Embracing Variability in Children's Learning Journeys: Towards Inclusive Education Systems

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Variability is a defining characteristic of children's development and learning. It is the thematic focus area of the Jacobs Foundation for the coming years. Our research agenda white paper discusses within-person, within-group, and contextual variability as three key aspects that influence children's learning journeys. Within-person variability refers to the inconsistency within an individual child's behavior, skills, and learning over time, resulting from factors like genetic makeup, epigenetic processes, and environmental influences. Within-group variability describes the diversity of skills, behaviors, and characteristics among children within a learning group or classroom arising from differences in genetic and experiential factors. Contextual variability refers to the differences between the various contexts a child encounters each day, such as home, school, and community settings.  While such contextual variability provides children with a myriad of learning opportunities, it also poses the challenge of requiring rapid behavioral adaptations. Despite the ubiquitous character of these types of variability in children's lives, educational systems often rely on one-size-fits-all instruction that caters to the mythical average student rather than addressing the varied and multidimensional needs of learners. As a result, many children are not offered learning opportunities that enable them to fulfill their unique potential in various contexts, both now and in the future. 


This panel aims to discuss promising approaches that investigate and address learning variability in education to improve the understanding of learning variability and contribute to the creation of inclusive educational systems and programming that better meet the diverse needs of children worldwide. This collaborative conversation with a set of funders and technical partners paves the way for more adaptive learning experiences and empowers children to reach their full potential. 

 

The Jacobs Foundation (JF) and its panel co-conveners (Schools 2030, OAK, and Digital Promise) would contribute to five knowledge gaps/themes and explore promising approaches to further embrace learning variability: Theme 1: Within-person Variability: Understanding variation in skills, behaviors, knowledge, and characteristics over time; Theme 2:Within-group Variability: Addressing and embracing heterogeneity in learning groups; Theme 3: Contextual Variability: Preparing children to thrive across contexts and time; Theme 4: Designing for Scale: Ensuring that learning solutions are effective across multiple contexts; Theme 5: Data and Methods: Facilitating next-generation research, assessment, and broad application.


This thematic focus of Jacobs Foundation significantly complements the activities of existing organizations and networks. The LEGO Foundation's Play for All Accelerator for instance, supports and scales organizations that promote inclusive learning through play for children with disabilities. JF’s emphasis on learning variability aligns with this mission, as we advocate for tailored approaches that cater to the diverse needs of children, enhancing their learning experiences through targeted methodologies.


Each of the three invited co-panelists brings a complementary perspective, which we will present during the panel:

OAK Foundation will present its Learning Differences Program, an initiative dedicated to addressing the needs of learners with specific learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia) and those who face related neurological processing challenges that can impact learning (such as attention deficits, sensory processing disorders, and executive function challenges). They will highlight how their work aligns with the goal of fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments as we acknowledge and promote the understanding that each learner's journey is unique and requires customized support.

Digital Promise Global will present the Learner Variability Project (LVP), an initiative that seeks to build on emerging research on learner variability and uncover strategies to meet learners where they are across varied contexts and needs.

This panel will also shed light on a larger network of organizations and initiatives, such as Schools 2030, a global movement supporting increased teacher and school agencies to improve education equity and quality, the Global Partnership for Education and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). In 2022 Schools 2030 conducted a landscape review of policies and practices related to learning differences across the ten Schools2030 program countries to better understand how learning differences are understood, defined, and supported at the school level. The recommendations in this report have served as a valuable orientation point for Schools2030 and other organizations on improving education programming to better serve learners with diverse and intersecting needs. initiatives emphasize the importance of inclusive and equitable education for all, which a focus on learning variability will support.

By bringing together a set of select leading organizations on the topic of learning variability, we aim to leverage our collective knowledge and resources to create a more inclusive and effective education system that caters to the diverse needs of all learners.

Sub Unit

• Inclusive Education SIG

Organizers

• Samuel Kembou, Jacobs Foundation

• Bethiel Girma Holton, Oak Foundation

• Kaja Jasińska, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education OISE, University of Toronto

Chair

• Samuel Kembou, Jacobs Foundation

Individual Presentations

• Beyond Averages: Harnessing Learner Variability for Inclusive Education - Barbara Pape, Digital Promise

• Rethinking Education for Equity: Challenging Uniformity and Empowering Diverse Learners for Success - Bethiel Girma Holton, Oak Foundation

Discussants

• Noam Angrist, Youth Impact; What Works Hub for Global Education, University of Oxford

• Na'ilah Nasir, Spencer Foundation