Do students want personalised learning

1
Do students want personalised learning?

• Dr. Shalni Gulati
• City University London
• Shalni.gulati.1_at_city.ac.uk

2
Context...Where are we now?
3
Q. What are the underlying assumptions in the
relationships between...
Q. How can we begin to problematise the notion of
personalisation, technologies and learning?
4
What is the Learner Experience?

• Research evidence
• Increased use of Web 2.0, online and mobile
  technologies
• Digital natives ...... digital immigrants
• Levels of engagement with formalised and informal
  technologies
• Some participate and others do not
• Learners desire more control over their learning
  processes
• Do learners want us to use their Web 2.0
  technologies in formal education?

5
My research...

• How do professional postgraduate learners engage
  in and construct meaning during online and
  blended course?

6
Methodology

• Constructivist Paradigm
• Personal Construct Theory (Kelly 1955)
• Methods
• Repertory Grid Method
• Grounded Theory Approach (Strauss and Corbin
  1998)
• Sample
• Heterogeneous 29 volunteer learners

7
Bettys Interview 1 (a) Eliciting Elements
how
Q. Can you describe the activities you engaged in
that helped you learn during your online course?
8
Eliciting Constructs why

• E2 Search on the internet for visual resources
  flowcharts
• E3 Search databases search engines on specific
  subjects

• E1 Email Colleagues (to share docs and ppt.
  formal informal are happening together)

PC1b Sharing knowledge that I have found PC3b
More focused knowledge PC4b I am pin-pointing
what I want to know and write PC5b Not as fluid
but limited PC6b Here I build my point of view
of learning
PC1a Me acquiring the knowledge PC3a Broader
knowledge PC4a I am open to look at learning
resources I find PC5a This is more organic
and fluid process PC6a Here I learn from
different views
9
Developing the grid
10
c) The Repertory Grid
11
Bettys element factors
12
Bettys construct factors
13
Plot of elements on construct factors
14
MY CONTROL Reliable access to the Internet and
variety of information gives me some control. I
do not trust my initial ideas I need to check and
validate my developing ideas to gain control over
defining personal knowledge
Bettys learning is an iterative process between
self / online sources / colleagues / tutors
MY PERSONAL SPACE My learning begins on my own I
rely on the Internet to find information
communicate Internet helps to organise myself for
distance learning
HERE I GAIN MORE CONTROL I control how, when and
with whom I share and deconstruct my developing
knowledge. This process helps me to gain more
control through perspectives of others, whom I
trust.
I question others perspectives on my and their
shared work to help me learn and build personal
knowledge
I build trusting relationships I feel responsible
to others so they can trust me
I HAVE LESS CONTROL HERE over who can see my
shared knowledge. I maintain control by sharing
end products. I do not use this to question and
process information to develop knowledge
Tutor feedback is useful to review personal
knowledge
INFORMAL SOCIAL SPACE Trusting relationships with
others are important for social support
learning Sharing informally with peers I trust
helps to process validate information before I
can accept it as personal knowledge
FORMAL SOCIAL SPACE I need to feel confident
about my personal knowledge before I can share it
formally for others to judge
VLE discussions are situated in the formal social
space
15
Karans learning is an iterative process between
self / course materials / colleagues / tutor
feedback
Gave access to multiple views
(TUTOR-DEFINED) MAIN LEARNING RESOURCE Online
access to lecture material, online activities and
reference links
EXPANDING COMPREHENSION in face-to-face class
discussions
EXPANDING COMPREHENSION in face-to-face informal
interactions with peer and tutors
Processing information to build confidence in
understanding
ME SELF-LED SELF-PACED READING in stages.
Re-reading for comprehension. Karan chose his
focus
Online lecture notes offline discussions
Allowed freedom to express learning need Ensure
feedback Allow discussion to link
theory-practice
Re-read to address gaps
Opportunity to link theory-practice evaluating
understanding building confidence
Helped to plan, prioritise and control learning
process
No feedback reduced confidence in written
English did not help with processing knowledge
ONLINE COMMUNICATION USING VLE AND EMAIL
MEETING THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS Evaluation and
Validation of personal understanding
Reduced confidence due to lack of critical
writing skills
16
Jayas learning is a self-reliant process with
some tutorial and workplace interactions
Content not always relevant to work
I value and trust experts input... Tutors notes
feedback
Study late into the night Online regularly after
work Use Hospital library Use Hospital
computer
My learning is supported by my my work place
interactions
(JA) Me my learning space
Low reliance on others
Self-reliance
Others are not always receptive to me
Personal organisation
My control

