Recognizing and Responding to Diverse Learning Needs: Slow and Advanced Learners in the Classroom
Date: 21st August 2025
Time: 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Place: College Auditorium
The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of Carmel College for Women, Goa, organized a session on “Recognizing and Responding to Diverse Learning Needs: Slow and Advanced Learners in the Classroom”. The progra
mme was aimed at equipping teachers with insights and strategies to better identify and address the varied learning needs of students.
The session began with a prayerful hymn, after which our Principal, Dr. Aldina Braganza, delivered the keynote concept note, highlighting the importance of inclusivity in education and the responsibility of teachers to gui
de learners at different levels of ability. Following this, Ms. Sneha Naik, Coordinator of Criterion II and Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, introduced the guest speaker for the day.
The resource person, Ms. Pratiksha Shirodkar, Assistant Professor at the Nirmala Institute of Education and Health, Goa, was then welcomed with a potted plant as a token of appreciation.
In her talk, Ms. Pratiksha Shirodkar emphasized the importance of identifying learners who require additional support as well as those who need advanced challenges to keep them engaged. She spoke about practical ways of recognizing slow learners, such as their difficulties in grasping concepts, lack of confidence, and need for repeated reinforcement.
Equally, she highlighted the need to nurture advanced learners by providing them with enrichment activities, opportunities for independent exploration, peer-teaching roles, and tasks that stimulate higher-order thinking. She stressed that catering to both groups ensures that no student is left behind, while also ensuring that advanced learners remain motivated and challenged. She emphasized that early identification is crucial for providing students with the right support.
A total of 70 faculty members benefitted from this session, gaining a deeper understanding of how to recognize and respond to diverse learner needs.
The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by Ms. Sibyl Fernandes, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, who expressed gratitude to the speaker, Principal, IQAC, staff, and support staff for making the programme a success.
The session proved to be a meaningful and reflective exercise, encouraging faculty members to adopt more inclusive and effective approaches in teaching, thereby fostering a learning environment where every student can thrive.