The Future of Curriculum: Flexible and Personalized Learning Paths

Personalised learning is a great way of imparting education to the students of the 21st century. Times have changed so has the educational landscape. We cannot standardise or make education fit in one water-tight compartment anymore. It is crucial to understand that a one-size-fits-all strategy is not an effective way of educating our children. This shift has been encouraged by technology for quite some time. Technology acts as an effective route of learning for students as it provides flexibility and customisation and caters to the needs of each individual. It has brought a huge transformation in the curricula as it fosters greater flexibility and personalisation.

What is Personalised Learning?

Let us understand personalised learning by taking each word in focus, ‘personalised’ means to design or produce something to meet someone’s individual requirements and ‘learning’ means to acquire knowledge through study, experience or teaching. Now, let’s combine the two, which makes it a learning method that can be tailored to meet individual needs, preferences, and goals. By acknowledging and engaging in personalised learning, we are opening to the fact that each student has their own interests, individuality, and needs.

What are the key features of Personalised Learning?

Personalised learning equips students with the right skills and knowledge important enough to make them succeed in their future. This curriculum will help them build on their strengths and interests and at the same time help them improve their weak points. Here we will discuss some of the key features of personalised learning.

1. Personalised learning accepts and acknowledges that students have their own pace of learning and understanding. So it not only adapts but also moves at the speed a learner wants. It customises as per the learning style of each student.

2. The best feature of personalised learning is the flexibility it provides to its users. Flexibility in lessons, the pace of the course, and location. The students can take it at their own pace through modules, projects, and assessments.

3. Personalised learning brings an option of choice. Students can exercise their right to choose what course and at what speed they want to learn. They can exercise their right to personal autonomy. This will not only help them stay motivated but also help them perform their best.

4. Educators can tailor the learning experience to their individual needs with the help of the data and feedback they will gather. Ultimately this will help in the learner’s holistic growth. This will not only enhance problem-solving skills but also help them build analytical and self-regulatory skills.

How to implement Personalised Learning?

To successfully shift to personalised learning, there are a few elements which must be considered.

1. Teacher Professional Training:
   Teachers must be equipped with the skills to understand and manage this learning experience. They should also be trained regularly as it will help them analyse and provide support if required.

2. Integrating Technology:
   Technology is a sine qua non for education without which a personalised learning experience cannot be a success. Tools and resources for successful implementation come from technology as it adapts and analyses data through continuous assessment.  However, it is important to also provide equal opportunity and access to the technology should be provided to bridge this gap.

3. Community Collaboration:
   It can be a great experience for the students to learn from their first-hand experiences that can come from collaborations with organisations, experts, and businesses. This is also a great opportunity for them to apply their theoretical knowledge in the practical world.

4. Assessment and Improvement:
   Personalised learning is about first assessing the weak points and then tailoring the content to those to help the student improve on those points. Continuous improvement is an ongoing process, it is about collecting the data, getting feedback and adjusting the learning experience.

Challenges with Implementing Personalised Learning

1. One of the biggest challenges with implementing personalised learning is having the right infrastructure. For personalised learning, the right tools and resources are crucial. There is no doubt that to obtain the appropriate technology educational institutions need to have the resources as well as the infrastructure. Without addressing the lack of resources, implementation of personalised learning cannot be successful rather it will become a burden on the teachers as well as the students.

2. Equipping educators and teachers with the right skills to deal with personalised learning is unavoidable. Training programmes should be held regularly for the teachers so as to build their understanding of personalised learning as well as technology. The curriculum must also be made flexible so as to adapt the personalised learnings. Better flexibility will only lead to better implementation of personalised learning.

Conclusion

Personalised Learning is a paradigm shift from our old education system. It has the potential to transform the whole education sector. As this learning experience is curated while keeping in mind each individual, this will promote the wholesome growth of students. With the right collection of data and continuous assessment, we can provide experience that will hold the power to unlock the unlimited potential of students. As the stakeholders in the growth of the nation, it is our imminent duty to promote personalised learning.