What block learning taught me about meeting diverse student needs

Each student will have a different starting point with their learning of a topic. They will differ in levels of prior knowledge, understanding and experience of the topics they are required to learn. Some students will quickly make sense of a subject. Others will take time to grasp basic concepts. So, the amount and speed of progress they must make with their learning within the time frames determined by the curriculum will vary significantly. 

As teachers we must try to meet students where they are “right now” if we’re to support them effectively. This requires targeted instruction, and it is critical in block learning because time is limited. 

• Resource collection: What is block teaching?
• How block teaching supports students from under-represented groups
• Rather than restrict the use of AI, let’s embrace the challenge it offers

About 40 years ago Benjamin Bloom showed that one-to-one tutoring, combined with regular tests and feedback, led the average student to perform two standard deviations above a control class average. This improvement is equivalent to raising a grade from a C to an A. Sure, we rarely have the luxury of teaching one to one, with group instruction most common. However, to replicate the success of one-to-one tutoring in group settings, we must use its key characteristics – routine formative assessment, then targeted instruction – if we’re to support students to make quick, significant gains. This is vital in the block model, where courses are short and intensive.

The teacher’s role is to bring student and curriculum closer together, which may involve pulling some students up to the required level and pushing others beyond it. In either case the approach is targeted. 

How formative assessment supports ‘targeted’ teaching

Formative assessment gives rise to three broad groups of students, as described by special education teachers Kaitlyn Mcglynn and Janey Kelly in a 2017 paper:  

• students who have fully mastered the content and/or skills to be learned and require additional stretch and challenge
• students who have a basic understanding of the content and/or skills to be learned but require additional support to gain mastery of them 
• students who have no understanding of the content and/or skills to be learned and need extensive support to gain mastery of them.

Each group requires a different “targeted” approach to instruction, if all students are to achieve the same level of learning. The one-size-fits-all approach so common to higher education will not provide the accelerated learning required by those in groups two and three nor provide stretch or challenge for students in group one.

Targeted instruction aims to meet individual needs. It is the closest we can get to one-to-one instruction in group learning scenarios and represents a vitally important approach to instruction on the block, where learning is condensed and students are at increased risk of falling behind. 

Tools that enable rapid formative assessment and feedback

Teachers routinely complain of not having enough time to formatively assess students and target instruction accordingly, especially on the block. My belief is that this is nonsense, especially when we have access to so much supportive technology. I’ve used quick diagnostic tests on prerequisite concepts in order to implement targeted instruction on the block. These can be created using tools such as Google Forms or Quizlet or the institutional learning management system, allowing for automatic grading and instant data collection. 

I’ve then grouped students with similar needs based on diagnostic scores, with my teaching approaches, activities and resources targeted to each group’s specific needs, paying attention to areas where students showed significant gaps in learning. The time and effort required are minimal to moderate.  

Still sceptical? Why not use AI to help you target instruction. AI can create formative assessment tasks, in different modalities, differentiated for levels of learning in seconds. AI can also provide personalised feedback on formative assessment, tightening feedback loops and enabling teachers to focus more time on targeted instruction. I’ve asked my students to write a short formative passage on an important topic that I’ve recently taught them, before encouraging them to ask ChatGPT, for example, to provide feedback on the accuracy of the information in their writing. Feedback is instant and personalised and supports me to quickly group students based on their needs – targeted instruction. 

AI has the potential to enable targeted instruction and personalised learning in a way we’ve never seen before. Irrespective of how it’s done, targeted instruction is a must for block learning. 

Kevin Merry is associate dean of curriculum and assessment at the Global Banking School. He is the author of Delivering Inclusive and Impactful Instruction: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Cast, 2024).

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