Explore the Modules | Deeper Learning

The modules are available in a fully curated and sequential format as part of the Creative Commons on Canvas Free for Teachers, which was selected as a learning platform due to its open accessibility to faculty and students. Check out our Technical Guide to accessing the modules on Canvas, which includes directions for using the modules as-is in full viewable form, or creating a copy within the platform to make your own adaptations.

Knowing that some faculty/instructors may prefer to use a different platform than Canvas or more readily identify the individual parts of the modules that best apply to their courses, we have also created direct access to the instructional videos and key materials for each module on this site.

What other materials are provided?

Along with the instructional materials and accompanying resources that can be accessed in the Canvas Free for Teachers platform or on this site, the modules each have a facilitator’s guide with an outline of content, guidance for pacing, and supplementary resources for flexible implementation.

All activities can be completed virtually if you are facilitating an online course, but will require some synchronous instruction and collaboration. The modules have been used in a variety of online, hybrid, and in-person settings.

Being able to have access to a P-12 classroom is particularly beneficial in some cases, such as when a module is focusing on local learning environments or encouraging candidates to try out new practices with students, but it is not always required.

What role do faculty and instructors play?

The modules are designed for faculty/instructors to:

Integrate module(s) as desired within an existing course(s) in order to actively facilitate and extend candidate learning about the module topic (estimated total completion time 8-10 hours)
Adapt and customize the materials to their program context, subject-area focus and virtual vs. in-person learning settings
Help candidates navigate between segments of online content, videos/case examples, real-time engagement in interactive/applied activities with their peers, and opportunities for reflection throughout each module sequence

How do the modules engage students?

Each of the modules focuses on how teachers can support students as they build at least one of the deeper learning competencies within the classroom. The strategic design of the modules combines online instruction with applied activities that:

Can be flexibly infused into existing educator preparation programs and coursework
Immerse candidates in inquiry-driven learning experiences, facilitated and customized by their course instructor for their particular context
Require candidates to make connections between deeper learning, learner-centered practice backed by learning science, and real-world P-12 classroom teaching

Can I freely use the modules?

This collection of deeper learning modules is currently available as a free, open-source set of online materials for faculty/instructors all over the globe to integrate into their pre-service preparation programs, as a supplement to existing course materials. It has also been piloted as an in-service resource for professional learning. The modules can be adapted and shared with attribution:

© 2024 by The SCALE Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License and should be generally attributed as follows: “SCALE/Hewlett Deeper Learning Modules”.

What if my students need more general background on Deeper Learning?

The beginning of each module in Canvas Free for Teachers has an optional introductory section with some general deeper learning resources. You can access them in PDF form here: General Deeper Learning Resources

Why were the modules created?

Research indicates that racially, linguistically and culturally diverse student populations from economically and socially disadvantaged communities are far more likely to attend schools with a preponderance of new or relatively inexperienced teachers and high teacher turnover.

Depending on their preparation pathway and curriculum, our country’s beginning teachers may have had inconsistent or limited exposure to instructional strategies that effectively support the principles of deeper learning. During COVID-19, it became even more difficult for programs to make connections to what deeper learning looks like in the classroom and provide exposure to diverse examples of P-12 practices that equitably and effectively engage all students in 21st Century skill-building. This exacerbated existing inequities in teacher preparation and impacted readiness to enter the profession, creating misalignment between pre-service experience and P-12 classroom needs at the front end of the pipeline. In order to better support beginning teachers and the students they serve, there is a continued critical imperative to strategically prepare educators to develop deeper learning dispositions and competencies and employ research-based, equitable teaching strategies that build upon their students’ assets.

As the project continues, we are engaging with our university partners in robust research about the possibilities and potential of the hybrid model of deeper learning resources that we have been developing for teacher preparation. These resources have been designed to be flexibly integrated into existing teacher preparation courses within diverse higher education settings, providing the opportunity to learn how these types of flexible, innovative resources come to be adopted by different faculty/instructors in different contexts, as we support capacity-building and connection within and across programs.