addressing today's diverse learners

64

DIVERSITY

Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 1, Number 2, 2010 © 2010 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc.20014

Addressing Today’s Diverse LearnersAmy Kahn, Ph.D., University of the Rockies; Phyllis Hillwig, Ed.D., Words & Numbers

Diversity work has permeated organizations of all sizes and in all

sectors, from large corporations and government agencies to

schools and nonprofi ts. Every aspect of how organizations operate

refl ects this work. Th is article focuses on how diversity principles and

best practices apply to learners and the learning process. It addresses

learning in schools, colleges, corporations, and online, and how to

accommodate the needs of diverse learners.

Each of us has our own perspective on what diversity means. Most

people start listing diff erences such as appearance, race, age, sexual ori-

entation, and sex as dimensions of diversity that should be considered.

Others might include disability and religion in their example. In the

classroom environment, it is important that when we refer to diverse

learners, the term broadens to include students’ individual learning and

communication styles, abilities, disabilities, profi ciencies, and talents. In

its most literal form, diversity means variety or diff erences. In the context

of contemporary business literature, the most common defi nition is that

diversity (Baytos, 1995; Cox, 1994; Cross, Katz, Miller, & Seashore, 1994;

Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998; Griggs & Louw, 1995; Loden, 1995; Th omas,

1991) is any combination of diff erences, from the more visible individual

diff erences to the less visible and invisible diff erences (Orndoff , 2003).

Some experts (Hubbard, 1997; Lynch, 1997; Th omas & Woodruff , 1999)

include organizational dynamics, culture, systems, practices, and proce-

dures in their defi nition of diversity.

People who work in the practice of diversity raise awareness about

how individuals have unique talents, experiences, and backgrounds that

infl uence their thinking, behavior, learning, and engagement with others.

65Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 1, Number 2 • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc

In fact, understanding this concept is more impor-

tant than ever before. We live in a transparent,

global economy in which a mistake based on a lack

of sensitivity to a diverse population can have a

detrimental eff ect on one’s goals and purpose. How

we attempt to understand each other matters.

Th e topic of diversity is on the minds of many

leaders within higher education. In an Association

of American Colleges and Universities national

survey on diversity requirements, 62 percent of

respondents, from 546 colleges, reported that that

they have in place a diversity requirement or are in

the process of developing one (http://www.aacu.

org/divsurvey/irvineoverview.cfm, 2010). Derald

Wing Sue, professor of psychology and education

at Columbia University and one of the most cited

multicultural scholars in the United States, relayed

in his book Overcoming Our Racism: Th e Journey

to Liberation (2003) that the most powerful way to

reduce racism is to include multicultural aware-

ness in the classroom, and said that higher educa-

tion is a great place for untraining people’s biases

and being preventive.

Addressing this topic with students will

prepare them as they enter or return to the work-

force. Th e word diversity is often found in organi-

zational values, mission statements, and vision

statements. And there exists a body of diversity

management research that shows how diff erences

among people can have an impact on organiza-

tional systems in both positive and negative ways.

Th e work of Bol m an and Deal (1997), Griggs and

Louw (1995), Th omas (2003), Maltbia (2003),

Lynch (1997), and others addresses the importance

of helping people feel included and satisfi ed by

defi ning initiatives intended to help them achieve

their potential by understanding diff erences and

valuing diverse representations and approaches.

Organizations like the Society for Human Resource

Management, DiversityBusiness.com, and Diver-

sityInc. annually acknowledge corporations and

individuals committed to diversity work. Today’s

corporations are embracing the concepts and strat-

egies associated with diversity work into strategic

business initiatives: sales, marketing, purchasing,

customer service, communications and public rela-

tions, and human resources, among many others.

Teachers of students entering and already within

the workplace must understand the implication of

diversity and how to become advocates for build-

ing bridges that raise awareness and continue dia-

logue on this topic.

In Classrooms

Th e Industrial Revolution played a large part in

shaping the U.S. education system as we know it

today. More than a century later, similarities in

how classrooms were structured and managed

remain. Like workers in a factory, students in

Industrial Revolution-era schools went from class

to class, listened, and were expected to learn from

a variety of instructors. Although the classrooms

were fi lled with immigrants of many cultures,

wearing diff erent types of clothing and speaking a

variety of languages, educators were focused on a

model of acculturation in which students were

expected to adapt to fi t in with the system of edu-

cation provided. In the past, students did not

expect the classroom to fi t their needs; instead,

66 Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 1, Number 2 • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc

schools expected students to learn how to achieve

in the construct they provided.

Today’s classrooms, especially in higher edu-

cation and in corporate America, provide student-

centered learning environments that require an

even deeper understanding of diversity. Add to this

the growing amount of technology, and the role

of the instructor becomes even more complex.

