For our group project we will be looking at evidence of diversity and inclusion of all adult learners. Our areas of focus will be include: -Disability -English as a Second Language -Cultural Diversity -Educational background -Age.

2. For our group project we will be looking at evidence of
diversity and inclusion of all adult learners. Our areas
of focus will be include:
o Disability
o English as a Second Language
o Cultural Diversity
o Educational background
o Age.

3. Tamar:
Of Brazilian descent, her
knowledge base derives
from traditional story-
telling & cultural beliefs.
Martha:
67 year-old retired teacher Jean Claude:
who had extensive
experience working in the An international student
field but no traditional and speaks English as a
appraoch to learning. second language.
Garry;
Sohee: Molly:
Is facilitating a class for a diverse
A student with Attention group of individuals from across Understands & processes
Deficit Hyperactivity the learning spectrum, abilities & information quickly,
Disorder & gets cultural backgrounds. He is however she has a
teaching a Gen-ed class at the tendency to procrastinate
distracted easily in class. college level which is open to when she becomes bored.
different students from different
programs for the first time.

4. Go back to “Student Profiles” Forum in
week one and find someone who:
› Lives in Brampton
› Has children
› Has a full time job
› Works in the dental field
› Has worked in their field for over 3 years
› Is new to online learning
› Is bilingual
› Is new to Moodle

5.  What did this tell you about the learners
in this class?
 Share an experience you have had in
training/education where felt you were
part of a diverse group
 How can professors accommodate the
different needs of students in their class
room?

6.  Canadians reported more than 200 different ethnic origins, and
more than 100 languages in completing the census
 1 in 5 people in Canada was born in another country, the highest
percentage it has been for 75 years
 32% of Canadians speak a language other than English at home
 28% of the population are immigrants, the highest percentage in the
country**
 Aboriginal population increased to 3.8% of total (from 3.3% in 2001)
 More than 60 different Aboriginal languages are spoken in
Canada**
 10% of the general population is estimated to be lesbian, gay,
bisexual or
 13.5% of people in Ontario live with disabilities*
 1 in10 people in Canada have some degree of hearing loss
(Canadian Hearing Society)
*Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2001

8.  Human Rights and the Duty to Accommodate
› Accommodation is a shared responsibility. Everyone
involved, including the person with disability, should work
together to look for accommodation solutions together.
› There is no set formula for accommodating people with
disabilities. Even though some accommodations can
benefit many people, you still need to consider individual
needs each time a person asks to be accommodated. A
solution for one person may not work for someone else.
 Some examples of accommodations include:
› Providing reading materials in alternative formats including
digitized text, Braille or large print
› Posting notes on Webct which can benefit everyone
› Using technology such as webcasts

9.  Sohee has ADHD, although she is easily distracted
› Direct student to Accessible Learning Services so she can get
accommodations such as Extra time on exams, sessions with a
Learning Strategist
› Arrange for preferential seating so she can pay attention to class
› Encourage student to tape record lectures so she can review
what she has missed in class
› Post notes on Web-ct so students can review what she has
missed
› Have student complete a learning style inventory for example
“Kolb’s learning styles”
› Use a multi-sensory approach and provide demonstrations
› Reinforce verbal presentations with written text and visuals
› Combine lectures with classroom demonstration, visuals and videos
› Encourage the use of time management planners

11.  Jean-Claude is originally from France and speaks English as a
second language. He is eager to take the course and
improve his skills.
 Jean-Claude has expressed concern that he will not be able
to quickly and fully understand the concepts used throughout
the course, and might struggle to keep up with his
classmates.
The Language Barrier
 Jean-Claude is not alone. Based on a longitudinal survey of
immigrants who arrived in Canada between Oct 2000 and
Sept 2001, of the newcomers who tried to obtain training
after coming to Canada, 40% reported at least one problem,
and 27% of these identified language barriers as the most
serious obstacle (others include cost, lack of course
availability, time constraints, foreign degree/diploma not
recognised) (Chui, 2003).

12.  Learners who experience language barriers benefit greatly
from:
› a clear framework of course standards,
› clearly identified skills to be learnt
› assessment and clear feedback of progress
› varied learning formats (“Breaking the Language Barriers”, 2000)
 Within any training program it is important to acknowledge
and support the needs of second language learners
(Hancock & Beach, 2011). It is also important to assess
progress, evaluate level of learning throughout the course,
and provide regular feedback. Instructors should:
› assess if the student understands how the task needs to be
completed, and
› gage if the student understands why it is important
(“Breaking the Language Barriers”, 2000)

13.  Students are provided with school policies and a detailed
course outline, including:
› course objectives, skills to be learnt
› due dates for tests and assignments
› Topics to be covered each class
› a Definitions List of key terms/concepts that will be covered
(students are encouraged to add to this list throughout the
course).
› assignment details, and marking schemes will be provided and
clearly explained to students well in advance of due dates.
 Students are asked to complete a short questionnaire
regarding:
› motivations for taking the course, and goals
› any issues/questions of concern
› learning preferences.
This information is used to design/modify subsequent lesson plans
and exercises to meet the specific needs of students.