• It looks like that I can do a lot on my own. I
  can organise, I can control, I can judge. When I
  interact with other people they not give me
  information I need. Some will give me, but not
  all.
• Its my style of writing. I like to critically
  analyse things and say something critical. Like
  any research things, I like to analyse this, and
  then you have to support what you say. You have
  to look for articles and you have to go to the
  internet again.

I sometimes lack confidence to say things In the
open
17
(No Transcript)
18
2. Results

• Two main personal constructs or main lenses with
  which learners viewed their learning worlds

Personal Control
Emotions
19
3. Three main tenets

• T1 Individual and social learning
  preference
• Learners engaged in online, offline, individual
  and social activities depending on their learning
  preferences and their construction of personal
  control and emotions during a learning activity
• T2 Online social identity
• A positive online social identity was an
  important precursor for successful engagement and
  learning during in online discussion
  participation
• T3 Practical and technical factors
• Time for learning, IT access and a sense of
  ownership of the virtual learning space
  influenced control and emotional engagement
  during online learning activities including
  online discussions

20
T2 Online Social identity
Self as an national/international learner in the
UK
Self as an online learner

• Online Social Identities!

Personal control
Emotions
Self as a (developing) professional
Self as a Post-graduate... An adult learner
21
Conclusion

• There were similarities and differences in how
  different learners constructed meaning
• Personal control and emotional connectedness in
  online space enabled some learners to feel
  empowered
• Lack of control and emotional connections led to
  feelings of disempowerment in online and blended
  courses

22
Conclusion

• In order to understand how technologies should be
  used to facilitate learning, it is important to
  understand how learners construct and accommodate
  these technologies in their diverse ways of
  knowing

23
Implications for practice

• Significance of personal control calls for online
  course designs that allow learners to construct
  personalised learning pathways
• Significance of emotions calls for more time and
  activities where learners can get to know others
  and are able to build trust in sharing ideas and
  questions
• Use of technology for learning does not
  facilitate a power-neutral process

24
From this we need to question...

• Are learners already personalising their learning
  
• To match their preferences?
• To adapt to the given requirements?
• Take initiative to make learning relevant to
  their personal and professional goals?
• If yes... What needs to change in our approach to
  HE provision to support these processes of
  personalisation?
• If no...What is preventing learners from
  personalising learning experiences?

25
Personal versus Social

• Can personalisation of learning
• that aims to shift from tutor transfer of
  knowledge towards enabling students to
  self-regulate their learning pathways and
  processes and set own targets
• result in loosing the significance of social and
  emotional connectedness for meaningful learning?
• Can personalisation focusing on personalised
  journeys result in social disconnection?

26
The issue of power discourses and personal control

• If personalised approaches can enable greater
  learner control over a learning situation, can
  personalisation make learning power-neutral?
• Can use of personalisation strategies (as
  described in todays conference) enable different
  learners to experience similar (if not the same)
  sense of personal control over their learning?

27
Technologies and personalisation

• Can personalisation supported by Web 2.0
  technologies enable personalised learning
  journeys engage participants from socially
  disengaged groups? How?
• What if the teacher is defining how and which
  technologies are to be used for personalisation??

28
Your conclusions on personalisation...
29
Thank You

• Shalni Gulati
• Shalni.gulati.1_at_city.ac.uk
• www.yourlearning.com