Differentiated Instruction vs. Personalized Learning

Differentiated instruction and personalized learning are often used interchangeably, and it’s easy to see why. Both approaches move away from a one-size-fits-all model of teaching and aim to meet students where they are. However, knowing the difference between the two is crucial to helping teachers choose the right approach for their students. This article walks through personalized learning vs. differentiated instruction, how they work together, and strategies for both.

What is differentiated instruction?

If you’re familiar with differentiated instruction, you might have encountered Carol Ann Tomlinson’s definition of it. In How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms, Tomlinson describes it simply as giving students multiple ways to take in information, process ideas, and show what they know. If you want a thorough explanation of differentiated instruction, check out the article “What Is Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom?”

Essentially, differentiation is captured through various entry points in the curriculum and classroom:

• Differentiating by content: Providing various materials to meet students at their level of readiness
• Differentiating by process: Modifying how students learn by adjusting strategies, pacing, and approaches
• Differentiating by product: Allowing students to show what they have learned in various ways
• Differentiating by learning environment: Adjusting the physical space or how students access learning materials

Key characteristics of differentiated instruction

Here are a few defining elements of differentiated instruction:

• Teacher-driven: Differentiated instruction is usually led by the teacher. This means the teacher makes decisions about which differentiated instructional strategy to use based on students’ needs.
• Shared learning objectives: Within a differentiated lesson, the learning goal is the same, but how students get there differs based on their readiness level, interests, and learning needs.
• Ongoing assessment: Teachers monitor student learning and adjust differentiated strategies based on data.

What is personalized learning?

Understanding differentiated instruction makes it easier to see how personalized learning is distinct. According to EBSCO, personalized learning is an educational approach tailored to the unique needs, interests, and goals of individual students. Whereas differentiated instruction is mostly teacher-driven, personalized learning gives students more of a say in their learning.

Key characteristics of personalized learning

Here are a few defining elements of personalized learning:

• Student-centered: Personalized learning lets students shape their own learning paths. Students are given more control over the pace, path, and approach to their learning.
• Targeted instruction: Personalized learning is delivered in a variety of forms based on individual students’ specific needs, interests, and pace rather than adjusted for the group.
• Ongoing assessment: Teachers use insights about student learning to adjust instruction. Students also have access to their own progress data, supporting greater self-awareness and agency in their learning.

Difference between personalized learning and differentiation

Personalized learning and differentiation are closely related but distinct. There’s an ongoing debate about how they relate: Some researchers view personalized learning as an overarching philosophy that differentiated instruction falls under, while others, such as Tomlinson, see them as parallel but complementary approaches. Nonetheless, knowing the difference between differentiated and personalized learning and how they overlap helps educators determine which strategy works best for their students.

Is differentiated instruction the same as personalized learning?

Not quite, and here’s why. The key difference is that differentiated instruction is mostly teacher-driven, and personalized learning is student-driven. The table below shows the differences and similarities:

How differentiated instruction and personalized learning work together

Many classrooms use both differentiated instruction and personalized learning. They’re complementary approaches and are highly effective when they work together. As educator Ken Schofield puts it, personalized learning is “finding what each child needs to be successful and using that learning opportunity to help the student become more proficient.” Differentiated instruction is one strategy teachers can use to achieve this goal.

Differentiated instruction and personalized learning examples

The examples below show what each approach looks like in practice—and how they can work together. The examples focus on a fifth-grade ELA class with the learning objective of applying new vocabulary words in context.

Differentiated instruction: Same goal, different pathways

In this example, the teacher differentiates instruction to help students achieve a shared learning objective. The learning objective is the same for all students, but how they accomplish it is adjusted—in this case, based on readiness. The teacher determines students’ readiness based on ongoing assessment. For students who need more support, the teacher provides student-friendly definitions and sentence frames. On-level students write original sentences to show that they understand the vocabulary.

Students ready for more of a challenge complete the on-level task and then analyze the vocabulary further—for example, by identifying synonyms and antonyms. By offering the same vocabulary through tasks tiered by readiness, the teacher ensures every student works toward the same objective at an appropriate level of challenge.

Personalized learning: Different goals, different pathways

The same learning objective of applying new vocabulary words in context can be approached through personalized learning. In this example, the teacher instead uses an adaptive program like Waggle, which provides targeted practice based on skill levels and gaps and, importantly, does not necessarily target the same word(s) for all students.

Students work at their own pace, and the program adjusts the practice based on each student’s progress. Students can track their own progress, giving them greater agency in their learning. Meanwhile, the teacher uses the data to see where individual students need additional support.

The examples above show how each approach looks different while ultimately achieving a similar learning experience: learning and applying new vocabulary words.

In practice, teachers often use both differentiation and personalized learning. During small-group instruction with a shared goal, a teacher might support students with sentence frames (differentiation). Students then practice vocabulary independently using an adaptive program that introduces words variably to students as they are ready for them, and the teacher uses that progress data to inform instructional next steps (personalized learning).

