Differentiated Instruction in Post-Secondary Training



Introduction1

Discussion1

Understanding Differentiated Instruction1

Components or Features of Differentiated Instruction4

Content5

Process6

Products6

Learning Environment7

Understanding Post Secondary Education and Training8

Different Theorists and Differentiated Instruction8

Vygotsky's Theory of Learning9

Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences10

Maslow and Differentiated Instruction12

Piaget and Differentiated Instruction13

Conclusion15

References17

Differentiated Instruction in Post-Secondary Training

Introduction

The literature review in this paper highlights, the meaning, the reach and the contribution by different theorists to the field of differentiated learning and education. The review begins by detailing the different viewpoints that describe differentiated learning and post secondary education and training. The studies included in this review are peer-reviewed journals and articles that strongly resonate with the mentioned topic.

To discuss about the background of this study, it is important to mention that the number of students with special educational needs are increasing with each year. Thus, it is with help of differentiated instruction and education institutes support, especially in the public sector, that the transition of students from high school to adult or post secondary educational institutes is a smooth one. The essence behind such smooth transition, is the principle of inclusion of all students and devising curriculum that identifies and imparts knowledge according to the special needs of the students. Furthermore, this paper discusses some of the educational theorists such as Maslow, Piaget, Vygotsky and Gardner and their contribution towards differential instruction and education.

Discussion

Understanding Differentiated Instruction

This section will extensively describe the meaning and different components of differentiated instructions. To begin with, Hall et al (2003) defines differentiated instruction for academicians, for example teachers, as the ability to identify students' differing backgrounds, language, interests, learning preferences, and knowledge levels in order to teach them accordingly. In simpler terms, differentiated instruction is a process of learning and teaching for students of different learning abilities in the same classroom. The aim of differentiating instruction is to promote and enhance each student's academic growth and success by assisting them in the learning process. Similarly, Tomlinson (2000) defines differentiated instruction at its most basic level as the efforts of teachers to be able to respond to the learning variance amongst their students. Thus, whenever a teacher modifies their teaching practices in order to reach a certain student or groups of students to better understand the lesson according to their abilities, so that a best learning experience is created, is said to be differentiating instructions.

Conversely, Lawrence-Brown (2004) describes differentiated instructional learning as a means of supporting classrooms as a community where same age peers belong and nourished as individual learners. Hence, it could be stated that differentiated classrooms are those that are highly responsive to the needs, interests and the learning levels of the students. Therefore, differentiated instructions help schools and teachers to build a successful and an inclusive learning environment where students who find school to be easy and those who despise it, based on bad or unproductive learning environment, are able to derive benefit from the easy availability of methods that makes their learning challenging yet interesting, thus, contributing to their success. While, also noting an important dimension of differentiated instruction is ...