Diversity, Effort and Responsibility

• In Event: 487 - Section on Teaching and Learning Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Teaching and Diversity

Abstract

Scholars have tended to see diversity as a research outcome, but have done much less to examine the influence of diverse classrooms. This research involves the use of a mixed method Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) project in several general education sociology courses. Students conduct interviews, transcribe, and analyze the data in a mixed method report. To evaluate the effectiveness of this innovative assignment, this paper reviews literature on active learning, effort and diversity, and then provides quantitative and qualitative evaluation data showing the success of the CATI project. OLS regression (N=184) shows that students learn more if they expend more effort and take more responsibility for their own learning. Students also learn more if they recognize the diversity among fellow students. Recognizing a diverse learning environment appears to positively shape learning outcomes, irrespective of student demographics or effort. Qualitative analysis uncovered several recurring themes including overcoming struggles with learning new material, and unexpected outcomes such as increasing social skills.

Author

• Timothy J. Kubal, California State University-Fresno