Research-backed strategies for designing flexible, differentiated lessons that reach every learner—without lowering the bar.

Not everyone’s at the same starting line

Imagine three people walking into your course. One is fired up and flying through content. One’s curious but cautious. And one’s reading every sentence twice, unsure if this will be another dead end.

Now imagine giving all three the same pace, same questions, same tone, and expecting the same outcome.

That’s not equity—it’s a shortcut to dropoff.

On Edovo, you can’t hand out tiered assignments or group work. But you can differentiate—if you know how to build it into the bones of your design.

This article shows you how.

What you’ll walk away with

• What differentiation really means in a digital, self-paced format
  
  

• How to design for variability in skill, confidence, and cognitive load
  
  

• Tools already built into Edovo that support learner choice and pacing
  
  

• Concrete examples to build your next course with more range—and more reach
  

The jargon you actually need to know

Term: Differentiated Instruction

What it is:
It’s not about duplicating the course and making three versions of it. It’s a mindset—and a design approach—that builds multiple paths toward the same learning goal. Think: offering more than one way in, more than one way to process, and more than one way to show understanding.

What the science says:
Differentiation boosts engagement, self-efficacy, and long-term retention—especially for learners with varied backgrounds, trauma, or interrupted education (Tomlinson, 2001; Bransford et al., 2000). For adult learners, especially in correctional settings, designing choice and pacing into the structure of the course reduces shame, builds autonomy, and strengthens motivation.

So, what is differentiation?

At its core, differentiation means offering more than one way to succeed. It’s not about making everything easier. And it’s definitely not about catering to “learning styles” (that’s a debate for another day). It’s about building flexibility into the structure—so that every learner has a real shot at success, no matter their background, confidence level, or pace.

And yes, it still matters even if your content is self-paced. Why?

Well, don’t take our word for it, the experts have a lot to say on this topic:

• Because choice supports autonomy—and autonomy is one of the three core drivers of motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985).

• Because trauma-impacted learners are more likely to shut down when they feel forced, confused, or exposed (Hammond, 2015).

• Because variability in prior knowledge, literacy, and executive function isn’t a gap to fix—it’s a reality to design for (CAST, 2018).

On Edovo, where support is limited, shame runs deep, and trust is hard-earned, motivation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s survival.

So we don’t differentiate to make learning easier.
We differentiate to make success possible.

1. Vary the way in

Not every learner walks through the same door. Some arrive confident and ready to dive in. Others peek around the corner, unsure if they’ll be welcome—or if the content was even built with them in mind.

Differentiated instruction isn’t about “dumbing down.” It’s about offering multiple on-ramps so learners with different strengths, preferences, and histories can engage meaningfully.

So instead of starting every lesson with a wall of text and a formal definition, try offering a few flexible ways in:

• Use a simple, symbolic visual to preview the theme
  Think: an icon of a cracked bridge before a lesson on trust, or a seed sprouting before a unit on resilience.
  
  

• Open with a real-life scenario before a concept
  “You’ve got $30 and five days until store. What do you do?” → Then introduce the term ‘budget’ once the concept is already familiar.
  
  

• Start with a question, not a lecture
  “What’s one thing that gets under your skin fast?” → Now the learner’s brain is primed for a conversation about emotional triggers.
  
  

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re grounded in cognitive science, trauma-informed practice, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Offering different “ways in” lowers the activation barrier—so instead of saying, “Show us you can keep up,” your content says, “You’re already part of this. Let’s begin.”

2. Offer more than one reflection path

Open response questions are powerful. But they aren’t the only way to reflect. And for many learners, they’re too vulnerable to start with.

So build in options:

• “Pick one of these that sounds like you…” (multiple choice)
  
  

• “Write it down in your notebook or just think it through—your choice”
  
  

• Use sentence starters instead of blank boxes
  (“When I feel disrespected, I usually…”)
  
  

You're not removing rigor. You’re reducing resistance. And that opens the door to deeper thinking—on their terms.

3. Scaffold with optional supports

Differentiation doesn’t always mean different content. Sometimes it means different support.

Here’s how:

• Preview new terms before using them in questions
  (“Let’s break this word down before you see it again.”)
  
  

• Use a 'pause and recap' screen every few concepts
  (“Want to review what we’ve covered so far?”)
  
  

• Include ungraded warmups before higher-stakes assessments
  (“Try this first—no pressure. Just see how it feels.”)
  
  

If your strongest learners skip these? Great. But the ones who need them? You just gave them a boost without a spotlight.

4. Let learners pace themselves

This is where Edovo shines. Self-paced learning gives you a built-in lever—if you design for it.

• Use preview screens before transitions
  (“Here’s what’s coming next. Take a breath, then tap to continue.”)
  
  

• Label sections clearly so learners know what they’re stepping into
  
  

• Break long concepts into micro-chunks with clear headers
  
  

• Avoid cramming a quiz after five new terms—space it out
  
  

Netflix’s The Residence throws characters, timelines, and plot twists at you fast—but even they pause to recap. They know if you miss a detail, the whole thing unravels. And let’s not forget that little pop-up: “Still watching?” It’s a gentle nudge to pace yourself. 

If a murder mystery gets that much support, so should learners. 

5. Don’t confuse challenge with confusion

Rigorous doesn’t mean overwhelming. In fact, research shows that confusion without support leads to disengagement—not growth. (Bransford et al., 2000)

To differentiate rigor without watering it down:

• Keep directions plain, concrete, and consistent
  
  

• Avoid abstract language until concepts are anchored
  
  

• Offer hints or guiding questions for tough scenarios
  (“Think back to a time you stayed calm—what helped?”)
  
  

• Balance every challenging moment with one that feels winnable
  (Even something as simple as a “You got it!” screen matters.)
  
  

Example: Differentiating a conflict resolution course

Let’s say you’re teaching how to respond to disrespect.

You could:

• Start with a relatable prompt: “What do you usually do when someone cuts in front of you?”
  
  

• Offer three reflection paths:
  
  

• Multiple choice (“I walk away / I speak up / I react fast / It depends”)
  
  

• Sentence starter (“When I feel disrespected, I usually…”)
  
  

• Personal journal (off-platform: “Think about it or jot it down in your notebook—just for you.”)
  
  

• Include a quick recap before the next screen
  
  

• End the lesson with a challenge:
  “Next time it happens, try pausing before responding. Even two seconds. What might change?”
  
  

Everyone gets to the goal. Just not in the same shoes.

TL;DR: Differentiation isn’t fancy. It’s just thoughtful.

• Give multiple ways in: image, scenario, question
  
  

• Offer more than one reflection method—graded or not
  
  

• Scaffold with optional review, sentence starters, and previews
  
  

• Space things out and label transitions clearly
  
  

• Make it doable without making it boring
  
  

And above all? Design like a learner has something to prove—to themselves—not to you.

Differentiation Design Checklist for Edovo

Use this checklist to make sure your content reaches more Learners—without losing clarity, challenge, or flow.

References

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. National Academy Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/9853

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Version 2.2.
http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Corwin.

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43–59.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02505024

National Research Council. (2012). Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/13398

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (2nd ed.). ASCD.