Personalized Learning in Action: Strategies and Frameworks for Blended Classrooms

The special edition eBook Research Highlights in Technology & Teacher Education, edited by Blankenship and Cherner  (2024) offers explorations of various topics at the intersection of technology and teaching.

Blankenship, R. & Cherner, T. (2024). Research Highlights in Technology & Teacher Education 2024 35th Anniversary Edition, Volume 2. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved September 9, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224717/.

My chapter of the book, "Preparing P-12 Educators for Providing Technology-Mediated Personalized Instruction" offers insights into Personalized Learning (PL) practice and its role in modern K-12 education, particularly within blended learning environments. Through interviews with 62 K-12 teachers, the research sheds light on how educators implement PL strategies to address the diverse needs of their students. As highlighted, PL allows for flexibility in goals, time, place, pace, and path, enabling students to engage with content that is relevant to their individual learning profiles.

A critical insight from the research included the strategies that teachers use to effectively manage PL in classrooms where students may lack motivation or struggle with self-regulation. For example, one secondary science teacher explained how they helped students prioritize high-stakes assignments to improve their grades, making PL not only about personalized content but also about guiding students to focus on their individual academic growth. Another teacher emphasized the importance of starting small when implementing PL, allowing educators to gradually adapt to what works best for their classroom dynamics.

The study also revealed that PL requires careful scaffolding for students who may feel overwhelmed by too much freedom in their learning choices. One elementary teacher shared how they helped a student select a writing topic by narrowing down options in a guided yet personalized manner. This underscores a key takeaway: personalization does not equate to complete autonomy but instead involves strategic teacher support in decision-making.

Note. “Personalized Learning Design Framework Graphic” is created by Cecil R. Short and shared with a CC-BY International 4.0 License. It includes “The Taxonomy of Learner Agency” from Short (2022), created with a CC-BY International 4.0 License and a recreation of “Five dimensions where personalization can occur” from Graham, Borup, Short, and Archambault (2019) created with a CC-BY-SA International 4.0 License.

The research findings have contributed to the development of several theoretical frameworks that can guide the implementation of personalized learning and blended learning, including the Personalized Learning Design Framework and the 4Es of Effective Blended Teaching. The Personalized Learning Design Framework provides a structured approach for educators to personalize instruction based on performance, activity, and learner profile data. It offers a taxonomy of learner agency that helps teachers scaffold learning from teacher-centered to increasingly student-centered practices. The example of the elementary student struggling with writing shows how this framework can be applied to tailor learning experiences to individual student needs.

Note. “The 4Es” is created by Jered Borup and shared with a CC-BY-SA 4.0 International License.

Similarly, the 4Es of Effective Blended Teaching framework provides educators with criteria for evaluating blended learning practices. It encourages teachers to consider whether their instructional strategies enable, engage, elevate, and extend learning opportunities. These elements are critical in determining whether blended learning is effectively personalized and whether it can support students in developing real-world skills beyond traditional classroom constraints.

The research also sets the stage for future work in the field of PL, especially in understanding the affordances and constraints of personalized instruction. The chapter raises important questions about whether PL strategies can live up to their promise of advancing learning for all students and whether the costs of implementing such individualized practices are worth the effort for teachers and students alike. Additionally, the potential integration of artificial intelligence into PL is an emerging area of interest, offering the possibility of scalable personalized learning experiences that move beyond the traditional “one-size-fits-all” model.

Overall, the chapter provides valuable insights for educators seeking to implement PL in blended learning environments, offering practical strategies, theoretical frameworks, and future directions for research and practice in the field.

Chapter Citation:

Short, C. R. (2024). Preparing P-12 educators for providing technology-mediated personalized instruction. In Blankenship, R. J., & Cherner, T. (Eds). (2024). Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education Special Edition. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224717/.