Designing Teaching and Assessment Methods for Diverse Student Populations

The American student population is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of race and culture. To address this pluralism, a study of learning style preferences was developed for purposes of designing more relevant teaching and assessment methods. Different theories of learning styles were incorporated into a survey that was administered to 483 students at four major universities. This survey compared learning style preferences according to ethnic and socioeconomic categories. Although it initially focused on students in Art and Design, it was eventually expanded to other disciplines for more inclusive reliability. The statistical analyses of this study are presented with corresponding recommendations for more effective teaching and assessment practices.