Strategies for Teaching Students with Heterogeneous Prior Knowledge

Abstract

In this paper we investigate teaching of students with heterogeneous prior knowledge in the context of the international Masters in Wireless Communications program at LTH. To analyse the problem, we conducted a survey and interview study with teachers in the program. Our survey results confirm a wide spread in prior knowledge among students and provide examples of strategies currently used by teachers to deal with this issue. We then explore, in the context of the existing literature, two strategies in particular for teaching students with heterogeneous prior knowledge: groupbased teaching and learning activities that encourage exchange of knowledge among students, and online learning tools to allow students to independently assess and complement their prior knowledge.