Dr Joy Mighty Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning Queen’s University President, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Engaging.

Dr Joy MightyDirector, Centre for Teaching and

LearningQueen’s University

President, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Engaging Every Student:Implications of Diversity for

Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Brenda’s Story

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Diversity in Brenda’s Day Jamaica Darfur Sri Lanka Pakistan Iraq Afghanistan Italy Africa Mexico North Korea Iran Germany Brazil

The Philippines London Hong Kong Paris Sydney Toronto New York India Egypt Nigeria China Japan Ireland

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A GLOBAL VILLAGE: If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of 100 people, would you recognize it?

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52 villagers would be female;48 would be male 33 would be children 6 would be over the age of 65 58 would be Asian 70 would be persons of colour 30 would be Christian 6 would own half the village’s wealth; all 6 would be U.S. citizens 9 would speak English 10 would be lesbian, gay or bisexual 50 would suffer from malnutrition 80 would live in sub-standard housing 66 would not have access to clean, safe drinking water 1 would have a college education

Source: United Nations: Innovations & Networks for Development. The World Development Forum. N. Y. April 15, 1990.

Diversity refers to differences in a range of human qualities among individuals.

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Some Dimensions of Diversity

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genderage/generationethnicityracesexual orientationclass/SESreligionlanguagelearning styles

marital statusfamily make-upphysical/mental

abilityimmigrant statuseducational

backgroundpolitical outlookdisciplineroles/functions

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Some Factors Driving Diversity

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Globalization and internationalization

Immigration

Changing demographics

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Demographics from 2006 Census

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Over 200 ethnic origins in total population.41.4% of the population reported more than one ethnic

origin.5,068,100 individuals or 16.2% of the total population

belonged to a “visible minority”. Between 2001 and 2006, the visible minority population

increased 27.2%, 5 times faster than the 5.4% growth rate of the total population.

South Asians were the largest visible minority group, followed by Chinese and Blacks

52% of the Black visible minority group were from the Caribbean

20% of Canada’s population will be “visible minorities” by 2017, totally 6.3 to 8.5 million people.

http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/rt-td/eth-eng.cfm

Some Factors Driving Diversity

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Globalization and internationalization

Immigration

Changing demographics

Legislative and political factors

Trends towards liberalism

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The Educational Value of Diversity

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Broadens one’s horizonEnhances

communication with others

Improves intergroup relations and mutual understanding among people from different cultural groups

Reduces prejudiceLeads to self-discovery

and growth

Develops critical thinking skills

Enhances decision-making and problem-solving

Increases commitment to social justice

Increases civic engagement and community service activity

Improves academic success and cognitive development

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… “the weight of empirical evidence shows that the actual effects on student development of emphasizing diversity and of student participation in diversity activities are overwhelmingly positive” (Astin, 1993: 431).

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“a mix of people in one social system who have distinctly different, socially relevant group affiliations.” (Cox, 1993:6)

Diversity Revisited …

The Concept Of Social Identity

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We define ourselves, in part, in terms of our classification in different social groups.

This classification enables us to understand who we are, based on our perception of belonging or not belonging to particular social groups.

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Our self-definition involves accentuating similarities of people belonging to the same social group and differences of people belonging to different groups.

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We attach values to each group to which we belong so that positive, negative or ambivalent feelings are aroused by the knowledge of each group membership.

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We perceive ourselves as “psychologically intertwined with the fate of the group” (Ashforth & Meal, 1989).

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Our social identity influences how others view us.

All interpersonal relationships are influenced by the social identities of the persons interacting. (Cox, 1993).

Who Am I?

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Place your name in the centre circle of the social identity diagram.

In each of the satellite circles, write a “socially relevant group affiliation” that has influenced your concept of self and that you feel is important in defining you (e.g. female, Italian, Buddhist)

Share your diagram with the person beside you, if you feel comfortable doing so.

Adapted from Gorski, P. (2000) Circles of my Multicultural Self. http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/multi/activities/circlesofself.html

Dimensions of My Social Identity

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Dimensions of My Social Identity

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Share a story about a time when you were especially proud to identify yourself with one of your descriptors.

Share a story about a time when it was especially painful to be identified with one of your descriptors.

Name a stereotype associated with one of the groups with which you identify that is not consistent with who you are. Use the following sentence: “I am (a/an) ____, but I am not (a/an) ____.”

“ As a person ascends a spiral staircase, she may stop and look down at a spot below. When she reaches the next level, she may look down and see the same spot, but the vantage point has changed.” (Tatum, 1992: 12).

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Source: Jones, S.R., & McEwen, M.K. (2000) A Conceptual Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity. Journal of College Student Development, 41(4), 405-414.

Model of Multiple Dimensions of Diversity

Inequity in the Classroom

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The differential treatment of students on the basis of their sex, race, ethnicity, class, religion, sexual orientation, language, age, disability or other characteristic of their social identity, through unconscious or deliberate behaviour, the use of biased language, the use of exclusive and biased curricular materials, and the pervasiveness of stereotypical views about their values, abilities, achievements, experiences and perspectives.

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“Alienation, lack of involvement, marginalization, overt racism, insensitivity, sexual harassment, and discrimination tend to characterize the campus experience, the classroom, and the curriculum for students who are different… In higher education, the condition of diversity is all too often a condition of alienation.”

