Engaging a diverse student cohort

The diversity of our student cohort contributes to the vibrancy and dynamism of our campus and can bring immense benefit to each student’s learning experience. Harnessing this is not without its challenges, as variable ability, socio-cultural, and language differences mean that no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching is going to work. So how do we ensure the engagement and inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds, while staying true to the learning objectives? This requires “being critically reflective, adaptable, able to respond to varying needs and implement strategies for facilitating students learning from each other.” (Trees, 2014, p. 234) Consider the following tips in the context of your teaching.

Time and Support - Teaching to a diverse student cohort will mean ensuring students with varying abilities, languages, and socio-cultural identities will need to feel included and safe. It can take a lot of time to modify your teaching approach and content to ensure this. Time is a precious resource, so seek out support to make this work more manageable – reach out to colleagues who may have already engaged in this work to talk about successful strategies. Alternatively, contact the Williams Centre to discuss how we can assist. Of course, there are resources across the University you might consider. Some examples are provided at the end of this article.
Flip the Classroom - Sharing critical learning materials with your class before you teach is a great way to ensure everyone can access and engage with the content. Clearly articulate this as part of the rationale for doing this – use the announcement function in Canvas to explain and offer support to any students who cannot access the materials or grasp the themes or topics being introduced. Giving students the time to engage with content before the class opens opportunities for active learning during the class. This brings us to the next point…
Make Learning Active: Facilitate, don’t 'Teach' - The more time you spend talking and ‘teaching’, the less time you must focus on your learners’ needs. Having opportunities to make learning active gives you the chance to go around the room (or Zoom room) and see how students are interacting with activities that are more authentic and relevant. You can focus on individual support without losing sight of the group, and potentially find peer mentors for students who might be struggling.
Finding the Right Feedback Approach (Video, Audio, Written?) - Sharing feedback with (and between) your students is a great way to build their confidence and for you to get a better understanding of their specific needs. Enabling students to work in pairs or groups provides opportunities for diverse cohorts to learn more about each other and their own perceptions of difference. Consider different tools or approaches to support this – many educational technologies support teamwork and feedback (e.g., FeedbackFruits), while Canvas supports video, audio, and text messaging around activities and assessment.
Critical Reflection - During the semester (and summarily, at the end) reflect on where you were most challenged. Were there specific groups of students that found the work harder than others? Were there case studies or learning materials you used that didn’t reflect the diversity in your class? What types of investments will you need to make in the future to make changes to the way you teach or the materials you use? While critical reflection is a process many of us undertake at the end of each semester, focusing on how you managed student diversity will strengthen this process further