[Personalized Learning]
What do you know about personalized learning? Please describe your understanding of the term before proceeding.
Personalized learning:
Personalized learning has become a more common concept in public, private, and online schools supported by a growing number of applications. The precise interpretation of personalize learning can depend on schools and individual understanding, including educational programs, learning experiences, instruction approaches or academic support strategies. In any case, the intention to apply personalized learning is to assist students achieve their full potential. In our OER we will focus on the K-12 school system.
Personalized, differentiated, and individualized learning
When discussing personalized learning, two other terms can also be compared and contrasted to complete the discussion. It is therefore important to maintain a distinction between these three terms.
Personalized learning:
Personalized learning is the "what" the students are interested in to learn and the activities that could engage them.
Students take the lead in that the students’ personal interests play the main role of learning activities and involve the students’ creations to design class content.
Teachers are facilitators who teach students to manage their own learning and who respond to students’ needs and interests.
The most effective application which involves students’ creation of learning activities is a one-on-one teacher and student model to arrange for best tailoring for each student’s interests, needs and pace but it is also unrealistic to be applied.
Technology is adapted to help the teacher facilitate the most effectively to help students achieve their potential.
Differentiated learning:
Differentiated learning is the “how” teacher teaches the class to create an effective learning experience.
Teaching activities and instructions are designed to meet individual student’s learning needs, preferences and goals.
The academic goals for a group of students are the same but the teacher can decide the methods suitable for individual student’s needs.
Teachers are aware of and actively responds to student’s different learning styles and assesses students with flexibility.
Teachers set up group work and class instructions to create a comfortable learning environment for all the students.
Teachers don’t prepare for separate lesson plans for the class, but plan for a variety of teaching methods to suit different learning styles among students.
Individualized learning:
Individualized learning is about “when” teacher to apply learning. The academic goal is the same for a group of students, but accommodates different paces among students to meet the curriculum goals.
This applies to students who need to catch up with the curriculum content, students who are advanced in the current curriculum, and students who may progress at a slower pace.
Teachers provide different course materials (e.g. more or less challenging content) delivered at the students’ pace.
Teachers use different strategies to adapt to different needs and interests of the students.
