There has been significant research into the development and results associated with differentiated instruction. I reviewed a journal article that focused on the development of digital video games that met the needs of differentiated instruction.Â
The article Differentiated instruction in digital video games: STEM teacher candidates using technology to meet learners’ needs by Estaiteyeh & DeCoito (2024) follows a group of teacher candidates through the process of developing digital video games as tools to reinforce STEM concepts. The development of these digital video games was done with the assistance of an instructor as well as the researcher in an online environment.
The completed digital video games were judged based on the integration of the selected STEM/science concepts as well as the integration of differentiated instruction principles and practices. The developed games included a game about projectile movement that encouraged players to hit a target in simple to complex environments. Students could select different planets to add additional environmental factors.
Though most of the games were designed linearly there were options to start a player at a more advanced level to bypass simple tasks that were unlikely to challenge individual students. Some games also addressed equity and inclusion by allowing students to pick a character with different races and genders.
The digital video games succeeded in engaging students at their level and encouraging development. Students were allowed to work independently at their own pace using the digital video games. This individualized pacing enables students to spend more or less time on aspects of the lesson based on need and is an important aspect of differentiations. The games also included helpful tips available to students that struggled initially.
The article pointed to digital video games as a multimodal representation designed to increase student interest and understanding, though there are many other forms of technological differentiation.
The most pressing advice from the article is the need for teachers to have resources for the additional technology that is being deployed in classrooms. This training need covers both pre-service and in-service teachers
There are many existing tools that gamify the learning experience. While none of these solutions are a one-size-fits-all solution progress can be made using them. We should be aware of the features included to assist students that may be struggling as well as engage students that find themselves bored.
As with any other tool it may be difficult to integrate these tools into a functional classroom without becoming dependent on them. Tools such as educational video games can unlock additional levels of learning for students, but can become a barrier to learning if they are relied on too heavily. Students may lean into the gamification aspect of the experience and neglect to engage in a meaningful way with the content.
Estaiteyeh, M., & DeCoito, I. (2024). Differentiated instruction in digital video games: STEM teacher candidates using technology to meet learners' needs. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(7), 3768-3782. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2023.2190360