Universal Design for Learning as defined by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD):

“Differentiated instruction begins with identifying the learning styles and preferences of the students. Formative assessments are used to determine prior knowledge retention. Teachers use the students’ learning styles, learning preferences and the formative assessment feedback to select instructional strategies and learning activities best suited to engage students and encourage learning. Some students may need additional supports to be successful, and some students may need additional enrichment to move beyond the learning standards.” (Source: http://www.ascd.org)

Differentiated learning is needed because each learner is unique. Each learner has different life experiences, grows up in different environments and has unique genetic material. The challenge is to reach and engage learners who come to the classroom with a wide range of abilities and academic skills, varying levels of motivation, and learning preferences. To assume that 30 learners in a grade 4 class will all be able to grasp concepts equally easily and perform tasks at the same speed, is to ignore the intrinsic uniqueness of each individual. Up to now it has been very difficult to apply differentiated learning in a typical classroom. However, with the e-technologies that are available to us nowadays, it becomes much easier to provide learners with learning experiences tailor-made for each individual.

A teacher can differentiate by modifying:

• how they teach (process);
• what they teach (content);
• the product (evidence of learning); and
• the learning environment.

What is differentiated learning, and what is it not?

(Source: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/Differentiation_Is-IsNot_infographic.pdf)

A wide variety of software is available that can help the teacher in reaching this goal of differentiated learning.

Differentiated content is enabled by companies like Blendspace, eSpark, Zaption, Zeal and Educreations whereby the path a child takes to achieve their learning goals can be optimised.

Nearpod and Hapara are learning environment tools. With Nearpod a teacher can toggle between whole class, small group and individual instruction in 1:1 learning environments. Hapara helps a teacher to manage student work in the Google Apps for Edu environment. Both of them are higly customizable for differentiated learning (Carolan, 2014).

For more information on Nearpod, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3GVkM_GVa4 and on Hapar, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7SDzGDGugY .

Hyperdocs

HyperDocs is one of the ideas that excites me the most in terms of differential learning. It is a digital method utilizing Google Docs to deliver instruction. Students can work independently at their own pace. It involves a well-crafted digital lesson and can differentiate learning in the classroom. It typically involves the hyperlinking of material, resources, tasks, and information students can access from a single document. (Farnsworth, 2017.)

(Source: https://www.hollyclark.org/2018/08/14/a-hyperdoc-is-not-a-webquest-its-so-much-more/)

HyperDocs can impact student learning through differentiation in Process, Content, and Product:

Process

Process involves how students take in and make sense of content, e.g. whether the student prefers visual, aural, verbal, or kinaesthetic learning; or perhaps social learning or learning in solitaire. A teacher can for example provide students with a hyperlinked video, an infographic, written examples, an interactive graphic organizer, or a live demonstration from an author. The student can then choose the mode most suitable to his learning preference.

Content

Differentiating content can be based on student interests, preferences, or readiness.

Product

Product is how students show what they know, understand, and can do. Products that students may create in a differentiated classroom could include a blog post, a vlog, social media interaction, images, flowcharts, etc.

(Farnsworth, 2017.)

(Source: https://metawriting.deannamascle.com/notable-notes-hyperdocs/)

In today’s world with multiple technologies available for differentiated learning, a teacher has no excuse for not implementing at least some form of differentiated learning to the classroom.

Resources

Carolan, J. 2014. How Software Can Make a Differentiated Difference. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2014-09-16-opinion-how-software-can-make-a-differentiated-difference

Farnsworth, S. 2017. 3 Ways to Differentiate Learning in the Classroom with HyperDocs. Retrieved from https://edtechteacher.org/3-ways-to-differentiate-in-the-classroom-with-hyper-docs/