There are two types of personalised learning, and we must be clear which one we are enabling. Each relies on a different approach from teachers and the tools they have at their disposal. Each holds a significantly different conception of student potential.
Set - check - set
The first kind closely mirrors the kind of learning people think of when they close their eyes and think of school. In many ways, it’s a twist on a traditional approach.
Learning is contained within a subject - say Maths - and the personalisation concerns a student’s path through that subject’s learning. Sometimes the outcome is varied by the means through which learning is demonstrated, but generally, everyone is working towards the same point - eg, an internal assessment.
Many edtech products sit in this space and use AI to support learners through their learning. For many, this is the holy grail. A fine-grained, continuous tutor on the learner’s shoulder, constantly assessing what they can do and how well, so that the next step in the learning sequence is exactly what it needs to be to meet the goal.
Great, that’s Vygotsky’s ZPD made real for everyone, you might say. Although I’m not sure it’s quite what he had in mind, given his strong argument for the role of culture, the socially constructed nature of knowledge, and the role of play, in the learning process.
Invite - observe - respond
The other type of personalisation is one where the worlds of the student and the school are drawn on to create unique learning experiences. It leads to diverse learning experiences and a multitude of outcomes. Many subject areas can be drawn on at once, so it’s more demanding of the teacher — they need to know their stuff and the kids, and be curious.
Pedagogies like play, project-based, and maker-space (if done honestly) fall into this category of personalised learning.
Working out what next requires different questions to be asked, too - it’s no longer exclusively about the work that has been done. We need to ask, Who is this kid? What are they interested in? What are they good at? What doors does that open? What is made possible because of this?
Strong relationships anchored in trust and care are essential when it comes to this type of personalisation.
What type interests you?
Wishing you a good day …
Bevan.