Practical strategies for teachers

Many of the differentiated instruction and personalized learning strategies below can complement one another in the same classroom.

Differentiated instruction strategies

Educators may read the following strategies and easily identify many that are already present in a responsive classroom. These strategies suggest ways teachers may adjust instruction so that a shared goal is achievable through multiple pathways.

Content

• Tiered assignments: Different versions of a task, each calibrated to a different readiness level, that share the same learning objective
• Multiple formats: Offering content through text, audio, visuals, or technology

Process

• Pre-teaching: Preparing students before a lesson by presenting key vocabulary and content and giving students a chance to practice
• Flexible grouping: Temporary, fluid groups based on assessment data and observations arranged to meet a learning objective or complete an activity
• Graphic organizers: Visual tools that help students organize and communicate their thoughts
• Learning centers or stations: Rotating stations designated for specific learning purposes
• Small-group instruction: Teacher-led lessons with about two to six students, focused on a targeted skill or concept, that supplement whole-group instruction
• Assigned roles: Assigning each student a distinct role within a small group—such as scribe, researcher, or presenter—often rotating so students practice different skills

Product

• Flexible assessments: Offering different ways for students to demonstrate their learning, such as a written response, presentation, storyboard, or video
• Choice boards: A menu of activities students choose from to practice a skill or show what they know
• Interest-based projects: Allowing students to explore topics or themes based on their interests, passions, or hobbies

Learning environment

• Flexible seating: Various seating options for students
• Incorporating technology: Using digital tools to support differentiation
• Co-teaching: Two or more educators collaborating in the same classroom, often a general education and special education teacher, to teach a diverse group of students
• Alternative learning locations: Using spaces beyond the classroom, such as outdoor areas, to offer students a different environment for learning

Personalized learning strategies

While the above list often contributes to a personalized learning environment, the following strategies dive deeper into pedagogical tactics that allow learners to have their own learning goals and targets.

Use adaptive technology

Adaptive programs like Waggle can tailor learning to each student’s needs. After a diagnostic, the program puts students on a personalized pathway, delivering practice calibrated to what each learner is ready for. As students work, the program adjusts based on their progress, while the teacher monitors the data and steps in where it’s most useful.

Some solutions combine assessment and adaptive practice. HMH Personalized Path, for example, uses students’ MAP Growth scores to deliver intervention or targeted practice at the right level of support and challenge.

Create learner profiles

A learner profile is created by the learner with support from the teacher and captures information beyond test scores: the learner’s strengths, challenges, interests, learning preferences, goals, and accomplishments. This information creates a full picture of who students are. As explained in this article, what sets learner profiles apart from other inventories is how they’re used to create personalized, student-centered pathways to help students achieve their own selected goals. Educators offer choices in what, how, and where students learn, and students take on more of those decisions over time.

Develop personalized learning plans

A personalized learning plan (PLP) helps students set personal academic goals. Students often collaborate with educators, parents, and guidance counselors to shape their PLPs. A PLP gives students voice and choice; for example, a plan might include how a student will learn or showcase their knowledge based on their interests.

How assessment works in each approach

Ongoing assessment appears as a key characteristic of both approaches—but it doesn’t function the same way in each. Assessment, especially formative assessment, is crucial to successfully implementing differentiated instruction and personalized learning. In differentiated instruction, assessment is driven by the teacher, who uses student data to inform instructional decisions. In personalized learning, assessment data helps the teacher make informed instructional decisions, and allows students to track their own progress and take ownership of their learning. For both approaches, assessment isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing process.

Differentiated instruction and personalized learning using technology

Technology doesn’t replace a teacher’s expertise—it extends it. When it comes to differentiation and personalized learning, using technology thoughtfully can strengthen both approaches, though personalized learning depends on technology more heavily. In either case, the benefit comes not from the technology itself but from how purposefully teachers use it alongside high-quality instructional materials. Two articles explore this further: “How to Use Technology to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom” and “Technology and Personalized Learning.”

The same holds for AI. As former educator and vice president of product management at HMH Edward Howard writes in this article, “Artificial intelligence did not invent personalized learning. Teachers did. AI is simply beginning to honor what educators have always practiced intuitively.” Used purposefully, AI can help teachers see where students are and decide what instructional steps to take.

For differentiated instruction specifically, AI can help teachers create the various materials differentiation requires. For example, in the vocabulary example shared earlier, AI could help teachers create the student-friendly definitions, sentence frames, and extension tasks.

Ultimately, determining the support system that will best serve the student is what teachers do best.

Learn more about both approaches

Differentiated instruction and personalized learning are powerful, complementary approaches that meet students where they are. Learn more about how both approaches can meet the needs of your classroom:

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HMH Professional Learning provides coaching memberships to support differentiated instruction in the classroom. Learn more.

Learn how HMH Personalized Path pinpoints the practice, lessons, and targeted intervention K–8 students need to achieve growth.