Personalized Learning: A Customizable Approach to (e)Learning

It is unfair for learners when the trainer calls the learning group to turn to the next lesson while some of the learners are still unable to comprehend what has been taught. Yet, it is mind-numbing for some as the session was spent on teaching things they already knew.

What is Personalized Learning?

Personalized Learning is an educational approach where each learner gets customized learning material based on their strengths, interests, and skills. Personalized Learning is the exact opposite of the ‘one size fits all’ approach. It rather has different planned lessons for each learner where the trainer walks every learner through a singularized path of learning.

Elements of Personalized Learning

1. Learner profile: It is the outline and the raw version of a learner. It is a written document of a learner’s life where their developments, weaknesses, interests, and skills are recorded which helps in providing transparency between the trainer and the learner. The trainer runs through this data and gets to learn the areas where the learner needs alteration and works through it accordingly. This piece of information about the learner helps the trainer make a positive impact on the learner’s goals in life.

2. Individualized learning: It is a customized learning method for each learner. The trainer leads the learners through different paths, but all roads have the same destination. Based on their performances, goals, and motivational factors, the trainer makes for each learner a different learning schedule. The learners take their self-required time learning things, with their trainer closely monitoring them.

3. Performance-driven instructions: The trainer constantly watches the learner and makes them recognize the areas they need to master. The learner is observed carefully and based on their capabilities, is given the specific goals they need to achieve, the specific skills they need to form, the specific knowledge they need to acquire, and down the line, they are given opportunities to display those competencies.

5. Self-discovery: It provides a deep understanding between the trainer and the learner. The trainer points out the strengths and weaknesses of the learner through which the learner also gets to constantly discover something new about themselves. The trainer helps the learner build their self-confidence by making them own their learning. It also strengthens the trainer-learner relationship.
6. Flexible tools and learning environment: Learners learn in a healthy and friendly environment. They have the flexibility of when, how, and where they learn. The physical setup of the environment the learner learns in is built in a way that gives them a vision of learning. The trainer makes sure the space, time, and resources they use serve the learner in the best possible way. It focuses more on the needs of the end-user.

Does it work? (Its Effect and Progression)

According to various analyses available, we can say without a doubt that implementing Personalized Learning can have a more positive impact on learners.

A study was conducted at the Allamah Tabatabaei (Tabataba’i) University between learners who receive Personalized Learning and learners who receive ‘one size fits all’ education in the summer spring semester from 2019 to 2020. The participants were enrolled in the media education course. After conducting various tests, a significant difference could be seen between the two groups. They concluded that with a 95% confidence level the result was, of course, seen better among the learners who got Personalized Learning.

Therefore, it is proven that using Personalized Learning can improve the achievement of learners.

What is the promise/hope behind this method?

The main goal of this approach is to reach even the least active learner. Imagine a group that practices the ‘one size fits all’ model which is the most common practice in today’s learning system.

Slow learners are always left in the dark, they struggle to keep up with the pace and later, lose interest in learning. The trainer, however, cannot always help those learners who have fallen behind; it will be unfair to those who are on track according to the learning schedule.

The promise behind the Personalized Learning model is to give hope to all learners. It realizes that educating is more than just delivering important information; it makes learners aware of themselves as learners, discovering their desires and motivations on the way. It is to prepare learners for the world.

The idea is to provide a customized learning experience for each learner based on their talents, preferences, and background. It is for the experts to draw what the learners need and accordingly map out the measurements.

Personalized Learning is the proven way of providing equal education to all learners. It keeps learners at a neutral level treating everyone according to their strengths and weaknesses.

Why should we implement Personalized Learning?

Today’s educational system strives to give the best-needed learning model. Many learners who have not been given access to Personalized Learning have faced the same experience that their trainers faced – the traditional ‘one size fits all’ approach. The weaker learners often feel low since they cannot reach the levels of others, yet the trainer cannot slow down to help them. So, everyone follows the same speed regardless of whether they have understood what has been taught.

Personalized Learning is learner-centered:

• It gives flexibility to the learners of what and how they learn.
• It is based on the preferences of the learners
• It provides a clear learning path based on learners’ interests
• It aims to meet the needs of the learners
• It gives space for self-discovery which helps learners to make wise decisions

With the above points, we learn that Personalized Learning is all about learners, so why not consider implementing Personalized Learning when its only focus is to give quality education to the learners?

Conclusion:

Personalized Learning creates an environment of personalization and engagement. It designs the works in a special way that works for all learners. It provides a healthy connection between learners and trainers with the learners opening themselves to the trainer and the trainer trying to find the various learning needs of the learner.

Personalized Learning fosters a system that is ideal for all learners, strong or weak. Hence, it is a good choice if Personalized Learning models are implemented across all learning verticals.