Abstract: Technology opens new
options for instructors to discover how
learners in their program differ from one
another, and for using their discoveries to
improve learning for as many of the learners
as possible. In the
attached article,
we describe three interdependent steps.
1. Identify aspects of diversity
that will affect learning in this course or
workshop: Technology offers new
tools such as online surveys, student
response systems (e.g., clickers; online
polling) and technology-enabled assessment
of student skills.
2. Respond to Diversity |
• Course content
and media, e.g., different assignments and media
from which students can choose
• Assessment of learning: tools such as ePortfolios
provide greater flexibility for assessing learning
when different students are learning somewhat
different things.
• Program activities: as one example, we describe a
strategy for using free online tools to manage the
process of facilitating small breakout sessions and
their reporting back to the whole group, a very
common instructional tactic for responding to
differences among participants.
3. Take
Instructional Advantage of Diversity:
Student differences can be an instructional asset in
several different ways, including learning from
other students, becoming more aware of their own
characteristics by seeing how others differ, and
learning by doing complex projects with team mates.
Technology enables implementation of strategies such
as those in several different ways, including:
• The reach of
online interaction enables a more diverse group of
people
• Lowering the risk of opening up to others
• Enabling a more thoughtful pace for discussion;
and
• Enabling more kinds of engaging projects for
teams.
For more ideas
from faculty about using technology to respond to
differences among students, see
Principle 7 in our
Seven
Principles Collection of Ideas for Teaching and
Learning with Technology.
The TLT
Group offers online and campus workshops on this
topic, and has begun to develop workshop materials
for use by subscribing institutions. If you have
suggestions for improving our materials or
would like to arrange a talk or workshop for your
institution or association, please contact Sally
Gilbert (Sallygilbert @ tltgroup.org).
Subscribing institutions may be able to arrange for
a free workshop, using their consulting hours.
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