Abstract: Differentiated instruction (DI) is a teaching approach in which learning experiences are designed and adapted to meet students’ diverse needs to facilitate student success. Advocates of this approach have implemented it in primarily K-12 learning environments with limited investigations into implementing it in college/engineering course environments despite the existence of variance in student readiness (their proximity to a learning objective) at this level of education. In this study, a novel module design that incorporates adaptations based on student readiness using DI principles is devised for an electrical engineering course, and its impact on student mastery and attitude is assessed using test scores and survey responses. The results of these analyses validate that this module design aids in improving student learning and has a positive impact on student attitudes towards learning with this approach. This evidence motivated the creation of a framework for module design for future implementations beyond an electrical engineering course context. In addition to this framework, a list of requirements for effective implementation and key implementation challenges that must be addressed for ease of scalability and instructor adoption are presented.
DOI: 10.18260/3-1-1153-36071
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