Dr. Donna P. Whitcombe

Donna Whitcombe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at International University Canada, where she teaches and mentors students across the School of Education. Her academic work focuses on differentiated instruction, examining how teachers adapt content, process, and assessment methods to meet the varied learning needs, readiness levels, and interests of students within a single classroom.

Throughout her academic career, Donna Whitcombe has developed a teaching approach that helps students move beyond viewing differentiation as simply creating multiple versions of the same lesson, toward understanding it as a flexible instructional philosophy responsive to ongoing assessment of student needs. She encourages students to see differentiation as an essential teaching skill rather than an occasional accommodation.

In her courses, Donna Whitcombe draws on differentiated instruction case studies, classroom management strategies for diverse learning needs, and current research in inclusive teaching practice to help students build practical instructional skills. Students explore topics such as formative assessment for differentiation, flexible grouping strategies, tiered assignment design, and approaches for differentiating instruction for students with varying language proficiency and learning needs.

As an Associate Professor within the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Donna Whitcombe also contributes to curriculum planning that prepares students to teach effectively in increasingly diverse classroom settings. She works closely with colleagues across the School of Education to ensure that coursework reflects current best practices in differentiated and inclusive instruction.

Donna Whitcombe places particular emphasis on helping students understand differentiation as sustainable and manageable within real classroom constraints, recognizing that teachers often face time and resource limitations that require practical, efficient differentiation strategies. She designs coursework that focuses on realistic, classroom-tested approaches rather than idealized but impractical models.

Recognizing that many of her students are working professionals studying online, Donna Whitcombe structures her courses with accessible instructional strategies, clear assessment frameworks, and consistent opportunities for applied discussion. Her approach to online teaching emphasizes building practical differentiation skills that students can apply directly within their own classrooms.

Students who study under Donna Whitcombe often highlight her ability to make differentiated instruction feel achievable and genuinely beneficial for diverse learners. Her long-term goal as an educator is to help students develop the instructional skills needed to support careers in teaching, curriculum development, and inclusive education practice.