Differentiation for Equity

Abstract

Dosch and Zidon (2014) highlight the negative impact of traditional pedagogical approaches on student learning by examining the power of practices and rhetoric that blame students for academic failure and ultimately reproduce traditional power structures in higher education. As diversity in higher education increases, the use of traditional teaching approaches that encompass one-size-fits-all, teacher-centered approaches must be reconsidered to ensure equity-based practices to support differentiation in the classroom. When considering differentiation as a means to disrupt traditional forms of pedagogy in higher education, however, research is often limited in its ability to provide practical strategies that are relative to the college setting (Weingarten & Deller, 2011). As such, this article provides a review of differentiation in education and outlines applied examples of differentiation that can be used in college classrooms to promote equity.