how smart and personalized are our classes?

How Smart and Personalised

are our classes?

Dr Khalid Al-Shahrani

Outline

• Learning Vs. Education

• What is Smart and Personalized Learning?

• Why personalize our classes?

• Is it technology that makes our class smart?

• How can we personalize our classes?

• Challenges

• Concluding remarks

• What?

• So what?

• Now what?

The People Vs. the School System

Instructional scaffolding

The support given during

the learning process

which is tailored to the

needs of the student with

the intention of helping

the student achieve

his/her learning goals

(Sawyer, 2006)

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

“The distance between the

actual developmental level as

determined by independent

problem solving and the level

of potential development as

determined through problem

solving under adult guidance,

or in collaboration with more

capable peers”

(Vygotsky,1978, p. 86)

Is Knowledge created or transferred?

(Kember, 1997)

1989: The future is multi-media

1999: The future is the Web

2009: The future is smart devices

2019: The future is ??

What is the Future?

From e-Learning to smart learning

(Adu and Poo, 2014)

What is Personalized Learning?

It is teaching and learning that is

focused on the needs, potential and

perception of the learner. It is learner-

centred education.

(Singh & Hassan, 2017)

What is Smart Learning?

- Focuses on learners and content more than on devices.

- Effective, intelligent, tailored learning based on advanced IT

infrastructure.

- Technology is important but it should not be the focus.(Gwak, 2010)

- Combines the advantages of social learning and ubiquitous leaning.

- Learner-centric and service-oriented educational paradigm.(Kim et al., 2013)

Use of formal and informal learning using available tools (smart

devices, BB, apps, computer, projector, online websites, social

media, etc.) to diversify teaching and learning to cater for different

styles and needs.

What does it mean?

Wheeler, 2010

Personal Learning

Environment

Social Network

Blogs

LMS

External Services Web

2.0

Aggregator

E-portfolio

Personal Learning Environment Model

Delgado, 2007

Why should we personalise learning?

• To meet each student wherever they are

• To take our learners to the next level

• Help our learners navigate their way

• Ensuring individual differences are acknowledged

How can we personalize our

classes?

Flip your class

• Teaching at home & discussion

in class

• Make your own videos or refer

them to available online

resources

Re-group your students

• Allow for collaborative

and cooperative learning.

• Flexible learning spaces

(class, library, lab, court).

Online Resources

• Free

• Open

• Flexible

• Social

Massive Open Online

Courses (MOOC)

Provide your students with specific resources aligned with their

CEFR levels/personal needs

Online Resources

How else can we personalize our classes?

https://tltc.umd.edu/

Experience matters

Challenges

• Time

• Connectivity

• What to use it for?

• Technical skills (training)

• Motivation/resistance

• Policies

Concluding remarks

• Learning is Open, Social and Personal

• Earn your students trust. No significant learning can occur

without significant relationship

• Assessment tasks as learning tasks: Lab Work and

quizzes and finals are all learning opportunities

• Open learning yet with some structure

• Design is the key

• It takes lots of preparation and planning

• Use available technology to support informal and self study

• Technology extends the benefits of a great teacher

• Pedagogy comes first, even before technology, and it

should.

Concluding remarks

Thank you