Individualized Learning and CBE

Video Transcription

Today we're going to go ahead and take a look at individualized learning and how it works within competency-based education. And for today's lesson, I've chosen a quote by Dr. Seuss, which states, "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you."

Now, by the time you are done with the lesson today, you will be able to review the definition of individualized learning and the steps for implementing it. You'll also be able to describe what individualized learning plans are and discuss the features of them, as well as indicate how individualized learning really supports competency-based education.

So, first, let's go ahead and take a look at an overview of individualized learning. Individualized learning really looks at selecting the content and adjusting the learning pace and really identifying the resources based on interests and abilities of each individual student. So we're looking at making learning individual, thus the individualized learning title.

Now, when we look at this, another term of this could be called really adaptive learning. And adaptive learning is a different form of individualized learning that really focuses in on technology tools that are being used as the primary teaching method. So within adaptive learning, the students are really guided along a number of different pathways based on their learning needs. So everything can be individualized, because you're using those elements of technology.

Now, individualized learning, specifically adaptive learning, really supports competency-based education. Because, just like in CBE, when the student demonstrates that they've already mastered certain concepts, then the computer will move along for them to something that is more challenging. Additionally, if a student shows that they're struggling, then the computer will send them alternative presentations or other ways to access the material, that same content, but more practice for them until they're able to master it.

Now, there are some best practices when it comes to incorporating individualized learning, the first of which is that teachers and students should really be collaborating together to set those clear and specific goals for their learning. You're going to get an opportunity to see a sample individualized learning plan later that really shows how this can happen. Also, teachers should be helping to ensure that those goals are challenging, yet realistic for the student to reach. So we don't want it too easy, but you also don't want it to be too hard. You really want to find that nice, perfect balance, where the student is constantly pushing themselves, but still feeling like they can succeed.

Also, teachers want to make sure that they are ensuring that those goals are dynamic, but also able to be revised. So it should be interesting and intricate, but things need to be able to change. We need to be flexible, because this is education, and things can change as we learn more and more. This is often accomplished through going back and continuing to review those goals as student interests and needs change throughout the years.

Also, students should really own their own progress. Individualized learning really helps to kind of promote that sort of student-led motivation and student-inspired independence so that they can really take charge of their learning and meeting those goals. Finally, you want to make sure that you involve parents at all phases of this learning. So parents should be involved in the goal setting, helping to support the child as they are working through meeting those, and really communicating with teachers about their child's progress.

Now let's go ahead and take a look at what all is incorporated into an ILP, or an Individualized Learning Plan. So individualized learning plans are often used most specifically with high school grades, but you can see them younger. An ILP is really a personalized document for each individual student that focuses on the goals for that student. This can be used, then, by teachers, parents, and students to go back and track their progress towards those goals.

When we are developing an individualized learning plan, teachers and students are going to want to include grades, test scores, skills and interests, current and past activities so that everyone can get onboard for what the student is going to be doing both in school, but also helping them plan and document for some of those post-high school activities, what they want their educational goals to be after high school or their career goals. And this aligns very closely with the Common Core state standards.

The Common Core state standards really emphasize that students are making those plans, and this helps to align right in with those. Finally, it also really helps students develop a profile so that they can make decisions in middle school that could help impact them in high school. Even some as young as elementary school, they can start this process so that they can really see their achievement of these goals.

Now, there are many, many, many benefits to using ILPs, the first of which is that it really helps students pursue careers that are really well matched to where their interest lies as well as to their strengths and abilities. ILPs also really helped students establish those goals so that they can, first and foremost, review that progress throughout high school. They can also develop some of those service learning opportunities or their goals for participating in extracurriculars, as well as what they can explore in terms of when they leave high school and those post-secondary opportunities to really make sure that they're matching all of their goals and the extracurriculars that they are working in.

Finally, the major benefit of ILPs is that they provide a repository for where students can collect their assessment results, can include information from their school counselors and other teachers, as well as a nice, clean view of their educational history. Individualized learning really does support CBE. So, first and foremost, when we look at that idea of CBE, that students advance upon demonstrated mastery, what we're focusing in on here is the idea that individualized learning helps support clear, specific, challenging, and, most importantly, realistic goals.

Within CBE, there is an emphasis on explicit and measurable learning objectives. Again, this relates right into the idea of goal-setting. The third major area of CBE is that assessment is meaningful. When we look at assessment being a positive experience for students, we can see that this is really related to the idea that we are ensuring that goals are both dynamic and revisable.

The fourth major area of CBE is that students receive differentiated support. This fits in really nicely with the idea that in individualized learning, there is much formal planning for the support that's going to be introduced based on that student's individual needs. And finally, within CBE, we're looking at the idea that learning outcomes include the application and creation of knowledge. This fits in very nicely with the individualized learning that is competency focused.

Now let's go ahead and take a look at a sample ILP. So what you can see here, this is not filled in, but it's a wonderful idea of a template, where you could walk through all of these schools with a student. So if you look at the top, it's right there. You can see the academic record, the standardized tests, benchmark tests, and then, look, my individual learning plan. I love that it's written in my, because it makes it feel very kid friendly.

So you'll notice at the top, we have the idea that we are setting those goals, that we are identifying potential barriers to those goals, and strategies to move around those barriers. That's a wonderful reflection tool for students and teachers and parents to work on together. Then you'll notice we have levels here for elementary, for middle school, and for high school, helping to see, one, am I participating in the extracurriculars I want, so covering that side. Two, am I on track for graduation? So really focusing in on the long-term goal. And then three, what am I doing both in the classroom right now and what am I setting myself up for so that I can achieve what I want to within my post-secondary identity?

Now that we've reached the end of today's lesson, you are able to review the definition of individualized learning and the steps for implementing it. You've been able to describe what individualized learning plans are and discuss the features of them, as well as indicate how individualized learning supports competency-based education.

Now that we have time, I want you to think just a little bit about what would be the most difficult part of implementing an individualized learning plan with some of your students. For more information on how to apply what you've learned in this video, please view the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. The Additional Resources section includes hyperlinks useful for application of the course material, including a brief description of each resource.