Com220_-_Final___Personalized_Learning

Personalized Learning – An Adaptive Approach to Education COM220 – Research Writing Rebecca Urrutia Personalized Learning – An Adaptive Approach to Education Introduction Some people learn by doing, others by listening and taking instructions. Some people learn and work better in groups, others in a solitary fashion; but not all subjects, classes, and schools teach with this in mind. While creating curriculums based on personality and learning styles would require a major overhaul of the educational system, plans can be developed based on learning styles and personality types of learners to maximize memory retention and learning potential. Personality Personality is an important aspect of an individual. It is defined as “the characteristic way that a person thinks, feels, and behaves” (personality, 2007). Everyone thinks, feels, and behaves differently, but as different as people might be, everyone can be grouped into a particular personality type. Personality Types By evaluating a learner and discovering their personality type, an instructor has the opportunity to teach more effectively. Some learners are more apt to learning and working in groups, and others by themselves. Using these personality types and studying how they affect an individual’s cognition, we can extrapolate how a person with a particular personality type may be apt to learning. The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used personality test used today. It is administered to more than two million people worldwide, year round (Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator [MBTI], 2007). This test evaluates a person’s preferences towards extroversion (E) and introversion (I), sensing (S) and intuiting (N), thinking (T) and feeling (F), and judging (J) and perceiving (P). There are a total of 16 personality types identified by the MBTI determined by the arrangement of the letters which represent the characteristics. For example, “ESTJ would designate a person whose primary attributes were extroversion, sensing, thinking, and judging” (MBTI, 2007). A person with these characteristics may be more apt to working in groups (extroverted), focuses on details rather than the larger picture (sensing), tend to base their choices on logic rather than feelings (thinking), and may make early decisions based on what is known, than what is to come (judging) (Changingminds.org 2002-2010). The Affect on the Learner Knowing what personality type, and their affinity toward a certain type of learning, has the ability to maximize potential. Personality testing, like the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, can give insight into a learners psyche. It can indicate an aptitude for learning in groups as opposed to learning alone; it can indicate an aversion to theoretical and abstract thinking in preference to solid facts (Miller, 1991). Learning Styles In conjunction with personality types, learning styles must be taken into account. Identifying the learning styles of different individuals gives the learner the opportunity to improve their own learning potential. Five Main Learning Styles There are five main learning styles. Kolb’s model of experimental learning, Honey and Mumford’s model, which is a variation of Kolb’s Model; Gregoric’s Model, Sudbury’s Model of Democratic Learning, and Gardner’s Model of Multiple Intelligences. Each has its list of pros and cons; however the most accepted model is Gardner’s theories, and multiple intelligences. Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner is a professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School (Education Digest, 2008), and creator of the multiple intelligences learning model. Dr. Gardner established eight intelligences to which people learn: Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Visual/Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical, and Naturalistic (Carter, Bishop, and Kravits, 2007). The table below illustrates how each intelligence promotes certain aptitudes for learning: Intelligence | Description | Verbal-Linguistic | Ability to communicate through language (listening, reading, writing, and speaking. | Logical-Mathematical | Ability to understand logical reasoning and problem solving. | Bodily-Kinesthetic | Ability to use the physical body skillfully and to take in knowledge through bodily sensation (coordination, working with hands). | Visual-Spatial | Ability to understand spatial relationships and to perceive and create images (visual art, graphic design, charts and maps). | Interpersonal | Ability to relate to others, noticing their moods, motivations, and feelings (social activity, cooperative learning, teamwork). | Intrapersonal | Ability to understand one’s own behavior and feelings (self-awareness, independence, time spent alone). | Musical | Ability to comprehend and create meaningful sound and recognize patterns (music, sensitivity to sound and patterns). | Naturalistic | Ability to understand features of the environment (interest in nature, environmental balance, ecosystem, stress relief brought by natural environments). | Adapted from Keys to College Studying, 2007 Gardner’s model does not allocate an individual into one particular intelligence type, but rather quantifies an aptitude for each. Someone may be more attuned to a musical approach and not as adept at mathematics. “Gardner believes that the way you learn is a unique blend of intelligences, resulting from your distinctive abilities, challenges, experiences, and training. In addition, ability in the intelligences may develop or recede as your life changes” (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2007). The Learner Students can generally be grouped into four separate categories: above average students, average students, at-risk learners, and the learning disabled. Three of these four groups are at risk of being left behind in today’s educational system. (Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009). The Above Average Learner Above average learners are adaptive. Regardless of the medium of learning, they can prevail. