Personalising Learning in the 21st Century

Edited by Sara de Freitas and Chris Yapp

Network Educational Press 2005

Reviewer: Belle Wallace, Director TASC International

Recently, the government of the UK has emphasized the need for ‘personalised learning’ and there has been widespread debate over what this actually means. The cry to personalise learning must surely be a reaction to the increasing mechanisation of systems and practices that is globally evident. The centralisation of education with a set national curriculum and the testing of prescribed standards is but one example of such mechanisation. 

However, despite all the pressures for rigid testing and measurement, teachers have always been concerned that learners feel that the classroom interaction is personal; that each child experiences emotional warmth, individual attention and personal significance. The art of teaching will, and should, always revolve around the mentoring and supportive relationships teachers build with their pupils.

In addition, the role of the teacher will always involve the sharing and direct teaching of skills, the inspiration of a senior learner, the facilitation of questions and possible avenues of enquiry.  

Nevertheless, a new dimension to personalised learning emerges when we consider the vast increase in opportunities for e-learning that can be tailored more closely to individual needs for different pace, depth and breadth of learning. There are now countless avenues for learners to actively tailor and monitor their own learning; and, importantly, learning is no longer confined to the classroom. The great challenge is to make use of the rich opportunities presented by e-learning and to maintain the dynamic relationship that should exist between pupil and teacher - to use the technology and still to maintain the rich quality of human interaction that exists in all good classrooms. 

This text explores the challenges posed by the development of personalised learning at different phases of education, and within different domains such as local authorities, vocational education, and higher education. The text is direct and far-seeing in its challenge and is intended for teachers and policy makers; but the messages have relevance for all organisations that are moving more into an e-learning mode.

‘Achieving the full benefits of ICT-enabled network interactions within and across such local and global communities will obviously depend increasingly on providing the greater equity of network access necessary to extend the reach of high quality educational resources across social, geographic and economic divides. This is essential for realizing an ultimate goal of learning personalization: to make appropriate learning experiences available wherever the learner happens to be, at the time of their choosing, in ways they find most appealing - and with the support of teachers, institutions, parents and all others who care about the outcomes.’p115.

GEI Vol 21 No 1