College of Education

CPE 104

FACILITATING
LEARNER-
CENTERED
TEACHING

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 1

 Republic of the Philippines
MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – MAGUINDANAO
Dalican, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
e-mail: collegeofeducation@[Link]

CPE 104

FACILITATING
LEARNER-
CENTERED
TEACHING

Linang Basar-Monir, Ed.D.

First Semester
2021-2022

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 2

 LESSON 4
STUDENT DIVERSITY
Overview:
Teachers in the College of Education always stated in their lesson that
“Everyone is unique.” Though it sounds really like a cliché, one cannot ignore the
truth in it. As a facilitator of learning, the teacher is tasked to consider the individual
differences among the students in planning for effective instruction.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the topic, students can
 Identify the different factors that bring about diversity in the
classroom;
 demonstrate a positive attitude towards diversity as an enriching
element in the learning environment; and
 come -up with teaching strategies that consider student diversity.

Duration: 9 hours

Materials Needed: Laptop. Android cellphones, internet, head set, and

electronic module
Lesson Content:

Individual Differences
(Student Diversity)

Classroom
Individual Benefits of Diversity
Strategies for
Differences Factors in the Classroom
Student Diversity

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 1

Factors that Bring about Student Diversity

In all learning environments, individuals interact with others who are in some
ways different from them. Recall how those differences were shown in your class
tally-gender and racial, ethnic or cultural background (nationality, province,
language). This diversity also comes from other factors like the following:

1. Socioeconomic status- The millionaires’ lifestyle differs from that of the

middle income or lower income group.
2. Thinking/ learning style- Some of you learn better by seeing something;
others by just listening; and still others by manipulating something. (You
will learn more of these in Module 5).
3. Exceptionalities- In class there maybe one who has difficulty in spoken
language comprehension or in seeing, hearing, etc. We will have more on
these in lesson.

How Student Diversity Enriches the Learning Environment

A teacher may be “challenged” to handle a class with students so diverse.

There may be students having different cultural background, different language
abilities, different attitudes and aptitudes and behaviors. Some teachers might see
this diversity as a difficult predicament, really a hassle! Yet a more reflective
teacher may see a diverse classroom as an exciting place to learn not just for her
students, but for herself, as well. A wise teacher may choose to respect and
celebrate diversity! Read on to discover the benefits and learning opportunities that
student diversity can bring to your classroom.

1. Students’ self-awareness is enhanced by diversity- Exposing students

to others with diverse backgrounds and experiences also serves to help
students focus on their awareness of themselves. When they see how
others are different, students are given reference points or comparative
perspectives which sharpen assessment of their own attitudes, values and
behaviors.
2. Student diversity contributes to cognitive development. The opportunity
to gain access to the perspectives of peers and to learn from other students,
rather than the instructor only, may be especially important for promoting
the cognitive development of learners. Supreme Court Justice, William J.
Brennan said: “The classroom is peculiarly the ‘marketplace of ideas.’ The
depth and breadth of student learning are enhanced by exposure to others

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 2

 from diverse backgrounds. Student diversity in the classroom brings about
different points of view and varied approaches to the learning process.

As the German philosopher, Nietzsche, said over 100 years ago:

“The more effects we allow to speak about one thing, the more eyes,
different eyes we can use to observe one thing, the more complete will our
concept of this thing, our objectivity, be,”

3. Student diversity prepares learners for their role as responsible

members of society. Suzanne Morse stresses one competency that has
strong implications for instructional strategies that capitalize on diversity:
“The capacity to imagine situations or problems from all perspectives and
to appreciate all aspects of diversity”. Furthermore, she argues: “The
classroom can provide more than just theory given by the teacher in a
lecture. With student diversity, the classroom becomes a ‘public place’
where community can be practiced.
4. Student diversity can promote harmony. When student diversity is
integrated into the classroom teaching and learning process, it can become
a vehicle for promoting harmonious race relations. Through student-
centered teaching strategies, diverse students can be encouraged to
interact and collaborate with one another on learning tasks that emphasize
unity of effort while capitalizing on their diversity of backgrounds.

Some Tips on Student Diversity

1. Encourage learners to share their personal history and experiences.

Students will be made to realize that they have something in common with
the rest. They also differ in several ways.

2. Integrate learning experiences and activities which promote students’

multicultural and cross-cultural awareness.
 You can encourage or even initiate co-curricular experiences that are
aimed at promoting diversity awareness. These activities could be
held to coincide with already-scheduled national weeks or months
which are designated for appreciation of diverse groups: disability
Awareness Weeks, Linggo ng Wika, Indigenous People’s Week, etc.
 Let students interview other students on campus who are from
diverse backgrounds (foreign students or students from other
ethnic/racial groups). These students of different racial and ethnic
origin serve as source of first-hand information on topics related to
A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 3
 their culture. This can also provide opportunity for interaction among
students who may otherwise never come in contact with each other.
 Invite students to Internet discussion groups or e-mail; have students
“visit” foreign countries and “talk” to natives of those countries.
 Ask students if they have ever been the personal target of prejudice
or discrimination, and have them share these experiences with other
members of the class.