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, only 11 percent of students spend the recommended time studying, whereas 40 percent spend 10 hours or less (Students Study Less Than Expected, Survey Finds, 2004). Above average students can anticipate changes and outcomes to problems which may elude less advanced students. A decreased amount of study, with an outcome of higher grades (Students Study Less Than Expected, Survey Finds, 2004), proves these are the students that do not need extra help in classes and are typically not “left behind”. The Typical Student * The average student is typically the one that falls through the cracks. They don't standout in class, nor do they fail; but more often they do not receive the extra attention that may be required to truly assist them in their studies. At-Risk Learners At-risk students are defined as “diagnosed or misdiagnosed as learning disabled; grow up in isolated communities and do not begin learning English until they enter school; do not speak English because they have recently arrived from another country; live in poverty and lack basic and educational resources in their homes; are the children of migrant workers or undocumented immigrants whose presence in our schools is transient; or are homeless and do not have their basic needs of safety and security met” (Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009). These students learn as any other student does: they require equal attention given to the above average students and the learning disabled so that their talent is not wasted. The Learning Disabled * The learning disabled require extra attention. Rather than increasing their knowledge of already established life skills, these students are currently learning life skills. Even though these students are already receiving extra attention regarding their own studies, the way they learn and retain information must be addressed so they, in the future, become active members of society, leaving behind their disability. The Current Academic System * The current academic system does not allow for multiple learning styles and personality types to teach. Certain classes are taught from a kinesthetic perspective, others from a group discussion method. As established earlier, not all individuals are apt to learning from certain viewpoints. Academic Renovation * To accommodate all learners, curriculums can be developed based on learning styles and varying personality types to maximize learning potential. * To make these changes, a complete overhaul of the learning system is required; in addition, as stated before, not all subjects and classes can have these curriculums developed. Current Innovators * There are newer higher learning organizations that are pioneering the way for the alternative learning techniques. Some of these institutions have established more self-directed learning, which can provide more efficient learning styles for particular individuals. Unveiling these techniques on a more broad range could improve the overall educational system. Conclusion Every learner has the potential for greatness, regardless of their social status, personality, or even disability. Syllabi can be developed to accommodate every learner, but it would take a good deal of work. It is up to all of us to try and assist every learner, and by doing so, we can maximize, perhaps even push forward, a person's learning potential. Resources (2000). Howard Gardner on Making the Most of Young Minds. Education Digest, 65(6), 4. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. (2007). Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.. Changingminds.org. (2002-1010). Changing Minds. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/explanations/preferences/preferences.htm Honigsfeld, A., & Dunn, R.. (2009). Learning-Style Responsive Approaches for Teaching Typically Performing and At-Risk Adolescents. The Clearing House, 82(5), 220-224.  Retrieved March 25, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1719481381). Kiersey, Ph.D., D. (n.d.). Kiersey.com. Kiersey.com. Retrieved from http://www.keirsey.com/default.aspx Miller, A. (1991). Personality types, learning styles and educational goals. Educational Psychology, 11(3/4), 217. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)." Encyclopedia of Small Business. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 759-760.Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. personality. (2007). In Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ehsdorland/personality Students Study Less Than Expected, Survey Finds. (2004). The Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(14), . Retrieved from http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do'&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A147100105&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=apollo&version=1.0