Module 1: Creating a Community of Learners

Learning About Your Students:

Discovering Student Differences

 

Community college students have a wide-ranging mix of personalities, backgrounds, interests, and abilities. Discovering their differences can be a joy; addressing them can be a challenge. As an instructor, your job is to ensure that all students are engaged in learning, regardless of their backgrounds. The first step in helping students learn is to get a clear picture of who they are, both as a group and as individuals.

Quiz: Test Your Student Savvy

How prepared are you for the diversity of students you will see in your class? Take this quiz to find out whether your expectations are on target.

These statistics are national averages. Your own community college might be quite different. Talk to other faculty or consult the college registrar or student advising center to find out more about your own campus.

  1. In a typical class of 20 community college students, how many are likely to be less than 25 years old?

            

    Check Answer

  2. Out of a class of 20 community college students, how many might represent the first generation in their families to attend college?

            

    Check Answer

  3. Out of a class of 20 students, how many are likely to work while attending community college?

            

    Check Answer

  4. How many students out of a class of 20 community college students are likely to be non-white?

            

    Check Answer

  5. Out of a class of 20 community college students, how many students are likely to speak English as a second language?

            

    Check Answer

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2001, and Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2001; American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), National Profile of Community Colleges: Trends & Statistics, 3rd ed.; NCES, The Condition of Education 2003.