With the Internet and the growth of online school

options, there has been an increase in both tradi-

tional and nontraditional students. Students going

to college are no longer between 18 and 24 years old

sitting in brick-and-mortar schools. Th ey could be

working adults, retirees, with or without full-time

family responsibilities or other obligations, logging

in on their computers at midnight, or reading notes

on their mobile devices while waiting in line at the

grocery store. Some who have returned to school

have not been in the classroom for 20 years. In

addition to diff erences in age, experience, culture,

and learning style, there is also variance in technol-

ogy profi ciencies and comfort among students. On

the instruction side, more and more schools are

relying on adjuncts that come with their own

perspectives, pedagogical approach, experiences,

technology acumen, and biases. According to Sue

(2003), individuals have long-standing and instinc-

tive attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices toward

each other, and even the most well-intentioned,

morally correct, ethical individuals unconsciously

take on their society’s prejudices.

Becoming Responsive to Diversity

Practitioners in the fi eld of emotional intelligence

explore mechanisms that control emotional trig-

gers so people can learn to respond appropriately

to specifi c situations. Diversity intelligence for

instructors (whether in traditional classrooms,

online, or in corporate America) means recogniz-

ing the breadth and depth of their surroundings,

including the individuals who make up their

classroom, and taking steps to ensure that they

respond to the variety of inputs that they experi-

ence. It means creating a learning environment that

recognizes the individuality of the people experi-

encing the class in which they can feel part of the

learning experience. Although there are numerous

approaches and ideas as to how to respond to diver-

sity in the classroom, this article focuses on how

instructors can be responsive to diversity through

their teaching and curriculum delivery. As a result,

the instructor’s actions will model appropriate

behaviors to the students, who will see and learn

from the instructor’s approaches and actions.

Consider these elements of teaching and the

learning environment: room setup, course design,

access, and actively integrating diversity in

discussions.

� Room setup. Something as simple as room

setup can be fundamental to encouraging

discussion and raising awareness among

individuals within the class. Research

( F leming and Asplund, 2007) shows

how creating an inclusive environment

increases engagement. Instructors should

create the right environment for the stu-

dents. Th ey should seat or group students

so that they can easily see, hear, and

interact with one another constructively.


A computer lab setting in rows with stu-

dents looking at screens and not inter-

acting, for example, is not ideal for

collaboration and fostering diversity

awareness. Students should be encour-

aged to share and work together; assign-

ments should be varied so that a portion

of the lesson has a group assessment.

Visual aids can also help ensure that stu-

dents from a variety of language back-

grounds can grasp the learning material.

� Course design. In the development of any

content area, instructors should review

multiple sources that are representative of

diverse perspectives and cultures. For

example, if the course or workshop is in

professional ethics, the instructor should

look at the breadth and depth of the course

material and consider using sources

outside the traditional pool of resources.

For example, the instructor might con-

sider the ethnic makeup, country of origin,

and region of origin of the thought leaders

who represent the subject area. Some-

times this means exploring alternative

perspectives. Instructors should deter-

mine whether the course design is open to

multiple perspectives from a variety of

cultures and time frames.

� Access. Varying the format, approach, and

style of the assignments or activities and

being open to ideas is another way to

include and motivate diff erent learners. If

an assignment requires a report, the

instructor should explore whether it

could be turned in as, say, an audio record-

ing or visual game rather than the tradi-

tional typed document. Do all assignments

require a similar approach? As good role

models, instructors should design courses

and workshops to include an array of

tools that will help address the diversity of

learning preferences in the classroom.

Th at said, the instructor does not have to

do all of this work. Students and col-

leagues can contribute their ideas on what

works for them and what does not.

� Actively integrate diversity in discussions.

Instructors should take the time to talk

about diversity in the context of the class-

room content. For example, if the course

is Introduction to Psychology, instructors

could ask why a particular approach to

therapy may be appropriate for some cul-

tures and not others. Th ose teaching a

business or leadership course could ask

whether building teamwork would be the

same if all the team members were the

same age, sex, and race versus if they

were all diff erent. What assumptions are

we making from what we see and what

we cannot see?

Providing a broad approach to addressing

diversity can raise many questions. To what degree

are instructors expected to accommodate their

students? Can they truly meet the needs of all

learners? What if the researchers in a specifi c dis-

cipline are not from a variety of backgrounds?


Becoming diversity intelligent does not require

every student to have all of his or her needs met

through one class. It does, however, mean that

instructors will take measures to consider a broader

instructional model and make conscious decisions

about the information they include and exclude in

class. It means making conscious decisions before

setting up the classroom and while deciding the

mix of assignments. It means sharing this informa-

tion with the class and beginning the class by

setting expectations for the students.

