Diversity

 

Randy Miller states that 'cultural competency for all teachers means recognizing and understanding the norms and tendencies of their student populations which are dictated mostly by societal, ethnic and socioeconomic influences. Teachers must be able to forge meaningful realtionships with students' (Miller, 2010). 

Developing a relationship with each student on this programme is a critical part in the successful outcome for students. Being able to overcome  barriers to learning is a major factor influencing whether or not they will succeed. If the tutors and lecturers can relate to the students, form a bond and understand what is happening in their lives we will have much greater success with supporting them.

Another factor affecting equitable access to learning is the design of the programme and the teaching environment. Universal Design for Learning sums this up as 'more equitable access to general education for all learners' (UDL, 2012). The goals of UDL are improving access, participation and achievement, eliminating or reducing physical or academic barriers and valuing diversity through proactive design. This includes accommodating different learning styles and multiple means of assessment,  engagement and delivery. We have to think very carefully about how to accommodate the learning needs of our students when we design the programme, so we are not creating more barriers to learning. One example is the difficulty dyslexic students have. Our expectations for coursework and assessment are based heavily around text. Dyslexic students have difficulties with material presented in written form. What alternatives can we or do we provide to meet their needs?

An example of minimising academic barriers is Otago Polytechnic's open entry courses initiative - removing the requirement for academic qualifications as a prerequisite to enrollment.

Why are so many young people disengaging from the school system, and leaving school with such low levels of literacy and numeracy? There are very obvious academic achievement gaps in the school system. Education in its current form is more accessible to some learners than it is to others. Our learners are among those who have not been able to access it sucessfully. 

References
Miller, R. 2010   The Importance of culturally competent teachers  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-miller/the-importance-of-cultura_b_787876.html

Universal Design for Learning: A framework for access and equity

National Center on Universal Design for Learning   www.udlcenter.org