The teacher at Jovan Dučić school in Serbia produces supplementary digital resources published at a personal blog as a support to teaching, making learning more accessible and practical.   Digital tools are also used to create tasks that match students’ individual needs and abilities. This allows students to work at their own pace, review difficult topics, and learn in ways that suit them best.

The teacher maintains a personal educational blog where supplementary digital resources, such as quizzes, animations, recorded lessons, and classroom activities, are uploaded. The blog functions as an evolving repository of materials that can be reused and enriched each year with new content and examples of student work. These resources support differentiated learning by giving students the opportunity to engage with the same tasks at their own pace and according to their individual needs. 

The learning materials are combined with inclusive practices aiming to enhance equity in the classroom. The teacher provides all students with the same quizzes and assignments designed uniformly for the entire class. However, the time required to complete them may vary from student to student. Some learners finish quickly, while others need additional time to type a story, generate digital content, or read through the materials. Therefore, the teacher is using flexible time allocation for completing the activities. For example, there are students who have minimum access to digital devices at home and find typing more challenging. As a result, for them, completing tasks within the standard 45-minute lesson is sometimes not possible and they are given additional time.  

The educational blog is a useful resource not only for teachers but also for students, educators and parents. Students can revisit previous activities to reflect on their learning, teachers can consult the materials, and parents have shown interest in using the resources to support their child’s learning at home. Providing differentiated materials in multiple formats through an online space can strengthen inclusion by allowing students to access supportive resources beyond the classroom. However, creating a blog to do this is not essential. Instead, materials can be shared through the school website or by emails to parents, so that students can continue working at home in ways similar to working in class.

To support differentiated learning, the same topic can be offered in different formats depending on students’ needs. Examples include:

• Tools such as NotebookLM which can generate videos or podcast-style audio content to complement textbook-based learning.
• The use of AI-supported applications such as ChatGPT, image generators, and Canva to facilitate differentiated instruction and enhanced student participation, particularly in language learning tasks. 
• Colour-coded activities according to the level of difficulty, helping students identify tasks that correspond to their readiness level.
• Variation in the number and complexity of challenges or problems assigned to students, allowing some to work on basic tasks while others engage with more complex or extended activities.

Differentiated materials alone do not ensure inclusion, even if some students are given more time to complete tasks. Classroom quizzes and tasks need to be adapted to students’ individual needs. Students who complete the task before others could be offered additional, more challenging, activities. In this way, inclusion can be meaningfully promoted for every learner.

Differentiated tasks and materials promote inclusivity, different learning levels are addressed through adapted assignments, and individual support can be provided to pupils with specific needs, ideally with the help of support staff and teachers at Am Park school in Luxembourg.

Digital tools can play a central role in supporting inclusion and differentiation, for example:

• Interactive whiteboards are used for interactive books, games, explanatory videos, and collaborative problem solving, and their multimodal nature supports different learning preferences.
• Tablets are mainly used for differentiation, repetition, and consolidation, especially for pupils with learning difficulties, allowing them to revisit content at their own pace and develop individual learning strategies.
• Laptops support the production of presentations, text documents, and media projects such as students’ news bulletins. Pupils react very positively to digital media, working intuitively with technology and showing high motivation, particularly in creative projects like stop motion films or presentations.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly used by both students and teachers. Pupils and parents sometimes rely on AI to support homework, while teachers use it for lesson preparation, administrative tasks, and differentiation. AI is also used to generate ideas, simplify texts, reformulate content into accessible language, or create visual story formats based on the students’ needs and characteristics.

In short, digital technologies, are key enablers of independence and multimodal learning in the school. Every student can work with tablets, access websites and tasks through QR codes, complete listening tasks independently, and engage in interactive exercises. A playful, sensory rich approach increases motivation, engagement and confidence.

A school could use a range of digital tools to support differentiated learning and make the learning environment more inclusive. These tools enable multimodal content delivery, adaptive learning pathways, and multiple assessment formats, offering educators the opportunity to create inclusive learning spaces efficiently.

AI powered tools can personalise learning, simplifying texts, rewriting content in more accessible language and turning written information into pictures. For example, a complex curriculum text can be rewritten in clearer, learner friendly language for any subject. The same content can also be turned into a visual story or an illustrated sequence, creating easy to follow materials. This supports students with dyslexia or those facing language barriers, allowing them to understand the content and participate fully in the learning activity without limitations. These materials can also be included in students’ portfolios, especially for learners who need more time to process information, allowing them to revisit content at their own pace.