14.  Classes are designed to include a variety of teaching and
learning formats including:
› lectures and PowerPoint slides
› use of audio and visual examples of the application of
information learned (eg-video clip, on-site visit/observation)
› hands on practice using the information learned (eg-case
studies, role playing, simulation exercises)
› group work

15.  Handouts of course material (eg-PowerPoint slides) are
provided to students at the beginning of each class (and
include references for further self-study, if desired).
 At the end of each class students have the opportunity to
identify any terms/concepts, theories, and practices that
they are having difficulties with, and would like clarified. There
is time allocated to addressing these items at the beginning
of each class.
 Assessment (both formal and informal) of learning will take
place throughout the course. Feedback will be provided to
students on a consistent basis, and any areas of difficulty will
be reviewed.
 Lines of communication are always open. Instructors are
available by phone, email, and in person during office hours,
and students are encouraged to contact their instructor with
any questions or concerns. The instructor is also available to
assist the student in locating resources, and problem-solving.

17.  Molly has an MA in Accounting and a BA in Computers.
She understands and processes information quickly.
She has a tendency to procrastinate when she
becomes bored.
 Challenge: Molly has a low motivation for learning because
she does not feel challenged in the classroom.
 How can the teacher make Molly feel included and increase
her learning motivation?

18.  To understand how a student in Molly’s situation feels, I conducted a short
survey comprised of 7 questions to 3 different individuals with different
educational backgrounds and with high averages. The questions are as
follows:
1) After you learned the information and understood it, did you feel bored or restless
having to listen to it being repeated for others?
2)If yes, to answer 1, then what did you do to pass the time?
3)Since you were able to process and access the information at a faster rate than others,
did it make you feel less motivated to attend or to even learn, since no further effort was
required on your part?
4)Would you have liked to have been challenged further as a student?
5)What do you feel could have been done to challenge you more or use your time
wisely?
6)Did helping others (if you had to perform that task) help you to remember the
information better because you were explaining it to someone else?
7) Is there something in your educational background that enabled you to understand
what was being taught to you better? Or process the information faster? Or organize
yourself or tasks more efficiently?

19. 3.5
3
2.5
2
No
1.5 Yes
1
0.5
0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7

20.  The survey covered different educational backgrounds: Computer,
Accounting, and Business Management. The survey proved helpful in
understanding students that find themselves in Molly’s situation. Based on
the responses, educational background can be helpful in a classroom
situation, particularly when others are struggling in an area that is the
expertise of the student. The student becomes engaged with their peers,
they take on an advisory role and by helping others they retain the
information taught in the lecture.
 The trainer/teacher can group the students with different educational
backgrounds together so that they enhance each others learning, because
while they may excel in one area of the subject or lesson being taught, there
might be other areas in which they need help themselves. In which case the
cultivating the various educational backgrounds would enable the student
to acknowledge a different point of view and perhaps include it in their own
critical thinking.

21.  The trainer/teacher could introduce a problem that stimulates critical
thinking in the students get them to develop their ability to “identify central
issues and assumptions in an argument, recognize important relationships,
make correct inferences from the data, deduce conclusions from
information or data provided, interpret whether conclusions are warranted
based on given data, and evaluate evidence or authority.” (tsui, 2007, page
201)
 The Creating Learning Centred Classrooms journal refers to a similar practice
known as problem based learning, where the trainer/teacher would provide
the information needed to solve the problem, and then create a problem
that would encourage the student(s) to use the knowledge gained in the
classroom (Kenzie, 1998, pg. 47).
 An encouragement in this practice would provide the students like Molly with
the mental tools necessary to address the issues presented in their work/life
scenario

22.  Group work is a great way to address student’s like Molly who procrastinate
when bored in class. It can also be described as collaborative learning and
it supports the idea that “hearing others’ ideas and receiving immediate
feedback on proposed solutions stimulated group members’
understanding” (Kenzie 1998, pg. 46)
 While trading ideas between members, Molly’s mind is being stimulated and
she is retaining the information that she has learned.
 When the trainer/teacher creates the group, it would be important for that
individual to create a task that is impossible to do by oneself. The task should
evoke others to contribute and share different ideas (Grace, 2009, pg. 164).
Sharing ideas and different points of view will encourage learning and critical
thinking.

25. • Create a respectful environment which involves reflective
discussions, with the older trainees acting as mediators, thus
encouraging a positive outcome in this “psychological” level
of Maslow’s hierarchy. For the traditionalist generation
(1922-1945) in particular, respect is their top psychological
need and their expectations of younger generations often
cause friction (Wieck, p. 366).
• Provide optional computer and technology-based tutorials that will assist older
trainees in developing these skills needed for the workplace. It is essential to equip
older learners with computer skills, as few older adults are adept members of the
information society (Field, p. 21).
• Assign older trainees to provide work-related mentoring sessions in order to foster
acceptance. In light of Knowles’ theory, connecting past experiences to current
material will make the learning experience more meaningful (Russell, p. 350).
• Be sure to include handouts and well-organized written material to supplement
any use of audio-visual material or other contents presented without print.

