Must / should / could
"Differentiation" is the current jargon. It means teaching people differently according to their needs or their capabilities or even their "learning styles".
There is not much research evidence to support "differentiation" in the byzantine elaborations some theorists seem to want to promote for their own self-serving reasons (no references or links here—I can't afford to be sued!) However, we all know from experience that students learn at different rates; some will have grasped the point before you have finished explaining it, and some may get there in the end, but only after much additional effort and support.
- (And, it should be pointed out, students are not consistent about this. I'm not going to label them, because that is the trap into which the learning styles theorists fall, but certainly different people respond differently to different kinds of ideas. [Plonkingly obvious comment, but often forgotten])
From the point of view of a scheme of work, how do you deal with this?
The simplest and most intuitive and for once, most effective, approach is the "must/ should/ could" formula. It needs no further elaboration!
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Use it as a guide in drawing up schemes of work and session plans
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Make sure it is incorporated in assessable tasks done in class, so that even if students can only tackle a few questions, they will have covered the "must learn" content.
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And so that more able students who get through more have a constant supply of useful if not essential material to work on.
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And use it as a check on yourself, if like me you are prone to digression
For a heterodox view of learning styles see: http://www.doceo.co.uk
/heterodoxy/styles.htm
ATHERTON J S (2009) Learning and Teaching; [On-line] UK: Available: Accessed:
(Note that if you are using Internet Explorer, and it is doing its "nanny" thing, the full reference will not display. There will be a bar across the top of the screen advising you of "blocked content". Click on it and select "Allow blocked content" and confirm in the pop-up box. I know it's a pain, but we're stuck with it.)
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