# data[].attributes.headline
Moving from Differentiation to Adaptive Teaching Blog

# data[].attributes.subject
Moving from Differentiation to Adaptive Teaching Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over the past few years, ​differentiation' has become an increasingly unpopular term in teaching. Most likely, it was an unintended consequence of an accountability system that incentivised teachers to ​'prove' they were differentiating by generating multiple worksheets or by organising mini-lessons for different groups.

In a helpful document entitled, ​' Differentiation - Why and How?', NASEN capture some of the problems:

The possible danger behind this is that it may lead to a lowering of expectations, particularly when in-class groupings are permanent e.g. ​the bottom group' receives a different task to everyone else, regardless of the particular needs or aptitudes of the pupils in this area of learning. The provision of ​'unnecessarily elaborate' approaches is not considered to support the learning and progress for the majority of pupils; this means that, for example, the practice of providing three levels of task for every lesson, with different worksheets etc, would not be appropriate. [1]NASEN also remind us that there will still be pupils with SEND who need and benefit from different resources, teaching materials and strategies to access their learning.

Is it time for ​'adaptive teaching' to replace differentiation?

If ​'differentiation' comes with too much baggage, it may be timely to move forward with new terminology and ideas. The term ​'adaptive teaching', especially as set out in the Early Career Framework, resets our expectations about what it means to differentiate, and it offers a more helpful and practical model.

For a start, it is what you think it is: being responsive to information about learning, then adjusting teaching to better match pupil need. In that respect, it's a helpful term that does what it says on the tin. As with anything in education that sounds like common sense, though, we need to explore the nuance if we want to build a shared understanding of exactly what this looks like in the classroom.

The Early Career Framework is certainly a good starting point (I won't reproduce it in full here, but I recommend reading Standard 5). It breaks the term ​'adaptive teaching' into more concrete recommendations for teaching. For example:

Provide opportunity for all pupils to experience success by:

Adapting lessons, whilst maintaining high expectations for all, so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations.

Balancing input of new content so that pupils master important concepts.

Making effective use of teaching assistants.

But even this requires further unpacking. The third bullet point alone is the topic of an entire EEF guidance report: ​'Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants'! And there are other questions we might ask about this section. How exactly do we adapt lessons? What sort of adaptations are we talking about? What is the right balance of new content to mastery of existing concepts?

How are schools and Trusts tackling ​'adaptive teaching'?

School leaders play a vital role in helping staff achieve precision around exactly what particular practices, like ​'adaptive teaching' involve in classrooms and across the school (their ​'active ingredients').

It isn't as simple as saying, ​'Here's what adaptive teaching means: now use it.' Instead, we have to build shared understanding over time. What does it mean in our context? What does it mean in maths or PE lessons? Clearly, adaptive teaching places a great emphasis on formative assessment, so are our assessments well designed to produce information that guides instruction?

In my trust - Education South West - we've tried to commit the time to developing exactly this kind of shared understanding. We've shared the evidence, drafted definitions, sought feedback on them and have taken steps to develop a model to help teachers think about adaptive teaching in more concrete terms.

See our shared resource on adaptive teaching here:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
‘differentiation’ has become an increasingly unpopular term in teaching. most likely

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it was an unintended consequence of an accountability system that incentivised teachers to ‘prove’ they were differentiating by generating multiple worksheets or by organising mini-lessons for different groups.  in a helpful document entitled

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
nasen capture some of the problems: the possible danger behind this is that it may lead to a lowering of expectations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
particularly when in-class groupings are permanent e.g. 'the bottom group' receives a different task to everyone else

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
regardless of the particular needs or aptitudes of the pupils in this area of learning. the provision of 'unnecessarily elaborate' approaches is not considered to support the learning and progress for the majority of pupils; this means that

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
the practice of providing three levels of task for every lesson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
would not be appropriate. [1]   nasen also remind us that there will still be pupils with send who need and benefit from different resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
teaching materials and strategies to access their learning.  is it time for ‘adaptive teaching’ to replace differentiation?  if ‘differentiation’ comes with too much baggage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it may be timely to move forward with new terminology and ideas. the term ‘adaptive teaching’