Classrooms, both online and traditional, need

to align with the current state of society. Even

without expensive technology, today’s instructors

must focus on and pay attention to the expansive

needs of the students. Today everyone can choose

to create his or her own menus. Nearly all products

and services are sold in a variety of colors, sizes,

and prints to accommodate individual buyers. Tele-

vision off ers countless channels for viewing and

packages for purchasing. Even the news networks

scroll headlines across the screen while a news-

caster tells the story. Th e Internet also off ers an

expansive network of opportunities for learning.

We can take a lesson from professional marketers,

product researchers, and business professionals

who are trying to address their diverse markets by

giving students an array of choices and options,

hoping to appeal to listeners and learners.

Our Obligation as Professionals

As instructors, we are defi ned by our actions,

and interactions with peers, subordinates, stu-

dents, clients, and others defi ne us. To grow as

professionals, we must be aware of and acknowl-

edge our stance on the topic of diversity and dif-

ferences. We all stereotype. We all have bias. And

we are all human. Each of us judges others based

on our own sets of values, assumptions, and beliefs

about human behavior and how it should or should

not be. As educators, we should acknowledge that

our impressions aff ect how we treat our students

and the material we are teaching. If we believe that

some groups are smarter than others or fail to

acknowledge diff erences, our expectations toward

the individuals who may or may not be in those

groups will shift. Th e opposite also holds true: Th e

more we learn about our own hot buttons, the

more we can make conscious decisions about how

to treat students.

Professional organizations have standards of

practice and codes of ethics, and they need to con-

sider the implications when these codes are culture

bound and they need to include other cultural per-

spectives (Sue, 2003). In a global society, educators,

as growing professionals, need to continue the

dialogue within and beyond the classroom. In

research, we should provide an array of nontra-

ditional reading materials. In discussions, we

should actively look for those who off er diff erent

perspectives. In life, we should know that we

come with stories that have shaped who we are.

To truly embrace diversity, we need to be aware

of our own bias and know that others will be

biased toward us as well. Openly addressing diver-

sity and encouraging the dialogue will increase

richness in our experiences as professionals and set

examples for others to embrace the tapestry of

each other. �


References

Baytos, L. M. (1995). Designing and implementing

successful diversity programs. Englewood Cliff s, NJ:

Prentice Hall.

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (Eds.). (1997). Reframing

organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (2nd ed.).

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cox, T. (1994). Cultural diversity in organizations:

Th eory, research & practice. San Francisco, CA:

Berrett-Koehler.

Cross, E. Y., Katz, J. H., Miller, F. A., & Seashore, E. W.

(Eds.). (1994). Th e promise of diversity: Over 40 voices

discuss strategies for eliminating discrimination in orga-

nizations. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Fleming, J., & Asplund, J. (2007) Human sigma: Manag-

ing the employee-customer encounter. Omaha, NE:

Gallup Press.

Gardenswartz, L., & Rowe, A. (1998). Managing diver-

sity: A complete desk reference and planning guide (Rev.

ed.). San Diego, CA: Pfeiff er.

Griggs, L. B., & Louw, L.-L. (1995). Valuing diversity:

New tools for a new reality. New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill.

Hubbard, E. E. (1997). Measuring diversity results

(Vol 1). Petaluma, CA: Global Insights.

Loden, M. (1995). Implementing diversity. Chicago, IL:

Irwin Professional Publishing.

Lynch, F. (1997). Th e diversity machine: Th e drive to

change the white male workplace. New York, NY: Th e

Free Press.

Maltbia, T. E. (2003). Th e journey of becoming a diver-

sity practitioner: Th e connection between experience,

learning and competence (Doctoral dissertation). Avail-

able from ProQuest Dissertations and Th eses Database.

(UMI No. 3014788)

Orndoff , K. (2003, January/February). Assessing

American diversity. Futurist, 37, 22–28.

Sue, D. W. (2003). Overcoming our racism: Th e journey

to liberation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Th omas, R. R. (1991). Beyond race and gender. New

York, NY: AMACOM.

Th omas, R. R. (2003). Th e giraff e and elephant work-

book series: Giraff es in action [Workbook]. Decatur,

GA: Roosevelt Th omas Products.

Th omas, R. R., & Woodruff , M. I. (1999). Building a

house for diversity: How a fable about a giraff e and an

elephant off ers new strategies for today’s workforce. New

York, NY: AMACOM.

Amy Kahn, Ph.D., the director of diversity for University of the Rockies, has taught online and in the classroom for more than 20 years. She specializes in creating environments, from the classroom to corporate spaces that enhance individual contribution and organizational growth. Dr. Kahn can be reached at [email protected].


Phyllis Hillwig, Ed.D., is chief operating offi cer and co-owner of Words & Numbers, one of the most respected education content developers in the industry. She has published numerous articles and spoken

frequently on the topic of next-generation content creation, and she serves on the board of several education businesses and organizations. Dr. Hillwig can be reached at [email protected].

addressing today's diverse learners

Documents