DIVERSITY OF LEARNING NEEDS DIVERSITY The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. LEARNING NEEDS Gaps in knowledge that exist between a desired level of performance and the actual level of performance (Healthcare Education Assoc. 1985) Gap between what someone knows and what someone needs to know due to lack of knowledge, skills and attitude. STEPS IN ASSESSING LEARNING NEEDS Identify the learner Choose the right setting Collect data on the learner Include the learner as a source of information Involve members of the healthcare team Prioritize needs Determine availability of educational resources Assess demands on the organization Take time management issues into account I. PERSONAL PROFILE OF STUDENTS CHARACTERISTICS OF GENERATION XERS Born between the year 1961-1981 Can multitask well Flexible Independent Intolerant of busy work Pessimistic Prefer to work alone Self-reliant Used to change Want to get the job done CHARACTERISTICS OF GENERATION Y OR MILLENIALS Born between 1981-2003 Easily accepts authority Balances work and personal life Direct

 Optimistic Rule follower Self-confident Socially aware and involved Team player Vocal MEN IN NURSING LEARNING HINDRANCES OF MALE STUDENTS Pressure of balancing family, work and school

Perception of nursing

Clients refusing to be cared by male nurses or male nursing student STRATEGIES TO RESPOND POSITIVELY Develop peer support system Linked male students with academic leadership to share experiences and concern Collect data regarding the refusal and develop guidelines to address such issues Select texts and case studies that reflect both males and females in nursing profession II. SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECT BARRIERS Cultural needs Personal needs INTERVENTIONS Academic needs Role models Language needs Support services THE DISADVANTAGE STUDENTS Students who have survived against many odds and achieved admission into the nursing program They may offer unique challenges to the learning environment

They may embody positive attributes necessary for success in the nursing profession III. LEARNING STYLE Refers to the unique way in which a person perceives, interacts with and respond to a learning situation INSTRUMENTS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS LEARNING STYLE A. KNOWLES(1970)-stated that people learn best when treated as adults and that the ultimate purpose of all education is to help individuals develop the attitude that learning is a life long process. He viewed learning as an internal process, with the locus of control residing in the learner and facilitated by outside helpers, such as teachers. B. HODGES et al (2005) explain the three education components necessary for adult learners: REFLECTION is used to encourage students to analyze their experiences and to learn from what they observed, felt and perceived during the clinical time.

 CONNECTIONS between nurse and patient, family and patient, and physician and nurse are imperative as students learn to develop effective approaches to patient care. RESILIENCE is the development of strategies that acknowledge and respond to perceived stress and chaos that students experience in nursing schools and in clinical setting. C. KOLB LEARNING STYLE INVENTORY He believed that learning required different abilities that include concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. In his model, two pairs of polar opposite compromise the four stages: Concrete experience (feeling) vs abstract conceptualization (thinking) and; Active experimentation (doing) vs reflective observation (watching) A person emphasizes one of each of the two pairs of stages and his combination indicates the person preferred learning style THE FOUR LEARNING STYLES ARE THE FOLLOWING: ACCOMODATIVE style prefers to learn through a combination of concrete experiences and active experimentation (feeling and doing) ASSIMILATIVE style prefers to learn through a combination of abstract conceptualization and reflective observation (thinking and watching) DIVERGENT style prefers to learn through a combination of concrete experiences and reflective observation (feeling and watching) CONVERGENT style prefers to learn through a combination of abstract conceptualization and active experimentation (thinking and doing) HEREDITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PRIOR LEARNING Intellectual development and ability to learn of an individual is half due to its genetic make-up (nature) and the environment (nurture) he/she is in. Prior learning experiences can affect the way they learn new material IV. COGNITIVE AND CRITICAL THINGKING ABILITIES COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT has been defined as the way in which individuals reason, view knowledge, manage diversity of opinion and conflicting points of view, and relate to authorities and experts (McGovern and Galiga,1997) CRITICAL THINKING is not a single way of thinking, it is a composite of knowledge, skills and attitudes (Watson and Glaser, 1964) V. SUMMARY Faculty is responsible for assessing the diversity of learning needs of every student and for creating an environment conducive for learning, likewise, students are responsible for identifying an environment that best help them to learn. Learning is a collaborative process between the learner and the teacher. I. WATSON-GLASER CRITICAL THINKING APPRAISAL 5 SUBJECTS WITH 16 ITEMS EACH

Deduction

Inference Recognition of assumption Interpretation Evaluation of arguments Maximum score is 80