Oral Presentation

1. Differentiation within
a Dance Class
BA PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ARTS)
PROGRAMME
STUDENT NAME: CERYS DIXIE
STUDENT NUMBER: M00312242
MODULE 3 WBS 3760
ORAL PRESENTATION 28/05/12

2. What is Differentiation?
Differentiation is recognising the differences in us all as
individuals.
It is more than just addressing a students ability and includes
differences in: preferred learning styles, age, motivation,
interests, gender, maturity, prior learning and experience and
specific learning difficulties.
“Differentiation is the process by which differences
between learners are accommodated so that all
students in a group have the best possible chance of
learning” (Petty, 2004)

3. Aims of the Inquiry
 Understand how to use differentiation effectively when
teaching a dance class.
 Be able to structure a dance class where by differentiation is
built in to allow you to cater for various students learning
needs.
 Recognise differences in learning styles and offer
alternatives through different teaching methods.
 Be inclusive in dance to ensure each student is being
challenged within their own capabilities.
 Give students the opportunity to maximise their own
learning and enjoyment within a dance class.

4. Ethical Benefits
 Each students can be recognised as an individual person.
 Teachers can acknowledge that everyone learns slightly
differently and have individual needs.
 All students can feel included and a valued member of a class.
 A students feelings and emotions can be taken into account
through a person centred approach.
 Students can be taught equally through a variety of different
strategies, not a “One size fits all” approach

5. Tools
Surveys
-Students motivation for attending a dance class
-What level they would like and feel able to work at
-The most important factors for students in a dance class
-Teachers understanding and use of differentiation
Observations
Involved a group of students aged 8-11
Took the form of Action research
Interviews
Further explored data that came from the surveys and
observations

6. Main Findings
1. Students want to be challenged but also have fun.
2. The process and experience during a dance class
is more important than the end result.
If your class is pratcising a
dance for a show, what is
Perfection
the most important thing Enjoyment
for you?
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Survey results based on 81 dance student participants.

7. Main Findings
3. The importance of the „Role of the Dance Teacher‟.
- Approachable
- Friendly
- Get the work done
- Help us progress
- Balance between
discipline and
enjoyment
4. Not all dance teachers use differentiation and there
is a lack of knowledge surrounding it.

8. Main Findings
5. Use of both ability and mixed ability groupings for
best learning outcomes.
6. There is an awareness from students about their
different learning styles.
 VISUAL
 AUDITIRY/AURAL
 READ/WRITE
 KINESTHETIC

9. Main Findings
7. Visual aids can help learning.
Picture available at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~kines/undergraduate/dance.shtml
8. Developing critical learning skills.
Observing Analysing Feedback

10. Conclusion
 Its not necessarily What you teach but How you teach it that will define
the learning experience of your students.
 Not everything you do may suit everybody all of the time, but by using a
variety of strategies and giving options within a class a teacher can be
inclusive in their teaching.
 Varying What you teach and How you teach it will give students
different learning experiences and allow a teacher to tap into as many
different students needs as possible.
 Try not to think of differentiation as something „added on‟ to normal
teaching, but as something that is pass and parcel of the whole
teaching/learning experience.