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
especially as set out in the early career framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
resets our expectations about what it means to differentiate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
and it offers a more helpful and practical model.  for a start

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it is what you think it is: being responsive to information about learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
then adjusting teaching to better match pupil need. in that respect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it’s a helpful term that does what it says on the tin. as with anything in education that sounds like common sense

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
we need to explore the nuance if we want to build a shared understanding of exactly what this looks like in the classroom.  the early career framework is certainly a good starting point (i won’t reproduce it in full here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
but i recommend reading standard 5). it breaks the term ‘adaptive teaching’ into more concrete recommendations for teaching. for example:  provide opportunity for all pupils to experience success by:  adapting lessons

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
whilst maintaining high expectations for all

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations. balancing input of new content so that pupils master important concepts. making effective use of teaching assistants.  but even this requires further unpacking. the third bullet point alone is the topic of an entire eef guidance report : ‘making best use of teaching assistants’! and there are other questions we might ask about this section. how exactly do we adapt lessons? what sort of adaptations are we talking about? what is the right balance of new content to mastery of existing concepts?  how are schools and trusts tackling ‘adaptive teaching’?  school leaders play a vital role in helping staff achieve precision around exactly what particular practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
like ‘adaptive teaching’ involve in classrooms and across the school (their ‘active ingredients’).  it isn’t as simple as saying

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
‘here’s what adaptive teaching means: now use it.’ instead

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
we have to build shared understanding over time. what does it mean in our context? what does it mean in maths or pe lessons? clearly

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
adaptive teaching places a great emphasis on formative assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
so are our assessments well designed to produce information that guides instruction?  in my trust – education south west – we’ve tried to commit the time to developing exactly this kind of shared understanding. we’ve shared the evidence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
sought feedback on them and have taken steps to develop a model to help teachers think about adaptive teaching in more concrete terms. see our shared resource on adaptive teaching here:      is this the final outcome? definitely not. the model presents a generic view of some elements of adaptive teaching. its primary purpose is to help teachers understand what adaptive teaching looks like

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Moving from 'differentiation' to 'adaptive teaching'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What does adaptive teaching mean for Education South West?

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a copy of the tasks to complete before Session 2 (11th November)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
High quality teaching: The 'five-a- day' principle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Session 1 - Introduction to Adaptive Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adaptive teaching may be tricky to define, but we must define it well, and exemplify it, otherwise it will prove an empty buzzword.

I've tried to characterise it into broadly two types of adaptations:

Microadaptations (Corno, 2008). Sensitive, moment-to-moment adaptations responding to pupils' learning e.g. deploying flexible grouping in a history lesson to quickly reexplain how they might more effectively plan their essay on Scrooge.

Significant adaptations. Pupils with a learning difficulty or disability may require significant adaptations and schools are required to ensure reasonable adjustments are made e.g., offering additional Teaching Assistant support with complex tasks. (these can be concurrently described as 'reasonable adjustments' when supporting pupils with SEND).

It is helpful to have examples of adaptive teaching, but also to present 'non-examples' of what it isn't too. This is where 'differentiation' comes in: the forerunner to the more recently popular adaptive teaching. In training I do on adaptive teaching, I call for more of it and less differentiation (or at least the dubious practices spread in its name):

In a brilliant recent blog, entitled 'Adaptive teaching: The Four Verbs Approach', Clare Sealy has done an excellent job in breaking down and exemplifying approaches that can be characterised as adaptive teaching. It is so useful because she defines some of the variables that teachers must consider when setting tasks that challenge all pupils. Sealy describes the following four principles for adaptive teaching by design:

1. Having to think about more things

2. The intrinsic demands of the content

3. How much external support for memory demands is provided

4. How much the learner knows.

Differentiation by task is one of the challenging areas that we need to leave behind. If we are setting simple tasks for struggling pupils, but complex tasks for high prior attainers, how are they ever meant to catch up. As Sealy describes, "being given different work [should] become rare rather than routine". Instead, we can approach planning lesson tasks with the above principles and high expectations that every pupil can navigate the challenge with support.

