Differentiation in the classroom

Why?

Planning and delivering sessions with differentiated outcomes and activities is particularly crucial for enabling learner's with literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs, to achieve. The use of differentiated learning is key to making learning accessible to all learners (inclusive learning) and fostering the development of language, number and ICT skills.

Differentiation does not just mean adapting work for learners with support needs, it also means ensuring work will stretch and challenge learners and will therefore enable ease of progression onto further levels of study.

Differentiation comes into play in other subject areas such as Art and Media, where learners aptitude or experience may require extension or support activities.

What?

Differentiated learning needs to take into account that learners may differ in terms of their motivation, prior experience and knowledge, learning support needs, cultural expectations, literacy, language, numeracy and ICT level and learning preferences. These can be established (along with literacy, language, numeracy, ICT needs) through initial assessment, talking to learners, observing them completing activities or using simple self-assessment tests.

For example, it might not be appropriate to give learners with literacy needs a dense text-based handout whereas other learners will struggle with verbal instructions and will need additional written or illustrated instructions.

How?

As adult learners are very diverse, using an extensive variety of teaching styles will motivate learners and meet the wide range of learner needs, contributing to an inclusive learning environment.

Tasks can be differentiated by

• learning outcomes
• task/activity
• teaching/learning method
• teaching and learning resources
• learner groupings
• assessment
• learning support

Teaching and learning activities may include

• use of learning resources at more than one level of difficulty
• mixed ability group work where more advanced learners can provide peer support to fellow learners
• group work at different levels where activities are simplified, in terms of language or content, for some groups and extended for others
• group work to facilitate use of learners’ other languages in discussion/problem-solving tasks
• group tasks where some learners are more supported, for example, some learners could write a report independently while others complete a prepared format
• extension activities for strong learners
• discovery learning and personal research where learners can learn at their own pace
• additional learning support for individuals or small groups
• use of personal tutorials
• access to self study ICT materials and learning centres