Classroom Diversity in an Age of Technology
Module 6
The world is getting increasingly more diverse. The requirements to meet the needs of all individuals are also increasing. Universal Design / Universal Design for Learning / Universal Design for Instruction are frameworks that help promote equity, access, and inclusion. Learning about UD is a great foundation to develop effective classrooms, instruction, technologies, and tools. It will provide a solid foundation for IDT and UX/UI design.
Diversity is the recognition of that which makes us unique and individualized.
In some cases, these differences are protected through laws to prevent discrimination based on these differences. In a modern, civilized society, it is a desire to recognize and value differences. Understanding each student's background and identity makes learning stronger for the individual and for the collective classroom. In some studies, diverse classrooms outperformed higher-resourced homogenous student groups due to the additional critical thinking involved in effectively collaborating with diverse individuals (Kampen, 2019). Differentiating elements can be biological, psychological, environmental, or preferential or a combination of them. Some differentiating elements include-
- Age
- Race and Ethnicity
- Height
- Weight
- Cognitive or Physical Limitations
- Sex
- Gender
- Sexual Orientation
- Socio-economic status
- Culture/ Religion
- Experience (Kampen, 2019)
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