
Introduction
The landscape of higher education is rapidly evolving, and with it comes the need to adapt our teaching methods to meet diverse student needs. While differentiation is often associated with K-12 education, its principles are equally valuable in college classrooms. This blogpost explores practical ways to create a more effective learning environment through differentiated instruction. While differentiation can be embraced in myriad ways including differentiation by interests, skill-level, pacing, and more, one important way to begin differentiating is with learning about your students, their needs, and interests.
Starting with Pre-Assessment
Before diving into content, pre-assessments help identify students’ background knowledge and interests, providing valuable insights for tailoring instruction.
While traditional learning styles theory has been debunked (Yfanti & Doukakis, 2021; Dekker & Kim, 2022; Zrudlo, 2023), knowing how students prefer to engage with content can still inform your teaching strategies. Modern technology, particularly AI tools, can help analyze assessment data to identify patterns and learning needs across your student population.
Pre-assessments can be given at the beginning of a course or module. One way to consider using pre-assessments to begin differentiated instruction is to start the semester with a personality collection form where you might ask your students:
- Their personal interests in the course topic and subtopics
- How they prefer to learn
- Academic and/or career goals
- Personal time and technological constraints
- Accommodations needed (with a reminder to reach out to the Office of Disabilities)
This will help you to get to know your students’ interests in learning in your class. Then, once the course begins, consider giving pre-assessments that assess student knowledge on course topics. These pre-assessments can be simple multiple-choice questions about the topic at hand. But you can also consider adding a self-efficacy component by asking students to score themselves on how sure they are of the answer they chose.
Universal or Backward Design Through Choice Assessments
One of the most powerful ways to differentiate instruction is through flexible assessment options that get students to the desired learning outcome setup at the beginning of the course. Rather than limiting students to traditional essays or exams, consider offering multiple pathways to demonstrate mastery. When appropriate, students might choose between written papers, oral presentations, digital projects, or visual demonstrations. An engineering student might prefer to build a working model, while a communications major might excel at creating a video explanation of the same concept. Instructors should work to ensure that when allowing such differentiation that the options all lead to the required learning objectives.
Consider the use of rubrics for these assignments to ensure students are approaching a goal that is appropriate to the course finale. A particularly innovative approach is the use of open rubrics, where students collaborate with instructors to establish assessment criteria. This not only ensures clarity of expectations but also increases student buy-in and understanding of learning objectives.
Content Differentiation
Content becomes more engaging when connected to real-world applications and student interests.
When considering projects or assignments, if appropriate, provide students with the option to focus on issues that matter to them. You may also have students from varying fields in your class where you may want to tailor (or ask them to tailor) the work for their field. For example, in an education law course, education graduate students might analyze legal cases from an administrator’s perspective, creating practical implementation guides for school policies, while law students approach the same topics through technical legal analysis and brief writing. This differentiation allows both groups to engage deeply with the material in ways relevant to their professional goals.
Process Differentiation
More often, students may be approaching a topic from various amount of background knowledge of the topic at hand. Therefore, information will need to be scaffolded to more-equitably get students to learn the material you are required to teach.
Pre-assessment data can help identify learning gaps early, allowing for targeted support without singling out students who need additional help.
For instance, create optional “bridge modules” that students can access before challenging topics – these might include foundational concepts, key terminology, or essential background knowledge. During class, provide scaffolded materials like reference sheets, graphic organizers, or glossaries that any student can use, making these resources available to everyone rather than only to struggling students. For complex topics, break content into digestible chunks and create multiple entry points. This might mean offering a series of short videos explaining prerequisite concepts, providing supplementary readings with built-in definitions, or creating quick-reference guides. Students who need this foundation can access it independently, while those ready for advanced content can move forward. However, check out these Strategies for Helping Students Prepare for Class, as your students who are behind on developing background knowledge may be resistant without your guidance.
Employing Group Work for Differentiation
When it comes to process differentiation, strategic grouping is key. Consider both homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping, according to academic preparation levels. During group work, strategically rotate between homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping. Use homogeneous groups when students need focused practice at their level, then switch to mixed-ability groups where students can learn from peers and contribute their unique strengths:
Homogeneous grouping works well for targeted instruction:
- Beginning learners receive foundational support through sentence starters, graphic organizers, and immediate feedback
- Intermediate groups tackle application-based questions with guided prompts
- Advanced learners engage with abstract concepts and open-ended challenges
Heterogeneous grouping promotes peer learning and diverse perspectives:
- Advanced students develop leadership skills by helping others
- Students hear varied viewpoints and approaches
- Groups can leverage individual strengths (writing, speaking, organizing)
To maintain balance, ensure that advanced students aren’t always in the “teacher” role – each student should have opportunities to both give and receive help.
Flexible Pacing and Support Systems
College students juggle various responsibilities outside the classroom, making flexible pacing essential. Consider providing access to lecture materials before class, allowing students to preview content at their own pace. When needed, offering extended time on assignments can accommodate different learning speeds without compromising academic standards.
Support systems can be layered to meet varying needs:
- Small group instruction for targeted skill development
- Remote learning options for students when participating in group work
- Peer mentoring opportunities, such as peer review or peer tutoring
- University support systems, like a writing center or math tutoring lab
Leveraging Technology for Differentiation
Technology opens new possibilities for personalized learning.
Instructors can utilize AI and digital tools to make the material more accessible to learners at all levels and backgrounds.
For example, they can:
- Generate reading materials at different complexity levels
- Provide built-in definitions for specialized terminology
- Convert text to speech for audio learners
- Create visual representations of complex concepts
- Break down complicated information into manageable chunks
- Offer multiple explanations of challenging concepts
- Provide personalized study recommendations
Making It Work in Practice
Implementing differentiation doesn’t mean creating entirely separate lessons for each student. Instead, think of it as providing multiple entry points to the same content.
Start small by:
- Introducing choice in one assignment type
- Creating tiered reading options for a single topic
- Experimenting with flexible grouping strategies
- Incorporating technology tools gradually
Remember that differentiation is an iterative process. Pay attention to what works for your students and adjust accordingly. The goal isn’t perfection but rather creating a learning environment where all students can thrive.
Conclusion
Differentiated instruction in higher education acknowledges that our students come to us with varying backgrounds, goals, and needs.
By providing flexible pathways to learning while maintaining high academic standards, we can create more inclusive and effective learning environments. As you implement these strategies, remember that small changes can promote student success. The key is to start somewhere and continuously refine your approach based on student responses and outcomes.
Below are some strategies from the K. Patricia Cross Academy Library to support your use of differentiation for varying students:
Teaching Technique
Blog Posts
Beyond Learning Objectives: Backward Design as a Framework for Instructional Alignment
Strategies for Getting Students to Prepare for Class
Getting to Know You: How to Do a Student Characteristics Analysis
Suggested Citation
Barkley, E.F., & Major, C.H.Gutenson, L. D., & Morris, S. J. (n.d.) . Engaging and reaching all students: Differentiation techniques in the higher education classroom. CrossCurrents. https://kpcrossacademy.ua.edu/engaging-and-reaching-all-students-differentiation-techniques-in-the-higher-education-classroom/

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