# Branching

## Intro

By using the **Branching activity**, teachers can create **alternative learning paths** for students.

This activity is ***used for adaptive learning*** and personalise the learning experience for students.

As a teacher, you can create parallel learning pathways or branches based on create parallel through a design.

For instance in the example below, the output of a assessment activity is used to determine which branch the student should be allocated to.

![Branching based on the output of an assessment activity (Quiz)](/files/gDoHlXcGQAMsoVoh3S9U)

However, there are **several ways** that can be used **to allocate students into branches**:

1. **Manual or teacher choice**.\
   \
   You, the teacher, decides which branch each student should take. <br>
2. **Group or team based allocation**.\
   \
   When using groups or teams, you can map which team or teams go into each branch.<br>
3. **Tool output based allocation**.\
   \
   Given the output of a previously completed activity, a student can be allocated to a branch automatically. <br>
4. **Students select the branch**\
   \
   Students can select which branch they want to use. If you choose this option, you can give students the possibility to select one or more branches.&#x20;

{% hint style="success" %} <mark style="color:green;">**Branches within branches**</mark>\
\
You can have branches within branches making your adaptive teaching as granular as you desire!<br>
{% endhint %}

### Why do I want to use Branching?

1. Create **different learning experiences** for your students **based on different teams they belong to, learning outcomes, sensory preference, output from an assessment, teams, etc**. <br>
2. Create **truly adaptive teaching and deliver customised resources and learning activities** to address the unique needs of each student (or group of students).<br>
3. As a teacher, you can plan different scenarios for your students and let them run in parallel. \
   &#x20;

{% hint style="success" %} <mark style="color:green;">**Educational Insight**</mark>

Having the ability to create personalise learning experiences is the paramount of teaching. \
\
Using branching you can **create very fine grained learning experiences** for your students. Whether it is to remediate their knowledge or enhance and expand their expertise! \
\
As you are able to plan the branching allocation,&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### What can I use Branching for?

Branching can help you to personalise your teaching and better support your students when you create your lesson plan.&#x20;

If you have activities where each team within a class is to perform a different task, then you can use branching to allow these tasks to be performed by each team in parallel.

**The Branching possibilities are endless to create meaningful and adaptive learning experiences!**&#x20;

*Pedagogies that use Branching:* [Jigsaws](https://lamslearning.medium.com/online-lessons-using-jigsaw-teaching-strategy-in-lams-7d99aee3dd9d), Inductive learning, etc.

### How does it work? <a href="#how-does-it-work" id="how-does-it-work"></a>

You (teacher) can create simple or complex learning pathway for your students to follow.

Based on the rules or criteria you use to determine which path each student (or team/group) should follow, you can plan before you start the lesson what kind of support and experience your students will have.&#x20;

Now, lets look at each Branching type in detail.&#x20;


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