Differentiated Instruction — A Perspective

Differentiation is about acknowledging the individual requirements and strengths of a learner and modifying instruction to achieve learner success and educational excellence. It steers away from the “one-size-fits-all” methodology to engage learners effectively. Central to the notion of differentiation is flexibility, being able to adapt to homogeneity and heterogeneity seamlessly to achieve the desired goals. Differentiation is an end-to-end process from teaching to testing, that reflects an understanding of the unique capabilities of a learner.

A traditional instruction may incorporate the best aspects of education, yet may not understand that every learner is different. An instructor-led instruction may carve varied learning environments for all students, but the aspect of personalization is not incorporated in instructional design.

An example of a traditional learning environment (learners are depicted in the circle)

An example of a traditional learning environment (learners are depicted in the circle)

On the other hand, differentiated instruction is inherently child-led, a paradigm of adapting to changing learner capabilities, modifying education delivery in response to new skill acquisition, and addressing the need for different learning environments and expression/communication styles.

A differentiated learning environment led by child preferences (personalized instruction with solutions for homogeneity and heterogeneity)

References

Differentiated Instruction | Center for Teaching and Learning (stanford.edu)