Personalized Learning

Personalized Learning is an educational approach tailored to meet the unique needs, interests, and learning styles of individual students. This method emphasizes flexibility in teaching, allowing educators to adapt their strategies to support each learner’s progress. In personalized learning environments, students often have a voice in determining their learning paths, which can enhance engagement and motivation. This approach recognizes that learners come from diverse backgrounds and may require different supports to achieve their educational goals.

Key elements of personalized learning include the use of technology to facilitate customized learning experiences, ongoing assessment to track student progress, and collaboration among educators, students, and families. By focusing on individual strengths and challenges, personalized learning aims to provide a more equitable educational experience. This method can be particularly beneficial in addressing learning gaps and promoting a deeper understanding of content. As education continues to evolve, personalized learning remains a prominent topic of discussion among educators, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking effective strategies to enhance student achievement.

Published in: 2021

By: Mercadal, Trudy

Subject Terms

Personalized Learning

Abstract

Personalized learning is a pedagogical philosophy and practice that focuses on the learner and aims to provide learning experiences tailored to each learner. Personalized learning recognizes the uniqueness of each student and emphasizes learner self-direction and responsibility. Educators collaborate with learners to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each one and to help develop individuals' skills and abilities to achieve a satisfactory and successful learning experience.

Overview

In practice, personalization refers to providing a learning experience as suited to the learner as possible. That means establishing materials and settings that will best support the individual learning process. Each learner has a different trove of life experiences, interests, and capacities. Therefore, learners acquire knowledge and solve problems differently. In contemporary multicultural society, this is further complicated by the different cultural, national, and linguistic backgrounds of many students. Groups of learners may share similarities in age, culture, or other social factors; however, learning for most individuals is a unique process. There is no single way of developing a personalized learning program. Regardless of the techniques and methods employed, personalization is centered upon the learner. It can include older or traditional techniques in combination with the most innovative and cutting edge methods available. For example, blended learning is a method that uses a combination of traditional in-person instruction and online or computerized learning. Some techniques which include personalization are known as project-based learning, cooperative learning, guided practice, and differentiated instruction.

At an institutional level, personalization refers to the systematic and methodological implementation of an educational strategy with the goal of balancing the personal traits of learners, institutional goals and possibilities, and the learning environment. It implies making a careful assessment of what a fulfilling learning experience is in each context and for each student and of each learner's abilities. It also calls for indentifying both learners' and institution's limitations. Personalization supports learners with standards, appropriate media and materials, and mentors and teachers, so that each student can assess his or her own goals and capabilities, map a course of action in order to achieve his or her goals, keep track of the learning process, work in teams, and measure learning against a benchmark of established standards.

Personalized learning is not a new concept. In pre-modern eras, the ruling classes hired tutors who provided personalized learning to their charges. With scant access to public schools, children learned skills in a diversity of personalized situations, which were mostly hands-on and practical. Nevertheless, personalization, as understood in modern pedagogy, goes beyond mere tutoring and training. It must also incorporate the basic pedagogical skills of student-centeredness, learner self-directedness, and other important elements of the personalization philosophy. The extent of personalization had other limitations in the pre-modern age. The pedagogical method of Scholasticism, which is based on very specific content and entrenched dogma, ruled educational philosophy. Institutional schooling and early universities, which developed at the inception of the modern era have seldom implemented a fully personalized system.

The conventional system known today was developed in nineteenth century Prussia, highly militaristic society with an authoritarian culture. The system was adopted in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, spearheaded by education reformer Horace Mann. Mann advocated a universal education system, in which all students learned the same content in accordance with the same methods. As the U.S. school system expanded, so did the dominant style of education, based on demarcations of age, grade, and specific subjects. The system has survived, with some modifications, to date. Educators and policy makers have tried throughout the decades to improve the educational field by tinkering with the system, methods, and curricula. For example, new techniques were adopted every so often to teach old curricula and vice versa. One of the most prevalent systems in recent decades relies on standardized testing as a way to diagnose and improve schooling problems, a practice that generally runs counter to the philosophy of personalized learning.

The inception of the modern personalized learning approach can be traced to the 1960s, with the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) developed by Fred Keller in Brazil. This system relied on mastering new material, teaching by motivation rather than information, and other methods considered innovative at the time. In the late 1960s, the Foxfire Fund developed a system of personalized learning known as Core Practices, which is based on trusting the students to learn from each other; the educator works as a guide and team leader, rather than as an authoritarian figure. The approach emphasizes, as well, connecting class work with the community. Core Practices relies on active learning, working in small groups, peer and community learning, and other student-centered practices. Several other personalized models developed in the 1960s and 1970s with some similarities and differences. Most approaches, however, emphasize the importance of active learning, learner involvement in the learning process, and the educator as a facilitator. These approaches remain representative of personalized learning to date.