Smith, D. G. (1991). The challenge of diversity: Alienation in the academy and its implications for faculty. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 2, 129-137.

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Alienation is associated with

Ineffective learning and poor academic performance

High turnover ratesA poor institutional reputationFailure to serve an increasingly diverse

societyA reduced ability to achieve the goal of

developing students for participation in global society and engaging in the diverse world.

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A Gay Student

“This university focuses on tradition and spirit, such as the emphasis on its one hundred and fifty-year-old buildings and plaques and its own flag, almost as though it were its own country. Such an emphasis on history, which includes a history of marginalization, has meant that, as a queer coming to Queen’s, I have felt silenced.

…Teachers are not prepared to deal with gay issues … In the absence of a process for addressing gay issues in the university, I think that we have a system that endorses hate.”

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A Female Aboriginal Student

“I attended a course on race relations that purported to incorporate equity concerns but had nothing on Aboriginal peoples, apparently because Aboriginal people were not considered a minority group.....

…..When I received feedback from my professors on my paper, I was told to address racial groups other than Aboriginal peoples. I felt it was a devaluing of the Aboriginal experience…”

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A Female International Graduate Student

“People would look at me as if I was stupid when I had language difficulties. Too often, no one would help me. For example, I applied for a teaching assistantship but was told I would have to have some prior teaching experience in Ontario. Isn’t it the University’s responsibility to open up ways for international students to be involved in Canadian society?

…Professors should not assume that international students have only difficulties and problems. They are human beings with successes and struggles.”

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A Male Student with a Learning Disability

“Does being given extra time on tests marginalize some students? A wheelchair ramp is an alternate mode of access for the physically handicapped so that they may access the same benefits as others. Similarly, being allowed extra time gives the learning disabled extra time to process what they know. My reading speed will always be slow. But having extra time gives me the chance to compete with others. Extra time is like being provided with a wheelchair ramp….

I would like to be treated equally for equal effort. I do not need to have my hand held. I simply ask for equal access to the experience of learning that others already have.”

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I have spent all of my life living in a dominant society that never validated who I was as an Aboriginal person. My formal education took place in a setting where my truths and my world were never reflected in the learning environment. Neither my ways of thinking nor my ways of doing were validated, even though I believe they were what got me through the system and afforded me whatever success I have experienced. In order to learn what I was being taught, I had to constantly deny the basic tenets of who I am and what I believe.” (McLeod, 1996: 65)

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Folake’s Story

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Engaging Experiences

Think about the courses you found most engaging during your formal education. Why were you engaged? What made them engaging?

Discuss with your neighbour(s) the characteristics of these courses that made them engaging for you.

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What is Student Engagement?

Students’ sustained behavioral involvement, intense effort and concentration in learning activities

Students’ positive emotions during learning activities, including enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and interest

Students’ use of cognitive, meta-cognitive and self-regulatory strategies (e.g. surface or deep processing) to monitor and guide their learning processes

Institutions’ learning opportunities and services that induce students to take part in and benefit from such activities.

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Five NSSE Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice

Level of academic challengeActive and collaborative learningStudent interactions with faculty membersEnriching educational experiencesSupportive campus environment

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Why is student engagement important?

Positively associated with student successDirectly impacts quality of learning and

overall educational experienceServes as a proxy for quality or “effective

educational practice”

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Paying attention to diversity can increase student engagement and enhance both student success and the quality of teaching and learning in our institutions.

Teaching for InclusionWeave diversity into the curriculum

Expose students to diverse contentInfuse readings and assignments with

relevant multiple perspectives and materialsDraw on diverse pedagogical traditions

Use a range of active and collaborative pedagogies

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Some Active Learning Pedagogies that Promote Student Engagement

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Community Service Learning (CSL)Inquiry-based LearningTeam-based LearningCase-based learningProblem-based LearningFirst-year seminars and capstone coursesLearning communitiesFocused DiscussionInternationalization

Teaching for Inclusion

Weave diversity into the curriculum Expose students to diverse contentInfuse readings and assignments with relevant multiple

perspectives and materials Draw on diverse pedagogical traditions

Use a range of active and collaborative pedagogies Create a culture that recognizes, respects, and

responds to individual student differencesHelp students identify their learning strengths and

educational goalsAcknowledge and use what they bring to the classroomProvide diversity related learning opportunities

Foster a positive, safe, non-threatening learning environment

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Practical SuggestionsSet boundaries and ground rulesLearn and pronounce students’ names correctly.Use ice-breaking and other activities in class to

help students get to know each other well and help overcome the tendency to form social identity cliques.

Be aware of your own non-verbal behaviour in class. Do you pay more attention to one social identity group than to others? Do you consistently call on students with a particular social identity more than you call on other students?

Ensure accessibility for students with disabilities so that they can participate equally and fully. Include a statement in your course outline that lets students with special needs know that you are willing to accommodate them

If possible reconfigure your space/classroom from time to time using circular/semi-circular layouts to promote participation.

Use a variety of discussion formats e.g. whole class, small group, triads and pairs. Smaller groups increase sense of safety.

Discourage and challenge racist, homophobic or other bigoted remarks against any social identity group. Insist on gender-neutral language.

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Thank you and best wishes!

[email protected]

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