Personalized learning

1. What is personalized learning?

Personalized learning refers to training where learning speed and learning method are optimized for each learner's needs. Learning objectives, teaching methods and teaching content (and their sequencing) may vary depending on the learner's needs. In addition, learning activities are aimed at learners. It is meaningful and relevant to learners, which are determined by their interests and which are often self-initiated[1]

 Often described as a learner-centered leeraning, this approach uses differentiated learning and training to tailor curriculum content to the needs. Learners in the same class or in the same course work with common goals, but everyone has their own individual journey through the curriculum.

Personalized learning covers at least a several key areas of education:

  • Adaptive learning: technology used to assign human or digital resources to learners according to their unique needs;
  • Individualized learning: the learning pace is adjusted to meet the needs of individual students¹;
  • Differentiated learning: the learning method is tailored to meet the needs of individual students;
  • Competency-based learninglearners move through a learning path based on their ability to demonstrate competence, including the use and creation of knowledge with skills and attitudes.

The personalized learning system can estimate:

Learner's individual learning needs. Employee personalized learning requires careful assessment of the skills and competences that are available, the adaptation of learning content, the development of an organization for the development of the personalized skills of the organization, and the selection of appropriate digital learning resources for employee training in a technology enhanced learning environment.

Learner's age. Mature employees are no less motivated than their younger colleagues to acquire new skills. Challenged working environments are equally important for people of all ages, although workers of different ages have different cognitive, style and experience aspects and, at the same time, different needs.

Learner's Selected Methods and Learning Strategies. Adult learning strategies are defined as solving cognitive learning or work problems in order to demonstrate what a person knows or is capable of. Learning strategies include psychomotor features, affective and social human needs that influence cognitive decisions at a certain level.

Learning abilities (including digital abilities) and approaches to technologies. The development of a technology-based personalized learning environment is based on the learner's abilities and digital competencies and the learner's attitude to technologies, which can lead to a willing learner in the workplace using technology.

Adapting learning content to a personalized learning scenario in a technology-based learning environment. Adaptive technology-based learning environments allow creating personalized learning scenarios by adapting (adapting) technology-based learning content to the needs of an individual.

[1]  Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education (NETP) https://tech.ed.gov/files/2015/12/NETP16.pdf