By the mid-1990s, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) presented a report that advanced the idea that high schools should commit to the development of more personalized approaches to teaching, or differentiated instruction. In time, other organizations focusing on education and educational achievement, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, incorporated elements of personalization in their outlook and programs. To date, however, it is not the main educational approach worldwide, although efforts are being undertaken by some schools and education innovators to combine strategies of personalized learning with the Common Core standards used in U.S. public schools.

Applications

Societies worldwide are faced with the task of educating an increasingly diverse workforce for a rapidly changing technological age. Complex social and political problems affect countries all over the world, and these problems, interconnected at a global level, have the power to impact far-flung societies at an unprecedented speed. Information disseminates more rapidly than ever before, and people must constantly improve their skills in order to keep apace. In order to achieve this, schools must educate individuals to be thinkers, as well as adaptable and constant learners, flexible enough to change with the fast-paced rhythm of contemporary life. However, some experts argue that obsolete educational systems continue to burden many schools. They urge the modernization of curricula and implementation of personalized education systems that prepare learners for a highly technological workplace.

Many schools and institutions of higher education are experimenting with and implementing computer technology and digital systems that can be partially or fully adapted to students' needs and preferences. In fact, studies are shedding light on the significant ways in which technology is changing the ways in which individuals consume information and acquire knowledge. In order to perform successfully in diverse areas of life, modern individuals, both as learners and as workers, must process more knowledge in less amount of time, and engage in lifelong learning. Employers demand more in the way of skills and academic degrees. In consequence, individuals seek to continue the learning process in ways that are adaptable to their needs, capacities, geographical situation, and schedules. Technologies of electronic learning, or e-learning, have expanded quickly, aiming to serve a vast global market of learners. Massive open online courses (MOOCs), which offer free or inexpensive unlimited participation to students around the world, have consequently grown explosively. While some offer elements of personalized learning, most do not. On the other hand, MOOCs are self-paced and often allow students the use of a variety of learning media.

Among e-learning's first systems were video learning, computer-based training, and computer tutorials. The early methods of e-learning programs have changed, as has the target market. Primarily, most users of e-learning were groups of people seen by producers as homogenous, such as a group of company employees. Nevertheless, a great diversity of people exists in the workplace and educational settings. Many companies and universities for example, have facilities around the world, and learning media developers must take into account a wide divergence of cultural and language differences. Moreover, the number of international students across the world—especially in the United States—is growing, and higher education institutions seek ways to accommodate and facilitate their learning experience. Early e-learning systems, however, were not created to cater to the individual. Eventually, e-learning experts discovered the potential for personalized learning and sought ways to incorporate them. In short, workers and students are becoming more diverse and multicultural, a phenomenon reflected in the growing numbers of e-learning users.

On the other hand, some educational experts are concerned about the constant risk of de-personalization inherent in e-learning systems. Among these risks is the fact that e-learning often requires much self-discipline and may be discouraging for students who are unable to adapt for a variety of reasons, including lack of personal support from teachers or mediators, such as mentor-ship and tutoring. Many e-learning systems, however, constantly work to improve the level of interaction between instructors and learners. For example, many modern educational settings combine online learning with more conventional and personalized systems, which may include classroom participation, team work with other students, and personalized time with educators or tutors.

In general, personalized learning relies on the pedagogical skills of instructors and teachers, and the learner's skills and attitude toward learning. While the most effective system of personalized learning is in-person tutoring, this is seldom a viable possibility in institutionalized settings. Digital material has been increasingly incorporated into the conventional educational system, but according to some experts, these are rarely optimized as much as they could be. Nevertheless, digital systems remain potentially useful for personalized learning because they allow students to go over the material as often as necessary, for example, and provide other ways to adapt the technology to learners' preferences. Moreover, the new computer systems have built-in capacities to "remembef' and can be programmed to adapt to learner needs. Digital systems also allow users to create profiles and adapt programs in diverse ways. Therefore, digital systems can be considered as the technology closest to in-person tutoring.

Griffin's Continuum. Personalized learning has developed some standardized strategies. In the late 1970s, educational expert Robert Griffin identified five stages of personal learning. Griffin argues that personalized education, rather than an "all or nothing" proposition, is really a continuum of stages. As learners advance, they become more personally involved in the process. Crucial to the personalized learning experience is that learners be capable of demonstrating self-awareness in relation to the learning processes that they have selected to pursue. The concept of self-learning can be broken down into five stages: Establishing personalized learning goals, selecting learning activities, achieving personal satisfactory learning, next step forward, and implementation of personal goals. Because they are the bases of other personalized learning methods, Griffin's stages bear further explanation.

