What guides Differentiation?

According to Learning for All “gaps in achievement can be measured in terms of various factors, such as gender, ethnocultural background, socio-economic status, special education needs, language proficiency, or number of credits accumulated by the end of a particular grade.” [1] How can educators differentiate instruction to close student gaps, maximize learning, capitalize on strengths and compensate for weaknesses?

Teachers can differentiate content, process and product, according to the student’s readiness, interests and learning profile, to increase growth, motivation, and efficiency:

Readiness

Readiness does not refer to the student’s ability to learn, nor their IQ. Readiness is instead gauged in relation to learning goals. Readiness is also not fixed; student readiness can change over time and by task [2]. According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, “It is fairer and more accurate to look at readiness for a particular endeavour instead of using one skill to make a judgment about general ability” [3].

Students come to your classroom with different levels of: 

  • Background knowledge
  • Understanding
  • Experience

Accordingly, learning experiences should have different levels of:

  • Difficulty
  • Complexity
  • Scaffolding

In order for students to learn and grow, tasks should provide a “moderate challenge”. By making each task just a little too hard for each student, students will remain engaged and optimize their learning. [4]

Interests

A student’s interests contribute greatly to their motivation to learn. Appealing to student interests “contributes to a sense of competence and self-determination in learners and to positive learning behaviours, such as willingness to accept challenge and persist in it” [3]. Engaging student interest also leads to better attitudes about learning.

Learning profile

Put simply, a learning profile refers to the ways in which the student prefers to learn. The best way to provide information to this student can vary based on many factors, including learning preferences, IQ, gender, culture, and race. There is no single approach to learning that will suit all your student’s strengths and needs. Educators should present information in multiple modes (ie. visual, auditory, hands-on learning, etc.) and then allow students options for learning and presenting their knowledge that suit their learning profile. 

[1] (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013, p.11)

[2] (Tomlinson, 2012)

[3] (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 53)

[4] (Tomlinson, 2003)