Harnessing diversity based on different rationales: exploring lecturers’ instructional design choices in progress

Abstract

In higher education institutions, students and staff with increasingly diverse walks of life learn and work together. In response, universities frame diversity as a strategic asset, positioning difference as a strength in the light of different, conflicting, priorities. This study systematically explores why and how lecturers in a superdiverse context aim to unlock these alleged strengths in the context of specific courses. Taking a longitudinal approach, the study sheds light on lecturers’ rationales for harnessing diversity across classrooms and how these rationales inform instructional design choices. Building on this exploration, we offer a model for holistic, agile instructional design that supports lecturers in exploring and making intentional design choices to harness diversity across the classroom in dialogue with their team and students. Our findings underline the need to bridge and synthesize multiple rationales to design purposeful learning experiences that resonate with all stakeholders involved.