Addressing Learner Variability in Your Classroom
Note: This Tip of the Month article is the second in a two-part series on Learner Variability.
Consider the barriers a learner may encounter in your course due to the content as well as the current design of your course. Consider how the delivery method (face-to-face, online, blended, hybrid) impacts learner variability and magnifies or reduces barriers to learning they may encounter.
Learner Variability Explained
“Learner Variability” is the term used to describe how unique and varied students are in the ways they interact with content. For example, no two learners activate the same pathways in the brain. As you think about the variability of learners in your courses, it may be helpful to consider their individual learning profiles (Rose, 2016). Doing so gives us a broader way of describing the range of a learner's strengths and needs. Consider how you would intentionally build flexibility into your course to support the areas of need and bolster the areas of strength.
Barriers (Needs) that Affect Your Students
- Second or Native language
- Disability
- Background knowledge in course topics
- Access
- Interest in course topics
- Study habits
- Ability to organize and plan
- Creativity
- Attention and retention
- Remembering and recall
- Reading
- Writing vs. verbalizing ideas
- Self-regulation
- Executive function
- Persisting or persevering
- Stressors and anxieties
What Can You Do?
Commit to addressing at least one anticipated area of learner variability in the design of one of your courses. Making small changes using a gradual and deliberate process helps make what could feel like a very large undertaking more manageable (Tobin, 2018).
References
Contact Information
If you’re looking to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of your course design, CITL's Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Team is here to help! You can reach us at CITL-UDLTeam@illinois.edu.