Patrick — Personalized Learning On The Rise: What I’ve Learned After Visiting 80 Schools Where Teachers And Principals Are Rethinking Their Classroom Culture
Patrick — Personalized Learning on the Rise: What I’ve Learned After Visiting 80 Schools Where Teachers and Principals Are Rethinking Their Classroom Culture
This article is part of a series of informative pieces being published surrounding the annual South By Southwest Education conference. For more articles related to SXSWedu, you can find them on our website or sign up for our newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox.
Susan Patrick will be speaking at SXSWedu during the "CEO State of Play in Personalized Learning" session on March 6.
As part of my work at iNACOL, I regularly visit schools. However, over the past two years, my visits have been focused on investigating the shift in instructional practices towards personalized learning in schools across the United States.
During these visits, we’ve seen a departure from traditional classroom practices, such as rows of desks and passive instruction. Instead, innovative public and charter schools have implemented practices that involve inquiry-based learning, active student engagement, and teachers who work hard to meet the diverse needs of their students by creating personalized learning experiences.
The enthusiasm for personalized learning is evident, as we discovered in our national landscape scan. Teachers expressed that they incorporated personalized learning because it aligned with their vision of what it means to be a teacher and why they entered the profession in the first place. Students reported positive outcomes, stating that their teachers took the time to understand them on a personal level and they were gaining confidence in voicing their needs and taking initiative to improve, which is a crucial skill in our rapidly changing society.
While personalized learning practices are thriving in certain pockets across the country, we advocate for their widespread implementation, supported by evaluation of effectiveness and the redefinition of education’s purpose. Educators are leading the charge in modernizing and transforming teaching and learning, but they require systemic support to fully realize the potential of powerful, personalized learning. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect thousands of educators working in isolation or small groups to carry the weight of a whole-system transformation. iNACOL and our partners aim to cultivate the necessary political courage and will to drive change, enhance leadership skills, and share innovative approaches to education in order to prepare all students for the future.
One challenge we face is grappling with the various definitions in the personalized learning movement. At its core, it involves modernizing our education system to ensure students are prepared for successful lives in an era of uncertainty.
Our definition of personalized learning encompasses tailoring learning experiences to each student’s strengths, needs, and interests. It grants students the autonomy to choose what, how, when, and where they learn, with the purpose of providing flexibility and support to ensure high standards are met. This pedagogical strategy is informed by research on the science of learning, motivation, and engagement.
To gain a better understanding of the implementation of personalized learning, we partnered with the Center on Reinventing Public Education, NORC at the University of Chicago, and LEAP Innovations to conduct a national survey. With a sample size of over 3,600 teachers and 1,000 students, we assessed the intensity of personalized learning instruction based on LEAP’s Learning Framework. This allowed us to map the progression and prevalence of personalized learning practices, such as students’ understanding of their own needs, strengths, and interests, as well as their progression through learning pathways.
Taking a broad perspective, we observed significant variation in the depth of personalized learning implementation across the country, particularly in elementary, middle, and high schools. Generally, the teachers who excelled at personalized learning were skilled at understanding their students and leveraging that knowledge to shape their learning experiences. It was encouraging to find that students from marginalized backgrounds, including black, brown, and low-income students, had positive experiences with personalized learning. Additionally, the availability of supportive resources, including technology, was widespread.
However, there is still work to be done for teachers, who primarily belong to a white, female-dominated profession, to become more familiar with their students’ communities and ensure that the learning environment reflects the experiences of all students. Additionally, teachers expressed hesitation in relinquishing control over pacing, content, and learning activities to their students. This tension arises from ingrained teaching models and the bureaucratic demands of the current educational system. Our findings indicate that nationally, classrooms have a long way to go in fully embracing the promise of personalized, flexible, student-centered learning.
While we are disappointed by the major misunderstandings surrounding personalized learning, such as the belief that it necessitates technology or relies solely on computer-led instruction, we are encouraged by the progress made by federal and state policies in supporting the ideals we promote. By fostering innovation, dismantling barriers to change in learning models, and finding creative ways to fund these changes, we are sowing the seeds for a transformation in education, from what it currently is to what it has the potential to be.
We are also pleased to see a growing number of educators and administrators who share their experiences with personalized learning at our annual symposium. It seems that K-12 education is on the cusp of a systemic transformation, as leaders across the country are changing the landscape of teaching and learning. They are gradually exploring new approaches to the learning experience, much like other countries have done for some time, and bravely seeking ways to make education meaningful and purposeful.
While policy and systems are creating space for personalized learning, we need to do more to encourage teachers and school leaders to shift the culture in their schools towards personalization. They must be willing to take risks and try new strategies, while also identifying the necessary support systems to move beyond superficial changes. Personalized learning, as an enabling strategy, aligns with a broader reimagining of school through competency-based education. We believe that a foundational system based on competencies, which empowers students with explicit, measurable, and transferable learning objectives, is needed to meet the needs of all students. In this system, students advance to the next stage of their learning only once they have mastered the required competencies, and they participate in assessments that are meaningful and positive learning experiences. They receive personalized support based on their specific needs and achieve competencies that not only develop important skills and dispositions but also facilitate knowledge application and creation.
Personalized learning, built on a competency-based education system, ensures that all students achieve high levels of mastery. It intentionally moves away from the one-size-fits-all approach, promoting differentiated learning experiences tailored to each individual. In personalized, competency-based learning environments, students have greater flexibility in their learning pathways and the use of their time. Learning becomes untethered from specific locations, taking place in communities and during internships, anytime and anywhere. Student growth and achievement are no longer limited by grade level or whole-group content delivery that caters to the average student.
In addition to transforming the learning experience, districts are reconsidering qualifications, redefining student success, and reevaluating the criteria for earning a high school diploma. They are also exploring more dynamic ways of assessing students and reexamining accountability as a means for continuous improvement. Teacher preparation and professional learning are being modernized to adapt to the newer learning models, and efforts are being made to build communities’ capacity and willingness for change. If we were to create models of education that push the boundaries of what students can know and do, the potential for limitless learning would be within reach.
The stakes are high. Our economy is rapidly changing, with automation on the rise and over 50 percent of jobs expected to be automated, according to the World Economic Forum. The future requires young people to possess the skills and ability to adapt, learn new skills, and contribute to a more just and prosperous future for all. There is a significant disconnect between what our future demands and what our schools are currently offering. It is imperative to transform K-12 education into a system that is suitable for the 21st century, where all students graduate high school equipped with academic knowledge, core competencies, and lifelong learning skills. These skills will empower them to become leaders in their communities, succeed in college, careers, and future workforces, and navigate the opportunities and uncertainties that lay ahead in their lives.
Susan Patrick holds the esteemed position of president and CEO at iNACOL. The main objective of iNACOL is to lead the way in transforming education systems and facilitating the progress of innovative policies and practices that guarantee top-notch learning opportunities for everyone. Susan Patrick is scheduled to make an appearance at SXSWedu, participating in a session entitled "CEO State of Play in Personalized Learning" on March 6.
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