Student Choice
Overview
Providing students a voice in their learning is critical for making learning meaningful. When students are able to make choices about their learning, participate in instructional decisions, and choose assessment methods, they are more engaged and intrinsically motivated to learn. Providing individual choice, flexibility, and autonomy to students aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, which promotes personalized learning by recognizing and addressing the diverse needs, preferences, and interests of individual learners. Choice is especially important for students with learning disabilities who benefit from individualized support and accommodations to access content and maximize academic achievement. For students who have difficulty with Self-Regulation as it pertains to classroom norms, choice has been found to be an effective behavioral support.
Educators who provide choice and flexibility in engagement, action, and expression of learning increase students' Learning Mindset.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how these teachers build student choice into their classroom routines using project-based learning.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Teacher Modeling & Support Strategies
Providing instructional steps clearly and concisely can help learners understand classroom expectations, reduce cognitive load, and complete tasks more efficiently.
Discussing emotions with students consists of supporting their ability to identify, label, and manage their feelings.
Self-advocacy is the ability of an individual to understand and effectively express and assert their own rights, needs, desires, and interests.
Lateral reading refers to a specific type of media literacy used by professional fact-checkers to ascertain the credibility of digital information.
