Facilitating interaction between diverse student groups

What is it?

When students learn from and with peers who are different from them, they gain valuable skills in communicating, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Interaction and engagement with diverse ways of thinking and knowing can expand students’ understanding of important disciplinary concepts and better prepare them for employment in diverse settings.

This strategy involves more than casual interactions around campus; it comprises purposeful interaction as part of the learning and teaching activities of a subject. It might often involve group tasks and assignments that use diversity as a resource for learning and those that require different perspectives and skills, such as problem-solving tasks and peer learning.

Literature suggests that reducing competition between students and providing an element of choice can improve the likelihood that students will engage with and benefit from their interactions.

How do I do it?

Here are some suggested principles for facilitating interaction that will lead to genuine engagement and learning from one another:

1. Design tasks in which different perspectives and experiences are needed to do the task well.
2. Structure tasks so that each student has a defined role.
3. Provide ample opportunity for students to get to know each other before they begin working on their task.
4. Set tasks that have a shared aim rather than a shared product (i.e., a “team task” rather than a “group task”).
5. Reduce competition and risk and enhance opportunities for collaboration and creativity.
6. Invite and validate participation from a range of students (e.g., during class discussion).

For more suggestions, see the resources page on facilitating interaction.