Hello there!
Here it is that time of the year annual school vacations are over and the new school term has begun.
I had two interesting conversations this last week. One with my cousin whose young daughter has just started school and another with my son who is pursuing his undergrad. My cousin complained about teachers talking to her daughter in English and not Kannada, our native tongue. My son said he'd appreciate concepts being dealt with in greater depth.
Well, both wanted learning to be personalised to suit their needs. (Hyper)Personalization is everywhere—from Spotify to Netflix, from Myntra to Amazon. Then, why not personalise learning?
Learning programs, for centuries now, have revolved around the idea that every learner has the same needs and performs at the same level academically. Is the one-size-fits-all educational model valid, after all? If not, how do we design learning programs that can adapt to every learner?
Personalised learning is a learner-centric approach that customises learning experiences based on the learner's needs, skills, interests, and abilities. The idea here is to create an optimal learning path that helps the learners get the best.
This approach, though it sounds novel, is not. The ancient Gurukul system of education embodied this learner-centric approach. The needs and skills of every Vidyarthi (student—the seeker of knowledge) were understood and a curriculum that helped them reach their potential was designed. We come across many such examples in our ancient scriptures of Ramayana and Mahabharata. While Rama and Arjuna were trained to become world-class archers, Bhima was groomed to become an ace mace warrior and Vidura was moulded into a master statesman.
Now, coming back, how can we design personalised learning programs in this day and age? By creating apt learner profiles, having flexible learning environments, adopting competency-based progression, and of course, making use of up-and-coming technologies.
It is easier said than done. Creating personalised learning programs is one of the biggest challenges for learning designers and leaders. Here's an💡interesting blog on the advancements in personalised learning. Give it a read!
The art and science of learning design lie in using the right mix of creativity, learning principles, and technologies to make learning enjoyable.🎧Tune into our podcast to know how Sneha Laxman, a learning designer develops courses that help learners reach their optimal best.
Speaking of personalization, Adeptic Creative Labs is hosting a Masterclass tomorrow, June 27, 2023, to help you build BRAND YOU. Our master mentor Padmaja Narsipur shares the secret mantra that sets you up for success. Want to take that leap of self-differentiation?✨ Sign up today ✨
I know it has been a long read. I'll take your leave with this pearl of wisdom by Seth Godin, author and marketing strategist extraordinaire.
Inconvenient? That’s great news.
The thing you need, the road ahead, the element that will transform your project–it appears to be inconvenient.
That’s terrific because it means that most other people can’t be bothered. It’s valuable because the very inconvenience of it makes it scarce.
The stuff that matters is almost always inconvenient. If it’s not, you might be mistaken about what matters.
Until next time!
Learning Designer