Cultural Diversity and its

Effects on Learning and

Teaching
Monica A. Devanas
Teaching Excellence Center
Rutgers University

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
Peer cooperation
Performance
Visual perception
Symbolic expression
Narrative

Independence
Competition
Verbal skills

Cultural, Learning and

Motivational Styles
Females
affiliation
relationships
collaborativecooperative
interaction

Males
separation
autonomy
competitive
achievements

Learning Styles
Relational

holistic, global
intuitive
social
verbal
nonacademic task
oriented
affected by opinions
withdraw from drill
style conflicts with
school environments

Analytical

focus on detail
sequential
impersonal
abstract
academic task oriented
not affected by
opinions
persist in drills
styles matches school
environments

Experiential Learning Model

Concrete Experience
Testing Implications
of Concepts in New
Situations

Observations and
Reflections

Formation of Abstract
Concepts and Generalizations

Experiential Learning Model

Concrete Experience
Testing Implications
of Concepts in New
Situations

Observations and
Reflections

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.html

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
projects, analogies, model building

- lecture, papers,

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

UCLA Freshman Survey

1998 33rd year
sampled: 383,815 students,
668 Two & Four Year Institutions
adjusted: 275,811 students,
469 Institutions
represent: 1.6 M entering 1st year students

UCLA Freshman Survey

82.9%
tool
65.9%
54.2%
72.9%
80.4%

Internet educational, research

email
chat rooms
other
play computer games

UCLA Freshman Survey

private
email in HS
homework

80.1%
90.2

public black colleges

41.4%
77.6

UCLA Freshman Survey

Interest in:

Politics
Law
1998 25.9%*
3.0%*
1997 26.7
3.3
1966 57.8
1989 5.4
* record low

UCLA Freshman Survey

Volunteerism in HS:

1998 74.2*
1997 73.1
1989 62.0
* record high

UCLA Freshman Survey

Academic Disengagement:
(bored in class in HS)

1998 37.7*
1997 36.0
1985 26.4
* record high

Implementing the Principles of

Good Practice
for Diverse Learning Styles
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 (HEFT)
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
Research, Meetings, Seminars

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 - Q&A, virtual office hours
Information distribution - FAQs,
announcements
Course Organization - homework,
assignments
Content Enrichment

Intro to Macro & Micro

Economics
http://TeachX.rutgers.edu/gag

Biomedical Issues of AIDS

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~devanas/AIDS

Students Listserv Discussions

megan wrote: just a question to ponder.... how do you think life will change if a cure
is found. do you think people will change their attitudes

In respone to megan if there was a cure i think people will have another excuse to
hace unprotected sex. I know many people who refuse to use

For the past week or so, I have received many emaill messages about a conspiracy
theory. It bothered me to hear that people had that little faith in their government..

in response to what megan wrote...i think people will still have protected sex because
the cure for AIDS is going to be very expensive, and besides

I must say that for those of you who believe that our government would not withhold
the cure for AIDS, have to much faith in their government

Listserv Discussion Groups

Group 2: Should convicted criminals be required to disclose their

HIV status and/or be tested for HIV?

Many people agreed that, for the majority of cases, a criminal should
not be forced to be tested and therefore disclose their information.
Afterall, as someone stated, "having your personal medical records
made public is not part of the sentence." Others felt that it would be too
expensive to test everyone in prison and that the money could be used
elsewhere. The fact is that other inmates would discriminate against the
HIV positive person and a great deal of violence would occur. If you
think about it, why should criminals be forced to be tested and/or forced
to disclose their personal medical history just because they are in jail?
Afterall, they don't test you for any other diseases in jail- why only HIV?

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
Bork 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.html

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

Chickering and Ehrmann 1996 IMPLEMENTING THE SEVEN
PRINCIPLES: Technology as Lever. AAHE Bulletin

Teaching Effectiveness Goal

Research - Strategies - Assessment
Multicultural Teaching Repertoire is.
effective teaching for all students