Self-learning Course: Focusing on Diversity
The open access self-learning course “Focusing on Diversity: Pedagogical Diagnostics for Inclusive Education” developed at the University of Jena introduces future teachers to the challenges and opportunities of diversity in school classrooms. It focuses on how teachers can recognize, analyze and respond to the different learning needs, abilities and backgrounds of students in inclusive educational settings. The course is designed to accompany pre-service teachers during their first practical teaching experiences and aims to connect theoretical knowledge from university studies with real classroom experiences.
The course consists of nine self-paced modules embedded in a narrative framework that follows the experiences of a fictional first year teacher, Ms Karl. Through her classroom experiences and questions, participants explore practical teaching challenges related to heterogeneity. Interactive elements such as self-tests, reflective tasks and case studies support the application of theoretical concepts.
The first eight modules introduce key concepts related to diversity and inclusive education, including different dimensions of heterogeneity, changing perspectives on disability, special educational support, inclusive school development and collaboration between teachers and other professionals. They also address key aspects of effective inclusive teaching. The final module focuses on pedagogical diagnostics, presenting the diagnostic cycle as a structured method for analyzing learning situations and planning appropriate support.
The course can help pre-service teachers strengthen their diagnostic skills, their reflective thinking and their ability to make informed pedagogical decisions, enabling them to respond effectively to diverse learning needs in inclusive classrooms. The course itself also models strategies for inclusive teaching as it employs a differentiation matrix that allows for individual learning paths.Formularbeginn
Access to the course requires a one-time registration (link below) for Virtual Campus Thüringen – the e-learning platform used by universities in the German state of Thüringen.
The course and all its contents are only available in German.
ED-TED contact: Yannick Zobel, yannick.zobel(at)ph-freiburg.de
Resource contact: Dorit Weber-Liel, dorit.weber-liel(at)uni-jena.de
Registration for Virtual Campus Thüringen (VCT): Link
Access to the course: Link