Personal learning goals relate to personal meaning and personal learning concepts, which must connect with each other. At this stage, students establish clearly defined learning goals. The motivations or purposes must reflect the ways in which the learner views himself or herself at that point in time, and how the learner visualizes himself or herself in the future.
Personalized learning activities must be selected by learners in relation to their previously established goals. Learners must describe the activities they want to perform in order to achieve their learning goals. This stage also differentiates between engaging critically in learning activities; in other words, students must develop a deep understanding of the consequences of learning activities.
Personally satisfactory learning achievement is the stage at which learners show they have achieved personal satisfaction from the learning process. This is described according to the point of view of the learner, and includes insights and skills developed in relation to the goals previously established. It is important to note that not only must learners demonstrate that they can perform specific operations and intellectual processes, but also describe them and connect them to their personal and learning goals.
Stage four is also known as "the next step." At this stage, learners should be able to describe new learning activities, such as projects to undertake, skills to hone, topics to study, and so on. This stage is important for students to achieve greater autonomy, as they identify which is the appropriate step for them to take.
Personal goal implementation is the stage at which learners proceed to implement or integrate acquired knowledge in ways that prove satisfactory to themselves. These should prove coherent with the goals and activities of the previous stages, especially stage 3. At this stage, educators need to assess that the learner not only values the results achieved, but can also implement new knowledge to a diversity of situations inside and outside the classroom.

Diverse Learner Populations. Although the idea behind personalized learning has consistently maintained the goal of being flexible and adaptable, experts have continuously sought to standardize strategies and best practices without falling into dogmatism. The research-based work of Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) identified five key elements for educators to develop in classrooms with a diverse learner population:

Focus on learners by way of learning about their cultural identities, learning styles, and learning preparedness and preferences.
Be self-aware, reflect and identify educators' own cultural biases, assumptions, expectations, and teaching styles.
Identify curricula concepts and material that are accessible to students and help develop their global competence.
Ensure cultural sensitivity in the pedagogical information and materials gathered and used.
Develop relations with a diversity of peers and colleagues in order to enlist their support, such as sharing their experiences and perspectives with both colleagues and learners.

Personalized High School. The National High School Alliance proposes several "Call to Action" key elements aimed at developing an effective personalized learning environment, or "Personalized High School": Academic engagement for all students, empowered educators, responsive and accountable leaders, engaged community and youth, integrated system of curriculum, instruction, and assessments with support for teaching and learning. These include a variety of activities that foster a successful personalized learning experience, including the creation of personalized learning plans, student portfolios, and encouraging students to organize and present at conferences. These elements aimed at developing engaged educators and learners, according to supporters, have already proven successful at many existing innovative school programs.

Although the protagonist of a personalized learning environment is the learner, the role of teachers, educators or instructors is most important. Rather than be a "boss," educators are mediators. They must be able to differentiate clearly between learning that accomplishes institutional and curricula goals and learning that is fulfilling at the personal level to students. Often the challenge for educators is finding the ways of helping learners achieve both. As educators help learners connect their personal experiences to the learning process, learners are able to grow individually and in relation to the world around them.

Terms & Concepts

Active learning: A learning process by which students engage in various academic activities that foster collaborative processes, problem solving, vigorous or lively thought, and participation.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs): Free or inexpensive online courses that offer unlimited participation to students around the world. While some offer elements of personalized learning, most do not. On the other hand, MOOCs are self-paced and often allow students the use of a variety of learning media.

Pedagogy: The methodology, art, and practice of teaching.

Personalized system of instruction (PSI): Methodolgy developed by Fred Keller in Brazil. This system relied on mastering new material and teaching by motivation rather than information.

Bibliography

Basham, J. D., Hall, T. E., Carter, Jr., R. A., & Stahl, W. M. (2016). An operationalized understanding of personalized learning. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(3), 126–136. Retrieved December 19, 2016 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source.http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=117662900&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Bray, B.A., & McLaskey, K.A. (2014). Make learning personal: The what, who, wow, where, and why. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin.

DiMartino, J., & Wolk, D.L. (2010). The personalized high school: Making learning count for adolescents. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ferguson, D., Ralph, G., Meyer, G., Lester, J., & Droege, C. (2001). Designing personalized learning for every student. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Grant, P., & Basye, D. (2014). Personalized learning: A guide to engaging students with technology. Arlington, VA: International Society for Technology in Education.

Hartley, D. (2008). Markets and the pedagogy of personalization. British Journal of Educational Studies, 56(4), 365–381.

Jenkins, J. M., & Keefe, J. W. (2002) Two schools: Two approaches to personalized learning. The Phi Delta Kappan, 83(6), 449–456. Retrieved March 22, 2015 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=6033757&site=ehost-live

Nussbaum-Beach, S. (2013) Just the facts: Personal learning networks. Educational Horizons, 91(2), 26–27.

Powell, W., Kusuma-Powell, O. (2011). How to teach now: 5 keys to personalized learning in the global classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Swinke, T. (2012) A unique, culture-aware, personalized learning environment. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 2, 31–36. Retrieved January 11, 2015 from EBSCO Education Research Complete: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=83446474&site=ehost-live

Personalized Learning

On this Page

Subject Terms

Personalized Learning

Abstract

Overview

Applications

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

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