Learning orientations: Diversity in higher education

Abstract

As teachers struggle to meet the needs of a highly diverse student body, technology holds out the promise of a solution. However, first the nature and scope of differences between students has to be identified. This study ( n = 1811) takes a comprehensive approach, selecting differences from each stage in the learning process. These were termed learning orientations. Factor analysis (FA) produced ten learning orientations, which were then subjected to a second order FA. Three learning pathways emerged; cognitive voyaging, industrious pragmatism and multimedia collaboration. About 65% of students are high on industrious pragmatism, 15% high on cognitive voyaging and 9.2% multimedia collaboration. Both learning orientations and learning pathways were used in ANOVAS and t-tests to explore differences in age, gender and ethnicity. Students who were younger and/or of Asian or Polynesian ethnicity were more likely to follow a multimedia collaboration pathway. Older students are more likely to go the cognitive voyaging or industrious pragmatism way.