The Impact of Diversity on Learning and Development
Learning and development are purpose driven processes. They both involve a series of actions designed to move an individual towards some goal or aim. The purpose of learning and development may vary depending on who you ask. Whether it’s cultivating desirable behavior; memorizing and applying information; forming identity and connecting with others: gaining and applying knowledge; or creating ideas and things that make individuals and society better, the common thread is that learning and development seek to improve. How does diversity impact those processes, and ultimately, that underlying goal of improvement?
Diversity is a state of being and a practice. When applied to people groups, it means that the group is composed of people with identities representing different demographic groups and encompasses the practice of incorporating all of those people and the different perspectives their varied experiences bring into the essence of that larger group. This practice and the resulting state of diversity can improve learning and development processes when done with fidelity, but may also hinder them when there is no true commitment to honoring those diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives.
Learning and developing from and with people who are demographically different challenges perspectives and beliefs in ways that create opportunities for more critical thinking. Being presented with a more comprehensive view of a subject and corresponding unfamiliar real-life applications can push individuals to more thorough comprehension, analysis, and evaluation of the topic. Solutions, innovations, judgements, and conclusions that are rooted in more complete understanding and consideration propel individuals and society closer the ultimate aim of continued improvement.
However, if there is no real value placed on understanding and considering the different perspectives that arise from a diverse composition of people in the learning and development processes, the group and individuals therein will not reap the full benefit of a diverse learning environment. Those learners who identify in demographic categories that are different than the majority of the larger group may even have their learning and development impeded by such a dynamic.
Therefore, the impact of diversity on learning and development processes is ultimately dictated by the level of commitment of the group to really embracing the backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas of all of the different individuals who comprise it.