26. “REFERS TO IDENTITIES SUCH AS RACE,
ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY, RELIGION, GENDER,
AND OTHER DIMENSIONS OF DIFFERENCE
DERIVED FROM MEMBERSHIP IN GROUPS THAT
ARE SOCIO-CULTURALLY DISTINCT” (FOLDY).

27. Tamar is 45 years old and originally from Brazil. She arrived
in Canada 10 years ago but still has a Brazilian accent.
She was educated in a small village school and much
of her knowledge comes from information passed down
through story-telling.
Challenge: Tamar is struggling with feeling accepted in the
larger group and identifies herself as a minority. She
feels that her accent and different knowledge excludes
her from the class and is having a hard time
participating and contributing. At times she feels that
there are members of the group who dominate in order
to show their power and put her down.

28. Zeichner, Kenneth M. “Education Teachers for Cultural Diversity.” NCRTL
Special Report, National Centre for Research on Teaching Learning,
September 1992.

29.  Cultural identity groups tend to be associated with
power differentials: some groups have higher status and
greater access to resources than other groups (Foldy).
 Eg. (Broad generalization) In Western countries, men
tend to have more power than women, Caucasian
people generally have more resources than people of
colour, and so on (Foldy).
Question: Why/how does cultural diversity
affect group dynamic and learning?

30. 1) Individuals are generally more comfortable when they are
surrounded by people they perceive as more like them. We look
for familiarity and similarity; we are reassured when others think,
talk and act like we do.
2) Group members come with different life experience that have
shaped their values, approaches and perspectives. Members of
culturally diverse groups may be more likely than those of
homogenous groups to differ in how they define a problem,
structure a discussion, view potential solutions, or come to a
decision.
3) Group Membership is associated with different representation
within the group. Members of the group in the minority are more
aware of their identity and of being different from the norm and
therefore may feel less comfortable or less welcome.
4) Diverse groups may also have different dynamics because of the
power differences associated with cultural differences. In
culturally diverse groups, members of dominant identity groups
are often more powerful members of such groups and therefore
may consciously or unconsciously act in ways that reinforce their
dominance (Foldy).

31.  Authors Ely and Thomas propose the concept of “Diversity
Perspectives,” arguing that diverse groups who hold the
perspective that cultural identity is a resource for learning and
growth are more likely to learn from difference, resulting in higher
performance.
 The authors propose the concept as the key moderator of the
relationship between diversity and performance. Diversity
perspective is the way that group members think about the
cultural differences among them.
“The integration and learning perspective argues
that heterogeneous groups function better when
they believe that cultural identities can be
tapped as sources of new ideas and experiences
about work” (Foldy).

32. • The authors identify three diversity perspectives:
o The Discrimination and Fairness perspective: Concerned
with the recruitment and retention of people from
protected groups. This perspective presumes that cultural
dimensions of diversity do not have important
consequences for group dynamics and nothing is to be
gained by acknowledging and engaging differences.
o The Access and Legitimacy perspective: Celebrates
cultural differences in a simplistic and narrow way.
o The Integration and Learning perspective: Seeks to build
deeply and comprehensively on the varied skills and
experiences and ways of thinking of a diverse group. It
suggests the incorporation of perspectives into the main
curriculum. Differences can be a source of growth,
learning and insight, but only if they are acknowledged
and constructively explored.

33. • The integration and learning perspective best activates
learning in a culturally diverse group because the
discrimination and access and legitimacy perspectives
ignore the ongoing differences in experiences among
cultural groups, glossing over the very different histories
of cultural groups, diminishing different types of
knowledges and lived experiences.
“Failure to acknowledge cultural
differences also makes it impossible to
consider how cultural backgrounds
influence our ideas and our
contributions (Foldy).”

34.  The Integration and Learning
Perspective must be coupled
with learning frames, therefore
activating learning.
 Employing High Learning
Behaviours or Model II Learning
frames enable learning in
culturally diverse groups.
 Chris Agryis et al say Model II
Behaviours enhances learning,
includes suggesting ways to test
one’s advocacies and
attributions and encourages
inquiring into why others view
things the way they do.
 In order to address Tamar’s
challenges in the classroom and
to encourage learning in
culturally diverse groups,
discourse must be promoted
and differences must be
acknowledged in a productive
and constructive manner. See
Table 3. Foldy, Erica Gabrielle. “Learning from Diversity: A
Theoretical Exploration.” Public Administration Review,
Volume 64, Issue 5, August 27th 2004.

35. Argyris, Chris, Robert Putnam, and Diana McLain Smith. 1985. Action
Science. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Ely, Robin., and David A. Thomas. 2001. Cultural Diversity at Work: The
Effects of Diversity Perspectives on Work Group Processes and
Outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly 46(2): 22-73.
Zeichner, Kenneth M. “Education Teachers for Cultural Diversity.”
NCRTL Special Report, National Centre for Research on Teaching
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Foldy, Erica Gabrielle. “Learning from Diversity: A Theoretical
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