If you’ve attended an education conference or read about education at all in the past few years, no doubt you’ve come across the term ”personalized learning” in one form or another. You may have even seen a few definitions of the term through articles, brochures, and social media. But what does personalized learning really mean?
We’ve compiled a few definitions from some of the biggest names in education and education research as the basis for our own definition. Take a minute to review and then let us know what you think via Twitter or Facebook.
From the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative [note: MITili co-leads the CZI-supported “Reach Every Reader” grant]:
“Our goal is to empower more teachers and school leaders to create learning environments that meet the unique needs, interests and learning preferences of each child while supporting them as a whole person – taking into account their physical, social and emotional development. Learners should also be able to make and demonstrate progress in the way that suits them best, at their own pace, inside and outside of the traditional classroom.”
From the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:
“Personalized learning seeks to accelerate student learning by tailoring the instructional environment—what, when, how and where students learn —to address the individual needs, skills and interests of each student. Students can take ownership of their own learning, while also developing deep, personal connections with each other, their teachers and other adults.”
From Education Week:
“Each student should have a "learner profile," or a record documenting his or her academic strengths and weaknesses, motivations, and goals; students should have personal learning paths that encourage them to set and manage their individual academic goals; students should follow a ‘competency-based progression’ through topics; and their learning environments—in most cases, schools—should be flexible and structured in a way to support their goals.”
From the Center for Collaborative Education:
“Personalized Learning tailors the educational experience for every student by embracing individual strengths, needs, interests, and culture, and elevating student voice and choice to raise engagement and achievement. Personalized learning takes place within the context of educational equity, providing culturally responsive learning environments and equitable educational opportunities for all students.”
From a teacher speaking with EdSurge:
“Personalized learning is going to let students accelerate if they are able to and it is going to help student remediate. Instead of students learning 55 minutes five days a week, it’s going to open up to 24 hours, seven-days-a-week access to information and hopefully in a faster pace. Personalized learning is more like a menu at a fast food place. What do I need to learn? What do I want? And that’s what I get.”
Because personalized learning is a complex topic, there are multiple layers and definitions needed. MITili views personalized learning through three lenses:
- Right Learning - finding effective content, delivery, and assessment;
- Right Learner - including learner agency, prior knowledge, motivation, and interest;
- Right Time - defines physiological readiness and the ability to self-pace education.
The starting point for our personalized learning definition, then, is “getting the right learning to the right learner at the right time.” What’s your definition? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.