If there are minimum or no digital tools available, teachers can still promote differentiated learning. For example, they can present the same topic through a variety of formats – text, audio, visual, video, interactive activities – allowing students to engage with content in ways that best match their learning preferences and abilities. In a 45-minute secondary school physics lesson on force and motion, the first 15 minutes could focus on introducing the theory, followed by 10 minutes during which students choose to explore the topic through either a short video or an audio explanation (multimodal exploration). In the final 15 minutes, students could take part in an interactive classroom experiment to apply the concept in practice and strengthen their understanding through active engagement.

Today’s classrooms at Mġarr Primary School in Malta are highly diverse. The classroom consists of students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Some children receive strong support at home, while others come from families facing socio economic challenges or from homes where school is not a priority. These characteristics affect students’ engagement with school. Teachers at Mġarr Primary School in Malta also work with students with special educational needs and learning difficulties within the typical classroom. In addition, the school accommodates learners who speak little English and almost no Maltese. The teacher strongly believes that there is no single approach to meeting students’ needs and that lessons should be differentiated based on students’ abilities and that the digital tools used should support this approach.

The teacher begins with assessment for learning strategies. These strategies help teachers understand what students already know and identify the support they need. In practice, this involves breaking down explanations and asking questions that consider students’ current knowledge, how they like a lesson to be planned, and what motivates them. The teacher explains the content while providing targeted support for students with difficulties such as dyslexia, going next to them to explain individually. In addition, the teacher collaborates closely with Learning Support Educators in the school, grouping students according to ability and sharing responsibilities to ensure each group receives appropriate guidance.

The teacher uses digital tools as an additional instructional resource. In some situations, technology effectively functions as a “second teacher,” enabling parallel learning pathways within the same lesson. For example, in Maltese language lessons, the teacher is piloting an approach to support three non-Maltese-speaking students. This involves recording PowerPoint presentations with spoken explanations and guidance specifically tailored to Maltese as a foreign language. While the rest of the class follows the standard Maltese lesson, these students can use headphones and a computer to engage with a parallel, adapted lesson designed to meet their linguistic needs.

Another example is using a laptop when students finish early because they are very good at Mathematics. The teacher prepares games in advance based on the topic of the lesson and challenges the advanced students to work on the games. In the meantime, they are rewarded because they did well and finished early, and at the same time they are using technology to practice and develop their skills.

Accommodating the needs of every learner in a diverse classroom is one of the main challenges teachers face in today’s schools. Technology supports teachers in differentiating learning approaches and adapting materials according to the needs of the classroom.

Before facilitating students’ needs and adapting the lesson accordingly, teachers should be able to understand their abilities. Newly arrived migrant students should be assessed in a friendly manner. Translation tools, videos with subtitles, and instructions in their native language can support communication at first. It is important for the new pupils to feel respected and part of the classroom. Asking them about their favourite food and games could develop trust. Additionally, giving students the space to draw their favourite place or an activity they enjoy helps them express themselves and feel included from the very beginning.

The school environment also plays an important role in providing support. Teachers can collaborate with colleagues, Learning Support Educators and other professionals to better understand students’ needs and plan appropriate strategies.

After exploring students’ abilities and ensuring support is available for every student, it is time to differentiate the lesson plan. Differentiated materials for every learner should include translations and easy to read texts with visual explanations for migrant students, simplified language with visuals for students with dyslexia, no colourful or overstimulating materials for autistic students, and additional resources for gifted learners. Teachers can also provide step by step instructions and audio or short video explanations to support different learning preferences. AI powered tools can assist teachers differentiate the lessons with simple steps. The provision of choices, such as completing an activity through writing, drawing, or using a digital tool, also helps students engage in the classroom on their own terms. Differentiation – although it can be time-consuming and school leaders should recognise and accommodate this – supports accessibility and creates a learning environment in which every learner flourishes.

Kingswood Community College in Ireland leverages technology as a cornerstone of its inclusive education strategy. It operates a one-to-one iPad model, ensuring that every student and teacher has access to a personal device. This approach enables learning to extend beyond the classroom, supporting both in-school and home-based activities. Technology is not used in isolation but integrated with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create flexible, multimodal learning experiences.

Teachers utilise iPads and a range of apps to present content through varied formats, visual, auditory, and interactive, allowing students to have meaningful choice in how they engage with the learning. Students are encouraged to express their learning creatively, whether through video projects, audio recordings, or digital brainstorming tools like Popplet. This fosters autonomy and engagement while maintaining rigorous success criteria to ensure learning outcomes are met.

The school’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Schoology, plays a critical role in personalisation. It serves as a central hub for lesson materials, homework, and scaffolds tailored to specific learner needs. Teachers curate resources such as worksheets, vocabulary banks, and structured plans, making them easily accessible to all students.