Scaffolds, Scale, Structure and Style

It is important, if we are trying to help teachers move on from differentiation, to be clear how tasks can be adapted whilst retaining the same challenging goal. The 4 Ss of ' scaffolds, scale, and style ' could helpfully define adaptations of a core classroom task every pupil undertakes.

Let's take the common task of the self-portrait in art. Both in primary school, and particularly in many year 7 classes, working on a self-portrait is a common way to learn art. Of course, lots of pupils have varying starting points. Difficulty is relative. Some pupils who may struggle can begin with the scaffold of a tracing outline, or a basic template to start ( scaffolds). Additionally, some pupils may increase the degree of challenge by increasing the scale of the portrait ( scale). Equally, some pupils could take a more challenging style, such as using the medium of watercolour paint for their self-portrait ( style).

The above task alterations ensures that every pupil accesses the same challenging task. It also addresses Sealy's verbs, or principles. Templates adjusts ' external support for memory demands', whereas a larger scale can increase the ' intrinsic demand ' of the task.

In English, narrative writing tasks can be adjusted to encompass 'Scaffolds, scale, and style'. Pupils can be supported with planning frame, sentence starters, phrase banks, style prompts, and much more ( scaffolds). The task can vary in length ( scale), although pupils can naively mistake the notion that 'shorter is easier'. Pupils can be given a specific narrative structure to follow, or be expected to make unique choices independent of any style models ( structure). To adjust the degree of challenge, pupils may be prompted to imitate an author, reverse a style, or similar ( style).

Writing an evaluative essay in religious studies on attitudes to artificial contraception can equally be adapted with 'scaffolds, scale, and style' in mind. Pupils can be given an essay structure prompt ( scaffolds) or choose to write with more independent planning. We can pose additional sentence signposts for them to use ( scaffolds and structure), and so on.

If we explicit with pupils, they can begin to make independent choices about adapting tasks. We can offer scaffolds and scale and style choices, making explicit to them the varying complexities of a given task. By using the 4 Ss explicitly it could encourage self-regulation and even a greater understand of curriculum tasks. Instead of the 'Chilli challenge' type approach, or 'All/Most/Some' some tasks, there is no race to the bottom of picking the easiest task. Instead, pupils choose the supports to scaffold them to the top.

The 4 Ss model is unlikely to perfectly match every task in the school curriculum, but it may be a helpful heuristic so that teachers can move away from planning different tasks to instead adapt with greater confidence.

...

Related Training: I am doing an ' Adaptive Teaching Masterclass ' for Teachology in Manchester, live and online, on Fri 24th May. Find out more .

[Image via Creative Commons licence - Preply.com Images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/194356589@N04/51701952903]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adaptive Teaching: Scaffolds, Scale, Structure and Style

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adaptive teaching may be tricky to define, but we must define it well, and exemplify it, otherwise it will prove an empty buzzword. I've tried to characterise it into broadly two types of adaptations: * Microadaptations (Corno, 2008). Sensitive, moment-to-moment adaptations responding to pupils' learning e.g. deploying flexible grouping

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Too often, we can assume that pupils should be able to get on and engage in independent practice such as revision; however, researchers have shown us how pupils routinely engage in ineffective revision practices. Therefore, pupils benefit from support and explicit teaching of revision strategies, and how to self-regulate their learning.

The Seven-step modelling of revision in practice

The model offers a way to hone evidence-informed revision strategies. Take the commonly used strategies - self-testing flashcards:

1. Activating prior knowledge. Ask pupils when they have used flashcards in the past. When have they found them most useful? Do they remember how much information they should write on them? Will they look different in your subject to other subjects

2. Explicit strategy instruction. Provide step-by-step instructions about how to complete flashcards in your subject - explaining why this is the most effective way to create them and use them (subtle subject specific differences may be easily missed).

3. Modelling of learned strategy. Show an example of a completed flashcard, as well as possibly one that isn't as effective (examples and non-examples) and explain why this is the case. Share your thought processes with the pupils if you complete one live for them, verbalising how you are demonstrating perseverance, resilience and learning from mistakes you have made in the past. For instance, it may be when you have written too much onto a card or dropped a card from the set too early, as you were over-confident.

