Effective Curriculum and Instructional Design Approaches for Diverse Learners

The classroom always has and will always have diverse learners. Hence, categorizing students into a single learning track or style can be as problematic as a one-size-fits-all instruction. Yes, students have different ways they prefer to learn, but the preference does not apply to all content areas. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan are provided with learning accommodations according to individual needs due to a disability (U.S. Department of Education, 2019; U.S Department of Education, 2020). These accommodations consider the student's behavior, English proficiency, communication needs, hearing, and technology usage abilities (U.S Department of Education, 2019). The use of learning styles in various modes of instruction has little effect on student accomplishment (Cimermanová, 2018). Students who are focused on a specific learning style, on the other hand, will mentally adapt an assignment to match what they believe is their learning style (Willingham, 2018). Personalized learning, which allows students to learn at their speed while also allowing interest discovery, improves academic achievement. Similarly, students can learn regardless of the teaching style, even if they prefer to learn with a specific method.

Integrated Research-based Curricular Framework

Integrated curriculums help students to transfer knowledge from one context to the next. A research-based curriculum framework supports all learners (American College of Education (ACE), 2019) and applies to all grade levels. As a science teacher, I find students are always curious about experiments and focus very little on preparing reports.

(Marbella International University Centre, 2021).

Additionally, they sometimes believe reading comprehension is only for Reading/English classes. An SQ3R approach is used to aid pupils with reading comprehension in science class. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review, and it refers to the five processes followed when actively and successfully reading a material (Stahl & Armstrong, 2020). The reading comprehension approach encourages pupils to think about the material as they read it and helps them understand the information read the first time they read a material. This approach will prove beneficial when reading lab procedures before experimenting, as students will understand what to do and get an insight into expected outcomes. Below is an infographic of the SQ3R reading strategy.

Improving Curriculum and Instruction Based on Students

Knowing students is essential to improving curriculum and instruction and helps to meet their specific learning needs. Being able to empathize with students' lives and differences as an educator aids in lesson planning and design. Such an approach benefits a teacher by knowing how to design relevant and meaningful activities or tasks for students with language, behavioral, and other learning difficulties. Teachers can give students options based on varied interests, allowing them to make mistakes, connect with others, and reflect on their learning. Similarly, they can include proactive tactics inside lesson plans to improve teaching and learning, enabling learning diversity in the classroom and utilizing a multimodal or differentiated approach.

Integrated Curriculum Presentation

References

American College of Education (ACE). (2019). Module 6: Research-based curricular framework part 1 transcript: Integrated instruction plans. file:///Users/kadie/Downloads/Integrated%20Instruction%20Plans.pdf

Cimermanová, I. (2018). The effect of learning styles on academic achievement in different forms of teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 219-232.l Marbella International University Centre. (2021, June 10). What is the SQ3R Study Method and how to use it?: Miuc. Marbella International University Centre. https://miuc.org/sq3r-study-method/

Stahl, N. A., & Armstrong, S. L. (2020). So much more than SQ3R: A life history of Francis P. Robinson. Reading Psychology, 41(4), 287–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2020.1768979

U.S. Department of Education. (2019, August 30). Guide to the individualized education program. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html#contents U.S Department of Education. (2020, January 10). Protecting students with disabilities. U.s. Department of Education. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.htm Willingham, D. T. (2018, October 4). Are you a visual or an auditory learner? it doesn't matter. The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/opinion/sunday/visual-learner-auditory-school-education.html