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TEACHING DIVERSE LEARNERS Jian He, College of Applied Engineer, Sustainability and Technology, Kent State University Oindrila Roy, Department of Political Science, Kent State University August 2014

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Outline Why care about diversity? What does diversity really mean? Diversity in learning styles & best practices Facing the Uncomfortable Silence Campus resources Q&A Contact details

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Why Care about Diversity? Enhances student experience & highlights the worth of multiple perspectives Promotes social and professional development Encourages self-awareness

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Visible & Invisible Diversity Visible Diversity Examples: Age, race, sex, ethnicity, accent, and other physical attributes Invisible Diversity Examples: Socio-economic status, work experience, sexual orientation, parental status, religious affiliation and beliefs, nationality, geographic location, and political views Personal Diversity

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Best Practices Be careful and intentional about the course-design Be attentive to issues of diversity while planning the schedule Be aware of, and avoid problematic assumptions Be extra-careful about cultural references Be prepared to deal with controversial issues Familiarize yourself with the student body

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Diversity: Dimensions in Learning Styles (Felder 1993) QuestionLearning Type What type of information does the student preferentially receive? Sensory vs. Intuitive Through which mode is sensory information most effectively perceived? Visual vs. Verbal With which organization of information is the student most comfortable? Deductive vs. Inductive How does the student process information?Actively vs. Reflectively How does the student progress toward understanding? Sequentially vs. Globally

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Teaching Techniques to Address All Learners (Felder and Silverman 1988) Talk about diverse learning styles Balance teaching material Do not lecture the entire time Encourage students to share their learning experience with you Diversify assessment techniques

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GS0: Facing the Uncomfortable Silence Series Diversity-related scenarios discussed: PTSD Minority Coming-out Disability Language-barrier Religion Web link for the resource document: http://www2.kent.edu/graduatestudies/gso new/upload/gso-fall-2013-conversations- resource-doc.pd

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Campus Resources Academic Success Center: Tutoringwww.kent.edu/asc/index.cfm330-672-3190 Career Services Center www.kent.edu/career/networking/socialmedi a.cfm330-672-2360 Center for Adult and Veteran Serviceswww.kent.edu/cavs/index.cfm330-672-7933 Counseling & Human Dev. Center www.kent.edu/ehhs/chds/counseling-and- human-development-center.cfm330-672-2208 Diversity, Equity & Inclusionwww.kent.edu/diversity/index.cfm330-672-8540 Financial Aidwww.kent.edu/financialaid330-672-2972 International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)www.kent.edu/isss/index.cfm330-672-7980 LGBTQ Centerwww.kent.edu/diversity/lgbtq330-672-8008 Math Emporiumwww.kent.edu/mathemporium/index.cfm Office of Student Ombuswww.kent.edu/emsa/ombuds.cfm330-672-9494 Portage County Veterans Serviceswww.co.portage.oh.us/veterans.htm330-297-3545 Psychological Serviceswww.kent.edu/uhs/psych/index.cfm330-672-2487 Sexual Assault Response Teamwww.kent.edu/srvss330-672-8016 Student Accessibility Serviceswww.kent.edu/sas330-672-3391 University Health Serviceswww.kent.edu/uhs/index.cfm330-672-2322 Womens Centerwww.kent.edu/womenscenter/index.cfm330-672-9230 Writing Commonswww.kent.edu/writingcommons330-672-1787

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Contact Details Jian He jhe2@kent.edu & Oindrila Roy oroy@kent.edu

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Bibliography Felder, Richard M. 1993. Reaching the Second Tier: Learning and Teaching Styles in College Science Education. Journal of College Science Teaching 23(5): 286-290. Felder, Richard M., and Linda K. Silverman. 1988. Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. Engineering Education 78(7): 674-681. Hyman, Jeremy S., and Lynn F. Jacobs. 2009. Why Does Diversity Matter at College Anyway ? U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/08/12/why-does- diversity-matter-at-college-anyway http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/08/12/why-does- diversity-matter-at-college-anyway Saunders, Sari, and Diana Kardia. n.d.Creating Inclusive College Classrooms. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1