Teachers at Kingswood Community school build on students’ existing digital media skills by allowing them to create videos on their school iPads, giving technology as a meaningful mode of choice. For example, either produce a video on three key moments in Romeo and Juliet or write a traditional essay on the same content. Both options require equal depth of preparation, including selecting key quotes and analysing important scenes. Although some teachers may worry that video work is less academically rigorous, the use of shared success criteria ensures the same learning outcomes are assessed across both formats. The only difference is the mode of expression, supporting student autonomy while maintaining academic standards.

Technology supported personalised learning as implemented at Kingswood Community College is based on three key steps.

The first step involves recognising and developing the digital skills of students, allowing them to independently use digital devices or navigate simple online platforms. Teachers can leverage the use of specific digital tools or platforms by focusing on students’ needs, curriculum objectives, and learning goals. Even basic skills such as opening apps, accessing a Virtual Learning Environment, or recording short videos can support personalised learning. An important element is for technology to be integrated as a natural part of classroom practice, rather than an add on.

The second step focuses on providing the students with the choice to navigate knowledge in their own terms. Teachers can offer students the option to submit tasks and projects in the form they feel best reflects their mastery of learning outcomes or expression of ideas. For example, educators can provide multiple formats such as essays, videos, audio recordings, or creative digital projects, and students can select the mode that best aligns with their strengths. Some pupils may feel more comfortable recording a short video retelling a story instead of writing a paragraph or creating a digital poster to show their understanding of a science topic. The learning outcomes remain consistent, but the pathways to reach them become flexible and inclusive.

The third step involves assessing these alternative formats using clear and consistent success criteria. Establishing shared assessment criteria helps educators evaluate all student work under the same lens. Criteria might include understanding of the topic, critical development of ideas, clarity of communication, and connections to real world issues. Teachers should focus on applying the same expectations across all formats, ensuring that student choice does not compromise academic rigour.

The Special Needs Coordinator plays a central role in supporting both teachers and pupils with diverse learning needs at Munziger school in Switzerland. Their role is a combination of organisational tasks, direct student support, and close collaboration with teaching staff to ensure an inclusive and structured learning environment.

A key part of the role involves holding individual sessions with students. These sessions often focus on subject specific matters, such as working through a lesson, clarifying content, or discussing how to structure learning. The fact that the school uses LearningView, with weekly schedules and tasks available online, is helpful for the Special Needs Coordinator, as it allows easy access to each student’s work and progress. For example, students may receive support in subjects such as French or in understanding how to organise their study tasks effectively.

Close collaboration with teachers is essential not only for the progress of individual students but also for the overall functioning of the classroom. When issues arise at class level, the coordinator works with the teacher to identify solutions that benefit everyone. For example, the coordinator helps create a more predictable and organised classroom environment, which can help autistic students feel more comfortable and this has a positive impact on the entire class.

In addition, there are times where the coordinator and subject teachers need to work closely with students and support their individual needs comprehensively. The coordinator supports pupils with severe ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), some of whom face additional health challenges. To provide structure, the Special Needs coordinator has prepared a checklist that outlines each step that students need to follow daily. It includes prompts such as “Have you collected your materials?” or “Have you chosen a place to work?”, which they can tick off independently. The students also work on a routine which includes working at their desk for 20 minutes, showing the teacher progress in the task, taking a short break, and continuing with the rest of the task.

This approach support students by breaking up the workload into manageable chunks. However, the approach is always highly individual and depends on students’ needs as well as the school’s capacity. Teachers point out for example that there are times when it is not possible to check students’ work every 20 minutes. At such times, teachers rely on pupils to come forward and show their task progress, avoiding a fully top down approach and giving students responsibility for managing their own work. These working routines are beneficial not only for students with ADHD but also for autistic students. Breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps helps create a better classroom experience for learners who benefit from additional structure.

Differentiated instructions and materials are crucial for some students. Technology can support teachers in creating those materials quickly to effectively support every student.

For example, creating a checklist based on the student’s day that outlines each step of the day can be valuable and change a student’s behaviour and improve academic results. Written or visual checklists that guide students through each stage can be given every morning in the first 10 minutes allowing students to prepare for the day.

If this is considered too time consuming, building new classroom routines within specific subjects can help. For example, when students need to complete individual tasks, the routine can include using an hourglass or timer to provide structure:

• The students turn the hourglass and begin working,
• Once the hourglass runs out, they show their progress to the teacher or have a break, walking round the classroom or drinking water,
• Then turn the hourglass again to continue/finalise the task.

AI can also help teachers to generate differentiated materials and create multiple versions of the same task, adjusted for reading level, language proficiency or learning pace of the students. Provision of AI powered text to speech (Speechify), visual summaries (Canva) and creative learning materials (MagicSchool) can support students’ individual needs. These materials can reinforce existing routines and enhance students’ overall progress by providing structure and consistency.