{"id":48545,"date":"2019-07-05T13:43:26","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T20:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=48545"},"modified":"2019-07-05T13:43:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T20:43:26","slug":"what-is-personalized-learning-and-why-is-it-so-controversial-5-questions-answered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-is-personalized-learning-and-why-is-it-so-controversial-5-questions-answered\/","title":{"rendered":"What is personalized learning and why is it so controversial? 5 questions answered"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/h4>\n

1. What is personalized learning?<\/h4>\n

As one education writer\u00a0observed<\/a>, the term has been used to describe \u201ceverything from supplemental software programs to whole-school redesigns.\u201d In its most basic form, the goal of personalization is to customize learning to an individual student\u2019s needs by giving the student greater control of the learning. What students are given control over, however, varies based on the type of personalized learning environment.<\/p>\n

2. What types of personalized learning are there?<\/h4>\n

Two of the most common types of personalized learning are pace-driven and student-driven.<\/p>\n

Pace-driven personalization enables the learner to move through the material at his or her own pace, typically through an online curriculum that adapts to the learner\u2019s needs and skills along the way. This addresses the problem that human beings do not learn at the same rate, even though most schools organize students by age.\u00a0Khan Academy<\/a>, an extensive online set of instructional videos, tools and exercises, is one well-known example of this approach. The academy lets students slow down or speed up based on their level and rate of mastery. Although students have greater control over the pace of their learning, the curriculum is pretty much already established.<\/p>\n

In student-driven personalization, students play a bigger role in what they want to learn based on their goals and interests. That is to say, the curriculum itself \u2013 not just the pace at which a student moves through it \u2013 is personalized. Students work both individually and collaboratively, often on projects that align with the questions and issues they wish to explore.<\/p>\n

In Vermont, where personalized learning plans have been mandated in grades 7-12, for instance, students might choose to learn about genetics and nutrition through\u00a0dairy farming<\/a>. Or students might study\u00a0forest ecology<\/a>\u00a0and population growth guided by the United Nations\u2019\u00a0sustainable development goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Is personalized learning something to worry about?<\/h4>\n

As with most educational reform, personalized learning is controversial. With pace-driven personalization, some parents report that their children are spending\u00a0too much time in front of computer screens<\/a>. This is particularly a problem for families who already struggle to limit their children\u2019s screen time at home. In other cases, students complain that personalized learning leads to an overreliance on technology and a\u00a0lack of meaningful interaction with teachers<\/a>. Initiatives such as\u00a0Summit Learning<\/a>, a personalized learning program\u00a0developed by Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and funded by the\u00a0Chan Zuckerberg Initiative<\/a>, have experienced significant\u00a0backlash<\/a>\u00a0over similar issues.<\/p>\n

Student-driven personalization has not met with the same concerns about isolation, as learning is often collaborative and connected to the local community. However, student-driven personalization often replaces traditional grading practices with\u00a0competency-based assessment<\/a>, a grading system based on students showing that they have learned certain skills. Some families worry about their\u00a0children being disadvantaged<\/a>\u00a0by competency-based assessments as they apply to selective colleges and universities. The reason is because competency-based transcripts may not include traditional GPA or class rank information, which parents worry could affect their children\u2019s chances of getting into their desired schools.<\/p>\n

4. What\u2019s the long-term impact of personalized learning?<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s too soon to assess the effects of personalized learning on students\u2019 life outcomes. The implementation of personalized learning is\u00a0challenging<\/a>. Educational researchers and policymakers are still figuring out\u00a0how to measure what it looks like<\/a>\u00a0in practice. And educators don\u2019t know enough about which strategies are most effective. With\u00a0millions of dollars<\/a>\u00a0being invested, however, personalized learning\u00a0continues to spread<\/a>\u00a0across the nation. And\u00a0states<\/a>\u00a0are paying more attention to studying both how it\u2019s being implemented and what kind of results it\u2019s getting.<\/p>\n

Early evidence suggests that personalized learning can improve\u00a0student achievement <\/a>\u00a0and student engagement, but exactly how it does so remains unclear. My colleagues and I at the\u00a0Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education<\/a>\u00a0study student-driven personalization within a statewide policy context.\u00a0Our research<\/a>\u00a0shows that students are deeply engaged by having more say in what and how they learn. They find a great sense of agency in doing real work that matters and that holds personal and social significance. Families notice the new levels of engagement demonstrated by their children and even learn new things about them. And teachers are inspired by their students\u2019 perseverance and commitment when delving into learning that is personal.<\/p>\n

5. Will personalized learning replace teachers?<\/h4>\n

Our research shows that teachers remain a crucial element in the schools of today and the future. Far from making teachers obsolete, student-driven personalized learning requires an expanded set of\u00a0skills and dispositions<\/a>\u00a0from teachers, one that demands they are even more responsive to the evolving interests and needs of their learners. For example, in order to help students achieve their learning goals, teachers need to scout out a wide array of resources and match these with each student\u2019s skill level. While challenging, understanding each student\u2019s needs and interests in this way can help strengthen relationships.<\/p>\n

In fact, thoughtful implementation can bolster\u00a0students\u2019 relationships with teachers<\/a>, as well as with their peers, families and communities, by inviting learners to share their identities, curiosities and questions with others. While teachers in traditional settings may opt to invite similar sharing, understanding students on a personal level is an essential component of the personalized learning environment. Making learning personal shouldn\u2019t mean isolation. <\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Penny Bishop is an Associate Dean and Professor of Middle Level Education at the University of Vermont<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1. What is personalized learning? As one education writer\u00a0observed, the term has been used to describe \u201ceverything from supplemental software programs to whole-school redesigns.\u201d In its most basic form, the goal of personalization is to customize learning to an individual student\u2019s needs by giving the student greater control of the learning. What students are given […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":48546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[295318],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-48545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-personalized-learning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is personalized learning and why is it so controversial? 5 questions answered - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-is-personalized-learning-and-why-is-it-so-controversial-5-questions-answered\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is personalized learning and why is it so controversial? 5 questions answered - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"1. What is personalized learning? As one education writer\u00a0observed, the term has been used to describe \u201ceverything from supplemental software programs to whole-school redesigns.\u201d In its most basic form, the goal of personalization is to customize learning to an individual student\u2019s needs by giving the student greater control of the learning. 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