3. Aside from highlighting diversity, identify patterns of unity that

transcend group differences. Clyde Kluckholn, an early American
anthropologist who spent a lifetime studying human diversity across
different cultures, concluded from his extensive research that, “Every
human is, at the same time, like all other humans like some humans, and
like no other human” (cited in Wong, 1991). His observation suggests a
paradox in the human experience, namely: We are all the same in different
ways. It may be important to point out to students the biological reality that
we, human beings, share approximately 95% of our genes in common, and
that less than 5% of our genes account for the physical differences that exist
among us. When focusing on human differences, these commonalities
should not be overlooked; otherwise, our repeated attempts to promote
student diversity may inadvertently promote student divisiveness. One way
be minimize this risk, and promote unity along with diversity, is to stress the
universality” of the learning experience by raising students’ consciousness
of common themes that bind all groups of people-in addition to highlighting
the variations on those themes.
 Periodically place students in homogeneous groups on the basis of
shared demographic characteristics (e.g., same-gender groups or
same-race/ethnicity groups), and have them share their personal
views or experiences with respect to course issues. Then form a
panel comprised of representatives from each group who will report
their group’s ideas. You can serve as moderator and identify the key
differences and recurrent themes that emerge across different
groups, or students who are not on the panel can be assigned this
task.

 Try to form groups of students who are different with respect to one
demographic characteristic but similar with respect to another (e.g.,

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 4

 similar gender but different with respect to race/ethnicity, or similar
in age but different gender). This practice can serve to increase
students’ awareness that humans who are members of different
groups can, at the same time, be members of the same group-and
share similar experiences, needs or concerns.
 After students have completed self-assessment instruments (e.g.,
learning style inventories or personality profiles), have them line up
or move to a corner of the room according to their individual scores
or overall profile. This practice can visibly demonstrate to students
how members of different student populations can be quite similar
with respect to their learning style or personality profiles, i.e.,
students can see how individual similarities can often overshadow
group differences.

4. Communicate high expectations to students from all subgroups.

 Make a conscious attempt to call on, or draw in students from diverse
groups by using effective questioning techniques that reliably elicit
student involvement. In addition to consciously calling on them in
class, other strategies for “drawing in” and involving students include:
(a) assigning them the role of reporter in small-group discussions,
i.e., the one who reports back the group’s ideas to the class, and (b)
having them engaged in paired discussions with another classmate
with the stipulation that each partner must take turns assuming the
role of both listener and speaker, and (c) scheduling instructor-
student conferences with them outside the classroom.
 Learn the names of your students, especially the foreign names that
you may have difficulty pronouncing. This will enable you to establish
early personal rapport with them which can later serve as a social
emotional foundation or springboard for encouraging them to
participate.

5. Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student diversity in

learning styles.
 Diversity the sensory/perceptual modalities through which you
deliver and present information (e.g., orally, in print, diagrammatic
and pictorial representations, or “hands on” experiences).
 Diversity the instructional formats or procedures you use in class:

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 5

 o Use formats that are student-centered (e.g., class
discussions, small group work) and teacher-centered (e.g.,
lectures, demonstrations).
o Use formats that are unstructured (e.g., trial-error discovery
learning) and structured (e.g., step-by-step instructions).
o Use procedures that involve both independent learning (e.g.,
independently completed projects, individual presentations)
and interdependent learning (e.g., collaborative learning in
pairs or small groups).

6. Vary the examples you use to illustrate concepts in order to provide

multiple contexts that are relevant to students from diverse
backgrounds.
Specific strategies for providing multiple examples and varied
contexts that are relevant to their varied backgrounds include the following:
 Have students complete personal information cards during the first
week of class and use this information to select examples or
illustrations that are relevant to their personal interests and life
experiences.
 Use ideas, comments and questions that students raise in class, or
which they choose to write about to help you think of examples and
illustrations to use.
 Ask student to provide their own examples of concepts based on
experiences drawn from their personal lives.
 Have students apply concepts by placing them in a situation or
context that is relevant to their lives (e.g., “How would you show
respect to all persons in your home?”).

7. Adapt to the students’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles by

allowing them personal choice and decision-making opportunities
concerning what they will learn and how they will learn it.
Giving the learner more decision-making opportunity with
respect to learning tasks: (a) promotes positive student attitudes toward the
subject matter, (b) fosters more positive interactions among students, and
(c) results in students working more consistently with lesser teacher
intervention. Also, when individuals are allowed to exert some control over

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 6

 a task, they tend to experience less anxiety or stress while performing that
task.

8. Diversity your methods of assessing and evaluating student learning.

You can accommodate student diversity not only by varying
what you do with your teaching, but also by varying what you ask students
to do to demonstrate learning. In addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil
tests and written assignment, students can demonstrate their learning in a
variety of performance formats, such as: (a) individually-delivered oral
reports, (b) panel presentations, (c) group projects, (d) visual presentations
(e.g., concept maps, slide presentations, Power Point presentations,
collages, exhibits), or (d) dramatic vignettes-presented live or on videotape.
One potential benefit of allowing students to choose how they demonstrate
their learning is that the variety of options exercised may be a powerful ways
to promote students awareness of the diversity of human learning styles.
You will have more of assessment in your courses on Assessment of
Learning.

9. Purposely, form small-discussion groups of students from diverse

backgrounds. You can form groups of students with different learning
styles, different cultural backgrounds, etc.
Small peer-learning groups may be effective for promoting
student progress to a more advanced stage of cognitive development. Peer-
learning groups may promote this cognitive advancement because: (a) the
instructor is removed from center stage, thereby reducing the likelihood that
the teacher is perceived as the ultimate or absolute authority; and (b)
students are exposed to the perspectives of other students, thus increasing
their appreciation of multiple viewpoints and different approaches to
learning.

Reference:

Lucas, Maria Rita D. & Corpuz, Brenda B. (2014). Facilitating Learning: A

Metacognitive Process (4th ed.). Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

A Course Module for Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching 7