The examples below may be useful for further exploration and expansion of the topic:

  1. YouTube video: “Adaptive Teaching vs Differentiation - What's the Difference?” 

 

  1. Case study

Scenario: "The invisible student in the online room"

Situation: In an asynchronous online STEM course, Professor Eriksson noticed one student, Li Wei, was submitting perfect assignments but never contributed to forums or group chats. Other students began to label her “distant.”

Challenge: Li Wei, a student from China, came from an educational background that emphasized quiet learning, deference to authority, and individual excellence. The Western-style forum debates felt performative and uncomfortable to her.

Action taken: The professor introduced a “Multimodal Participation Board” where students could engage via:

  • short written posts;
  • diagrams;
  • voice notes;
  • or even a simple emoji response.

He also created weekly “quiet reflections”, prompts in a private journal space.

Outcome: Li Wei began using voice notes to respond to prompts and found them more comfortable. Other students with neurodivergent or multilingual profiles also began engaging more actively in alternative formats. The class became more inclusive, and “silence” was no longer equated with disengagement.

Watch the videos to find out more about multi-modal learning:

  • YouTube video: “What is Multi-Modal Learning?”

  • YouTube video: “What is a Multimodal Learner?”

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