T&L Senior Honors Seminar

Research Report 2021

Differentiated
Instruction
in Remote Settings
 Welcome
to the 2021
Senior Honors Seminar
Virtual Research
Presentation

Susan Neuman
Teaching & Learning Senior Honors Seminar (2021)
What we know about differentiated instruction

What does the literature say about it?

● Student-centered teaching approach
● Teachers adjust instruction & curriculum to maximize the learning of all students
Why do teachers need to do it?
● Provides students with the best chance to excel
● Assignments geared towards students’ strengths/needs
How does it help children learn?
● Access to information in a way that meets individual needs/learning styles.
How does it support different learners?
● Multimodal approach
● Teachers provide students with multiple ways to demonstrate learning (ie. visual and auditory)
The Importance of
Differentiated Why is differentiated instruction important?
● Teach to student strengths & embrace diversity
Instruction ● Increased engagement; students take ownership over their learning
● Ensure equal access & address individual needs

What we don’t know about differentiated instruction:

● Differentiated instruction during COVID-19
● Effects of remote learning on students & educators

Why it is important that we answer these questions:

● Identify if/where more attention should be given to differentiation in
remote settings
● Benefits of emphasizing differentiated instruction
○ Structuring curricula to support all students
○ Expand range of acceptable learning styles for students
○ Motivate students to reach deeper levels of learning
 What are the
key research questions
How does differentiated instruction we sought to
1 work during the COVID Era? answer?

How does remote instruction affect the

2 teachers’ ability to teach & teach well?

How are students responding to

3 remote teaching?
Research Methods

Observation Ethnographic Walking Interview

Interview
neutral observation informal interview:
of teacher & student sit-down interview: questions regarding daily
behavior in the experience in remote schedule & the
natural classroom teaching & how the implementation of
environment classroom has been differentiated instruction
affected by COVID-19
 Methods of Analysis

● Constant-comparison analysis
○ Identify themes (patterns)
- How do patterns (or lack thereof) shed light on our broader
study question(s)?
- Inductive & deductive
○ Discrepant events
- Deviations from these patterns

● Triangulation (validity & reliability of themes)

● Some member-checking (for validity of themes)
 Results
I. Overall Lack of Student Data analysis of findings & themes
● Opportunities for assessment
● Low student engagement
II. Methods of Curriculum Planning Altered
III. Differentiation is “Opt-In”
IV. Greater Need for Built-In SEL
Opportunities
● Teacher & student burnout
● Routine & stability
V. Lack of Standardization With Ed. Tech.
Implementation
● Varying Learning Opportunities
Effects of remote instruction on teachers:
Implications
● Greater access to resources
● Higher levels of burnout

Effects of remote learning on students:

● Regression in academic knowledge
● Skills for the traditional classroom
● Lack of individualized teaching

Where do we see the future of education going?

● Greater technological connectivity
● Stronger emphasis on social-emotional
well-being of students

Do we envision a new future for education?

● Greater awareness of students whose needs
aren’t being met properly
Thank You