Hack Your Classroom: Week 6 - Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners

This is a topic that has long been close to my heart. It really began with a two day conference with Carol Ann-Tomlinson, the woman I consider to be the guru of differentiation. It was her analogy of likening teaching through one mode or strategy as being akin to playing Ten Pin Bowling with just one ball - some days you were lucky a pulled off a strike, but more often you than not,  you only knocked down one or two or more likely achieved a gutter ball. It was this analogy that caused a light bulb moment where I realised by having a singular approach I was quite possibly robbing many of my students of the opportunity of being engaged and learning the best they could.

Tomlinson's approach to differentiation has three layers. She argues that we should be differentiating for student readiness (not the same as ability), student interest and/or student learning style. Learning can then be differentiated by Content (or context), process, product or learning environment.


There is a nice overview of the topic here: Differentiation of Instruction

For me personally, the easiest way to introduce differentiation is through student choice. The PPT below is one that I developed with David (Head of Science Faculty at EGGS) which we used as an introduction for differentiation through choice.

Differentiation Introduction from Claire Amos

Differentiation and Blended Learning

There is also the fact that pedagogically speaking e-learning or blended learning is actually a no-brainer. We have a responsibility to ensure they way in which we facilitate learning and gather evidence of said learning is inclusive. All students have a right to learn and enjoy success, therefore we must be meeting the needs of a diverse group - not just the select few that learn the way you do or did in your day. Consider differentiation as defined by Carol Ann Tomlinson which seeks to provide a range of learning opportunities differentiated for student readiness' learning style and interest. This is possible in a paper based classroom, but choices will still be limited and controlled by the teacher and the resources made physically available to the learner. You might provide a small range of different activities and maybe texts that a either written or more graphic based. Consider this now in a blended learning environment where if a student can access the Internet they can access unlimited resources - written, visual and oral. A teacher may well need to support a student in locating appropriate material or may even curate a collection for them. The speed and ease in which differentiated learning can be facilitated in a blended environment is incredibly enabling. 

Universal Design for Learning

For me, Universal Design for learning is simply an extension of differentiation. It is about providing choice arounds methods and modes for learning to ensure all learning is inclusive. Universal Design for Learning is based on the idea that to be inclusive teaching and learning needs to provide multiple means of representation (i.e. visual, written oral representation of information), multiple means of expression (i.e. through spoken, written visual presentation of understanding) and multiple means of engagement (i.e. variety of time, place, online offline, pace etc). For the most part this can be achieved by giving students much greater choice and variety in the ways that they receive information and evidence their learning or understanding. 

Universal Design for Learning and Blended Learning

Similarly if you consider the diagram below with a blended learning lens it is again a no-brainer. As stated on the Cast website 

" Universal Design for Learning was initially is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone--not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs." 

Who wouldn't want this for their learners? Providing multiple means of representation (of information), means of expression (evidencing learning) and means of engagement is nigh on impossible in a purely paper-based  classroom, and again it limits it to a single teacher perception of what they think they know about the students ability, learning style, interests or even their mood or tiredness on any given day.

http://www.cast.org/library/UDLguidelines/version1.html

So I guess the #hackyrclass challenge is simple - how are you meeting the diverse needs of your learners? How are you giving them choice and ownership of using the means and modes that best meet their needs and interests?