4. Memorisation of strategy. Check to see if pupils have understood the instructions. You could ask them to explain to their partner why one modelled flashcard is better than another and walk round the room to listen and check for accuracy.

5. Guided practice. Start with some partially completed cards where pupils just need to fill in some missing words, then move on to providing a list of key words for a topic (you could ask the pupils to work in pairs to write the relevant descriptor for them). Some pupils may need the key words for the subsequent topic, whereas others may be able to do this themselves without support.

6. Independent practice. All pupils then complete flashcards for the next topic independently and then try self-testing using the cards.

7. Structured reflection. Individually, or in small groups, support pupils to think about what went well and what they would do differently next time. They could look at each other's cards to think about different techniques (e.g. colour coding) and the possible benefits of this. You may also encourage pupils to reflect on how motivated they were during their self-testing.

Revision will always prove a challenge - perhaps this year as much as any. And yet, explicitly teaching pupils in this way should help enhance the accuracy of their judgements and support them to manage their revision with greater independence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it feels like the christmas decorations have only just come down and yet in the blink of an eye the exam season is almost upon us. supporting children to approach exams and to structure their revision effectively is always a challenge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
but this is especially so this year when many pupils are likely to have had periods of absence and disrupted learning.  fortunately

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
we have two planning support tools based upon the seven-step model

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
from the eef metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
which offer us a useful framework by which to support pupils to structure their exam preparation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
learn how to do so with increasing independence.  the seven-step model the seven-step model - planning worksheet  too often

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
we can assume that pupils should be able to get on and engage in independent practice such as revision; however

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
researchers have shown us how pupils routinely engage in ineffective revision practices. therefore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
pupils benefit from support and explicit teaching of revision strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
and how to self-regulate their learning.    the seven-step modelling of revision in practice  the model offers a way to hone evidence-informed revision strategies. take the commonly used strategies – self-testing flashcards:   activating prior knowledge. ask pupils when they have used flashcards in the past. when have they found them most useful? do they remember how much information they should write on them? will they look different in your subject to other subjects  explicit strategy instruction. provide step-by-step instructions about how to complete flashcards in your subject – explaining why this is the most effective way to create them and use them (subtle subject specific differences may be easily missed).  modelling of learned strategy. show an example of a completed flashcard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
as well as possibly one that isn’t as effective (examples and non-examples) and explain why this is the case. share your thought processes with the pupils if you complete one live for them

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
verbalising how you are demonstrating perseverance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
resilience and learning from mistakes you have made in the past. for instance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
it may be when you have written too much onto a card or dropped a card from the set too early

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
as you were over-confident.  memorisation of strategy. check to see if pupils have understood the instructions. you could ask them to explain to their partner why one modelled flashcard is better than another and walk round the room to listen and check for accuracy.  guided practice. start with some partially completed cards where pupils just need to fill in some missing words

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
then move on to providing a list of key words for a topic (you could ask the pupils to work in pairs to write the relevant descriptor for them). some pupils may need the key words for the subsequent topic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
whereas others may be able to do this themselves without support.  independent practice. all pupils then complete flashcards for the next topic independently and then try self-testing using the cards.  structured reflection. individually

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
support pupils to think about what went well and what they would do differently next time. they could look at each other’s cards to think about different techniques (e.g. colour coding) and the possible benefits of this. you may also encourage pupils to reflect on how motivated they were during their self-testing.  revision will always prove a challenge - perhaps this year as much as any. and yet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
explicitly teaching pupils in this way should help enhance the accuracy of their judgements and support them to manage their revision with greater independence.  featured resources   the seven-step model  the seven-step model - planning worksheet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting Revision and the 'Seven-step Model'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The EEF's Julie Kettlewell explains how teachers can scaffold pupils' revision using the seven-step model.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
High-quality PDFs of my one-page guides are available to download for free. These resources were created by Jamie Clark and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. All Rights Reserved 2024.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pedagogy Hub Presentation - Hayley Wilson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Impact Cards Change and Continuity Norman Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Session 4 - Sharing Adaptive Strategies and Planning for Change