Abstract
This chapter aims to give insight into the collaborative project “CoTeach – Connected Teacher Education” at the University of Wuerzburg. After describing different facets of diversity and the importance of differentiated English teaching, this chapter discusses how to deal with heterogeneous learning groups in the English classroom. For this purpose, the principles of differentiated English teaching are explained, and the concepts of individualisation and inclusive teaching are presented. The focus will be on possibilities of how teachers can deal with mixed-intelligence, mixed-ability classes, and how the relationship between motivation and individual differentiation among learner groups can be promoted in the foreign language classroom. In a second step, the results of two seminars will be presented, where TEFL students designed activities in SVR that focus on cultural diversity, specifically fostering empathy and the ability to adopt a different perspective for understanding, tolerance, and embrace of diversity.
TopIntroduction
Teachers today encounter a more and more heterogeneous student population in terms of their cultural, social, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, diversity is a reality in everyday school life which represents both an enrichment and, at times, a challenge for school teaching. In terms of education policy, it is now seen as an essential task of teachers in all schools to recognise diversity not only as normality but also as a strength, and at the political level, a constructive and professional approach to diversity is required. Social Virtual Reality (SVR) has the potential to engage learners in activities focused on experiencing and reflecting on diversity. In a SVR environment, learners embodied in avatars interact with other avatars; they talk to each other, move in the virtual space, and use virtual objects as facilitator tools for communication and interaction.
This paper aims to give an insight into the collaborative project “CoTeach – Connected Teacher Education” at the University of Wuerzburg. After describing different facets of diversity and the importance of differentiated English teaching, this article discusses how to deal with heterogeneous learning groups in the English classroom. In a second step, it will be shown how through the use of social VR, the topic of diversity can be highlighted as a cornerstone of linguistic literacy through instructional stimuli in a learner-centered way. Therefore, this paper discusses benefits of social VR for cultural diversity education in the EFL classroom and shows two examples where TEFL students designed activities in social VR that focus on cultural diversity, specifically fostering empathy and the ability to adopt a different perspective for understanding, tolerance, and embracing diversity.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Social Virtual Reality: Is an immersive environment accessed by VR goggles, enabling a 360° perspective as well as voice and audio transmission. Users are embodied in avatars and interact with other avatars.
Individualization: Focuses on the individuality of each student and is the maximum form of differentiation, in which the demands of teaching are tailored specifically to each individual learner.
Diversity: Refers to students coming from different ethnic and cultural contexts, different family constellations, social strata, and milieus, as well as different linguistic backgrounds and abilities.
Interaction Suitcase: Is a term for a collection of virtual objects as part of the equipment of virtual surroundings. Users can compile a selection of objects to use in virtual reality for teaching activities to develop intercultural and transcultural competences. For example, the objects can initiate or facilitate conversations among different avatars.
Avatars: Are virtual embodiments of any shape or form. In many applications, users can decide on their virtual appearance in a user interface. By means of head and motion tracking, users can control their avatar's movements in virtual reality.
Inter- and Transcultural Learning: Intercultural learning involves understanding one’s own and other cultures, the exchange of knowledge, values, and perspectives between individuals from different cultures, fostering mutual understanding and respect. In its extension, transculturality acknowledges cultural hybridity, complexity, and variation, describing an identity not tied to a single culture but formed through a mix of diverse cultures. Both concepts highlight the importance of dealing with cultural diversity and understanding the need for effective communication.
Differentiation: Means changing pace, level, or kind of instruction a teacher provides in response to individual learners' needs, styles, or interests. It involves tailoring instructional methods, content, and assessment to meet the diverse needs and learning styles of individual students in one classroom.
Pedagogical Diagnostics: Refers to the systematic assessment and analysis of students' learning abilities, preferences, and challenges in order to inform instructional strategies and adapt teaching methods. It aims to enhance the effectiveness of teaching by tailoring approaches to meet the specific needs of individual learners.