Diversity

Diversity is a wide-ranging term, encompassing a number of issues and themes. These pages aim to bring together information and resources relating to student diversity and teaching and learning in higher education.

As the student population is increasing it is also becoming increasingly more diverse. Changes can be seen in the numbers of (for example) disabled students, students of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and students who arrive with a variety of qualifications and experiences.

Diversity encompasses a wide range of topics and areas, within these pages the main focus of information is how changing diversity may influence teaching and learning within HE biosciences.

Which aspects of diversity are we looking at? And what influence might they have on learning and teaching?

• Widening Participation - These pages cover some of the issues surrounding widening participation, with a focus on the biosciences, including raising students' aspirations, student success and retention and promoting employability in a widening participation context
• Disability and Accessibility - looks at the implementation of disability legislation in institutions, how this relates to teaching and learning and also focuses on some of the issues specific to the biosciences, for example labwork and fieldwork
• Differentiated learning and the stretching of more able students, is coming to the fore with the provision of opportunities for talented and gifted pupils in schools
• Religious and cultural diversity
• Internationalisation
• Educational background and prior learning
• You may also find our webpages focusing on Induction, Transition and Retention useful.

General diversity resources

The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) has a variety of publications focusing on equality and diversity among the student population within HE. Many of the publications are aimed at Heads of Equality and Diversity Units but give a useful introduction to equality and diversity legislation and how it relates to HE.

Equality and Diversity Audit framework from ECU

Ethnicity, Gender and Degree Attainment Project report, from the ECU and The Higher Education Academy