Abstract:

Personalized learning has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past several years, aided by both calls for a move away from traditional, one-size-fits-all learning environments as well as the development of modern technology that can enable personalization. However, personalized learning has yet to be clearly defined, and a wide variety of implementation models exist. A literature synthesis shows that despite this, personalized learning environments generally exhibit common characteristics including learner profiles, individual learning goals, learner voice and choice, multiple means of instruction, technology as a tool to enable personalization, competency-based methods, and flexible use of time and space. Personalized learning has seen many successes and has been shown to meet the varying needs of learners as well as to prepare students for their futures in the innovation age. However, numerous challenges to implementing personalized learning still exist, including adequately preparing teachers, concerns about data privacy and overuse of technology, how to restructure traditional learning environments, and how to handle the expectations and requirements of stakeholders. Implications for further research and practice are also discussed. Despite its challenges, personalized learning shows promise in meeting the needs of all learners and preparing students for the future. In this literature review of research on personalized learning over the past five years, the successes and challenges of technology-enhanced personalized learning are addressed, as well as the implications of these findings for K-12 schools and adult learning institutions. With a growing number of institutions moving to personalized learning and huge investments being made by technology companies, my work informs the intentional design of personalized learning environments that best meet the needs of all learners while accounting for some of the challenges that may arise.

Keywords:

Personalized learning, personalization, adaptive learning, technology-enhanced learning, personalized education, review.