Stages of Personalized Learning Environments (updated)
by Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey
In attempting to transform teaching and learning to personalized learning, consider where you are currently and envision which stage you can see feasible for your school, district or community.
The Stages of Personalized Learning Environments (PLE) Version One chart needed to be updated. Why? Because of the considerable feedback we received after posting our first version of the chart. Some of the feedback was about consistency and flow across the stages. What worked in what stage?
We definitely want to thank those that critiqued the stages for us and helped us with this version two. Some districts shared with us that our version one was going to be their foundation of their personalized learning initiative. We wanted to refine it so it was clear, consistent, and easily understood. We went to work to update the stages for them and anyone else moving to a personalized learning environment.
Please feel free to download version two and let us know how it supports your transformation to personalizing learning.
Download the chart below for free: http://eepurl.com/fLJZM
Link to Slideshare of Stages of Personalized Learning Environments v2
Some questions to consider before embarking on your journey to personalize learning:
- Why do you want to personalize learning for your learners?
- What problems or needs have you identified in your school, organization and/or community?
- What data can you show that demonstrates the need to personalize learning?
- What does teaching and learning look like now?
- What are stakeholders beliefs about learning and change?
- Why is it critical for your organization and/or community to change now?
- What challenges or obstacles do you envision as you move to personalizing learning?
- What do you envision for your personalized learning environment?
These questions showed us that there are different stages of personalizing learning. Personalizing learning for all learners means understanding the different stages of personalized learning environments (PLE).
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Barbara, Although I agree in principle with your ‘Stage Three’, my feeling is that this describes a very mature learner, possibly a teenager or High School student. I would suggest that a large number of students do not fall into this category and yet I see a ‘dynamic’ PLE as being able to help their learning. I do not use the word ‘automated’ but perhaps ‘semi-automated’ is nearer to my thinking.
I therefore see your ‘Stage Three’ as a perfection that only a few will attain. For instance, 3a: ‘Learner creates and monitors’ – I do not think that any child could proficiently describe themselves as a ‘predominately Auditory/Visual/Kinaesthetic learner’ but yet I would hope that in the future we will have automated software that will identify the child’s characteristics. This then leads on to 3b: whereby the software can advise/inform the learner of their aptitudes etc and indicate appropriate resources. This does not make the teacher redundant but certainly reduces the need for instant decisions when the teacher and learner can discuss the PLE’s suggestions.
And so on throughout each of your 7 criteria.