
 withdraw from drill  persist in drills
 style conflicts with school  styles matches school
environments environments
Experiential Learning Model

Concrete Experience

Testing Implications Observations and

of Concepts in New Reflections
Situations

Formation of Abstract
Concepts and Generalizations
Experiential Learning Model

Visual
Concrete Experience

Testing Implications Observations and

of Concepts in New Reflections
Situations
Connected Separate
Formation of Abstract
Concepts and Generalizations
Verbal
Learning Styles and Strategies

Felder and Soloman Model

Active/Reflective
Sensing/Intuitive
Visual/Verbal
Sequential/Global

http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.ht
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Effective Teaching Strategies

 Concrete Experience-
 readings,
 examples,
 fieldwork,
 problems,
 observations,
 simulations,
 primary
 texts, films, games.
 Effective Teaching Strategies

 Concrete Experience-
readings, examples, fieldwork, problems,
observations, simulations, primary texts, films, games
 Reflective Observation -
logs, journals, discussion, brainstorming,
thought/rhetorical questions
 Effective Teaching Strategies

 Concrete Experience-
readings, examples, fieldwork, problems,
observations, simulations, primary texts, films, games
 Reflective Observation -
logs, journals, discussion, brainstorming,
thought/rhetorical questions
 Abstract Conceptualization - lecture, papers, projects, analogies, model
building
 Effective Teaching Strategies

 Concrete Experience-
readings, examples, fieldwork, problems,
observations, simulations, primary texts, films, games
 Reflective Observation -
logs, journals, discussion, brainstorming,
thought/rhetorical questions
 Abstract Conceptualization - lecture, papers, projects, analogies, model
building
 Active Experimentation -
projects, fieldwork, homework, laboratory,
case study, simulations
 Implementing the Principles of
Good Practice
for Diverse Learning Styles in the classrooms

Technology as the Lever

 Promising Instructional
Technologies
Visual Materials
 artifacts
 overhead projector and slides
 computer graphic presentation
 movies, video, videodisk
 Promising Instructional
Technologies
Visual Materials
 artifacts
 overhead projector and slides
 computer graphic presentation
 movies, video, videodisk

Auditory Materials
 tapes
 instruments
 human voices
Classroom Technologies

“Smart” Classrooms
 see, hear, breathe
 equipment:
 overhead, ceiling, 16 mm, slides
 VCR, CD/Video disk
 computer connections
 audio tape player/recorder
Video Conferencing

“Open your Classroom to the World”

languages, cultures, literature, film

Students at a Distance
“EXTRA-classroom”
Instructional Technologies
 Electronic data bases
 library
 web-based
 Graphic Data
 Statistical Data
“EXTRA-classroom”
Instructional Technologies
 Email
 Listserv
 newsgroups/discussion groups
 “chat rooms” real time
 web-based materials
 on-line courses
Uses of Email

 Communication - “virtual” office hours

 Information distribution - FAQ’s, announcements
 Course Organization - homework, assignments
 Content Enrichment
Conferencing Software

 Conferencing - Web-Based Discussion

 Nicenet (http://www.nicenet.org)
 NetscapeProfessional, Allaire Forum
 WebCT (https://webct.rutgers.edu/)
 conferencing
 organization
 testing
Testing Software

 Half-Baked Potato Software

 http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/
 JBC on-line quizzes (multiple choice)
 JQuiz (short answers)
 Markin (annotate text)
 PerfectMatch (beta preview)
 http://biomedia.bio.purdue.edu/PerfectMatch/
 match image with concept
 Precautions for using Instructional
Technologies
 Purpose
 Evaluation of Effectiveness
 teaching
 learning
 Back-up plans
 Reliance on Infrastrucure
“Highly Interactive” Learning
Model
 “New Learning Structures”
 learning and evaluation blended
 frequent interaction (20 sec)
 Socratic format
 memory of learning style

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/erm9946.ht
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Assessment

 Student survey
 Instructor satisfaction
 Attendance
 Graduates
 quantitative scores
 “Seven Principles of Good
Practice”

Increase Contact Cooperation

Active Learning Feedback

Time on Task High Expectations

Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning