LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Differentiating Instruction in Online Courses: Online course syllabus

Syllabus for the course Differentiating Instruction in Online Courses which helps teachers tailor online instruction to meet the unique learning styles of specific students.

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Course description

This six-week online course will introduce teachers to the concept of differentiated instruction and provide them with research-based readings, practical ideas, and hands-on practice that will allow them to create a differentiated learning environment in their own online courses.

We will learn about unique strategies for providing differentiated instruction in online courses, focusing on how content, learning experiences, and assessment can all be modified to address the unique needs, learning styles, interests, and skills of specific students. Course participants will develop differentiated components of their own online courses through relevant, practical assignments and participate in lively discussions with other educators throughout the course.

Prerequisites

You must successfully complete the following courses before enrolling in this course:

Course goals

This course will:

  • Introduce participants to the concept of differentiated instruction
  • Provide detailed information about differentiation of content, learning activities and assessment
  • Explore the specific applications of differentiation in online learning environments
  • Help participants learn to recognize differences among learners in their own classrooms and adapt their teaching to meet the needs of their students
  • Provide opportunities for participants to develop differentiated resources for use in the online course(s) they teach or will teach in the future.

Required material

All readings will be provided within the course.

Special technical requirements

Participants should have a word processing program capable of saving files in .doc, .rtf, .pdf, or .txt format for sharing written work with the instructor and other course participants.

Course requirements

This course takes place over six weeks. Each week you will be required to read both in-course and outside readings, all of which will be available online. You do not need to purchase any texts for this course. In some weeks, you will also be required to work in pairs or small groups and/or to provide feedback on the work of your classmates. All assignments and other requirements are listed in the Course Schedule and details and due dates are provided under each weekly folder.

You are expected to:

  • Complete all assignments by the due date, and participate in all class discussions.
  • Check into the online course at least three days a week to see new announcements, check messages and view discussion postings.

Readings

Each week you will be responsible for reading assigned in-course and outside readings. All are available online — there are no required books that you will need to purchase.

Written assignments

In most weeks you will be required to complete a written assignment and post it to the in-class discussion board.

Discussions

There will be a general discussion forum called “The coffee shop” for you to meet and talk with your classmates. Participation in this forum is voluntary and is not graded.

In most weeks there will also be required discussion components—either questions to which everyone will respond or requirements that you comment on the postings of other students in the course. All students are expected to post in a responsible and courteous fashion.

Final differentiation plan

In week five you will be given details on this plan, which will be due in week six.

Evaluation

The performance of course participants will be evaluated based on their regular attendance in the course, participation in all required discussions, timely submission of all assignments, and successful participation in all group activities. All components of this course are graded on a pass/fail basis.

Professional development offerings through LEARN NC do not carry graduate credit and do not issue grades. Participants are awarded Continuing Education Units (CEUs) based on successful completion of the course. The course instructor determines to what extent participants have completed all required course activities and have participated in the learning community.