What is adaptive teaching?
Adaptive teaching tailors learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of students. Unlike differentiation, which often involves creating distinct tasks for different ability groups, adaptive teaching is more fluid and responsive. It focuses on ongoing assessment and adjusting teaching strategies in real time to address students' varying needs (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021). Learn more about adaptive teaching versus differentiation.
How to implement adaptive teaching in your classroom
Implementing adaptive teaching involves several key steps:
- Ongoing assessment. Regularly assess students' understanding through formative assessments. This could include quizzes, exit tickets, or informal questioning.
- Flexible grouping. Use flexible grouping strategies that allow students to work with different peers based on their needs and strengths.
- Scaffolded support. Provide varying levels of support based on individual student needs. This can include providing additional resources, modifying tasks, or offering one-on-one support.
- Responsive teaching: Be prepared to adjust your lesson plans based on student feedback and assessment data (Early Career Framework, 2021).
What are the benefits of adaptive teaching for students?
Adaptive teaching offers several benefits, including:
- Increased engagement: By tailoring lessons to meet students' needs, you can maintain their interest and engagement.
- Improved learning outcomes: Adaptive teaching can help bridge learning gaps and ensure that all students progress.
- Personalised learning: Students receive instruction that is tailored to their individual needs, which can boost their confidence and motivation (Research for EIF Framework, 2021).
What are the challenges of adaptive teaching in the classroom?
While adaptive teaching has many benefits, it also presents several challenges:
- Time-consuming: Constantly assessing and adjusting teaching strategies can be time-consuming.
- Resource-intensive: Adaptive teaching may require a range of resources and materials to meet diverse student needs.
- Professional development: Teachers may need additional training and support to effectively implement adaptive teaching strategies (Schipper et al. 2023).
What strategies support effective adaptive teaching?
Here are some strategies to help you implement adaptive teaching effectively:
- Use technology: Leverage educational technology to personalise learning experiences and track student progress.
- Collaborative learning: Encourage collaborative learning activities that allow students to learn from each other.
- Differentiated instruction: Use differentiated instruction techniques, such as tiered assignments or choice boards, to cater to different learning needs.
- Feedback loops: Establish regular feedback loops where students can provide input on their learning experiences (Early Career Framework, 2021).
Discover more adaptive teaching strategies and examples of how you can implement them in your classroom.
How to assess the effectiveness of your adaptive teaching methods
Assessing the effectiveness of your adaptive teaching methods might involve:
- Student feedback: Collect feedback from students to understand their learning experiences and identify areas for improvement.
- Achievement data: Analyse student achievement data to identify trends and measure progress.
- Reflective practice: Engage in reflective practice by regularly reviewing and adjusting your teaching strategies based on assessment data and student feedback (Research for EIF Framework, 2021).
References
- Early Career Framework. (2021). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/978358/Early-Career_Framework_April_2021.pdf
- Education Endowment Foundation. (2021). Moving from Differentiation to Adaptive Teaching. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/moving-from-differentiation-to-adaptive-teaching
- Research for EIF Framework. (2021). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963625/Research_for_EIF_framework_updated_references_22_Feb_2021.pdf
- Schipper, T.M., Goei, S.L., de Vries, S. (2023). Dealing with the Complexity of Adaptive Teaching through Collaborative Teacher Professional Development. In: Maulana, R., Helms-Lorenz, M., Klassen, R.M. (eds) Effective Teaching Around the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31678-4_32
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