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Evaluating Personalized Learning Curriculum Programs: 7 CriteriaA guide for K– 12 educators

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Evaluating Personalized Learning Curriculum Programs: 7 Criteria

14 Conclusion

15 Personalized Learning Solutions

16 References

1 Introduction

2 Unlocking the Full Potential of Each Learner

4 The Role of Adaptive Digital Technology in Personalized Learning

6 Finding Optimal Adaptive Curricula for Personalized Learning

7 Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

1. Purpose 2. Pathways 3. Diagnostics 4. Feedback 5. Analytics6. Simulations7. Proof

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Introduction

T oday’s classrooms offer a more positive environment for personalized learning curriculum software that individualizes and differentiates learning like never

before. State standards have raised the expectation that students will take ownership of their own learning. In turn, educators are focused on ensuring each student not only covers content, but masters content—while creating innovative, competency-based learning environments.

Additionally, technology is more commonplace in the classroom as school infrastructures improve, device access expands, and educational software incorporates more robust diagnostic and assessment tools and flexible learning paths. This combination of influences makes digital resources that assess and respond to student input a viable solution for personalizing the learning experience, whether they are implemented to deliver core/basal, supplemental, or intervention instruction.

School and district leaders who want to pursue personalized learning curricula have access to a wide array of curriculum resources—yet often, limited funding—at their disposal. They may find it difficult to select academic curriculum programs that optimize budgets while effectively accelerating learning and closing performance gaps. As with students, all schools and districts have unique goals and challenges, and all of them can benefit from understanding best practices for choosing adaptive, digital technologies. When implemented to support a comprehensive personalized learning curriculum, adaptive learning software aligns with a student’s ability, supporting differentiated and enriched instruction, and further enabling blended and personalized approaches. Please read on to discover seven criteria to assist in your evaluation of digital personalized learning curricula.

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Unlocking the Full Potential of Each Learner

I n the not-so-distant past, students who struggled were often left behind, while those who needed a greater challenge were expected to wait for the rest of their class to

catch up. Student growth and achievement can be constrained by grade level or whole-group delivery that “teaches to the middle” (Worthen, iNACOL, 2017). Now, educators can use personalized learning strategies, tools, and resources to differentiate existing curricula and apply instructional practices to accommodate every learning level and style. This empowers educators to provide intervention for struggling students, targeted practice for on-level students, and enrichment for advanced students—so every learner has an equal chance to succeed.

To close opportunity gaps and help every student reach his or her full potential, goals must be identified and benchmarks set. Students must feel personally invested in the process. Personalized, adaptive digital resources and materials guide this process while giving students the freedom to explore and learn in their own ways. Adaptive learning software can also assess student progress in real-time, which is motivating to the student and informative for teachers.

Digital adaptive software and resources allow students to direct their own learning, which enables teachers to more efficiently and meaningfully interact with individuals and groups. Understanding how each student is progressing allows teachers to adjust presentations and lectures or group them in ways that support student learning. Teachers can also assign adaptive lessons and quizzes as homework, so that students are better able to participate in discussions when they are in class.

DefinitionsPersonalization The learner and teacher collaborate to drive learning and determine needs, plan, and learning design.

Differentiation The teacher drives instruction and adjusts learning design for groups of students.

Adaptive Software Technology that creates a learning environment in which the materials delivered are based on student input.

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How can we make personalized, student-centered learning a reality in all classrooms and schools? One way is by providing future-ready academic frameworks. McGraw-Hill Education is a funding partner working collaboratively with Future Ready Schools® (FRS).

In 2015, the Alliance for Excellent Education created Future Ready Schools to help school districts plan and implement personalized, research-based digital learning strategies. Hundreds of districts are creating comprehensive plans to achieve successful student learning outcomes by (1) transforming instructional pedagogy and practice, while (2) simultaneously leveraging technology to personalize learning in the classroom.

Future Ready Schools defines personalized learning as a student-centered approach that helps all students develop a set of skills collectively known as the deeper learning competencies. These skills include thinking critically, using knowledge and information to solve complex problems, working collaboratively, communicating effectively, learning how to learn, and developing academic mindsets (Future Ready Schools, 2017).

As part of McGraw-Hill Education’s commitment to digital readiness, it sponsors the Future Ready Schools Workshops and Interactive Planning Dashboard. The dashboard aligns research-based strategies and practitioner-tested techniques with each district’s specific needs, allowing school district leaders to create systematic action plans for student-centered, personalized learning before the purchase of any technology—ensuring a much smoother implementation.

A Student-Centered Curriculum Under a personalized learning approach, teachers, school staff and, as appropriate, other adults:

• Develop caring and trusting relationships with their students, who, because of these relationships, are more engaged in their education and put more effort into their school work;

• Connect the curriculum to students’ interests, strengths, and aspirations;

• Provide students with tools to monitor their progress in mastering critical knowledge and skills, enabling them to take greater ownership (student agency) of their learning;

• Provide students with targeted instruction, practice, and support in areas where they are struggling, while ensuring they learn challenging academic content and skills;

• Create more flexible learning environments, incorporating multiple instructional approaches and the effective use of technology; and

• Connect learning to real-world applications.

Personalized Student Learning: The Future Ready Framework

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The Role of Adaptive Digital Technology in Personalized Learning

A daptive learning is a term often used interchangeably with personalized learning, but because adaptive learning is curriculum-focused and data-driven, it is only one

part of the equation for classroom instruction. In essence, adaptive learning is learning supported by digital technology that frequently incorporates artificial intelligence to make personalized learning more effective.

Adaptive learning programs use data to continuously evaluate information from the learner as he or she works, compare that data to benchmark knowledge levels, and adapt the learning path by making modifications to the lesson being presented.

“Adaptive learning takes a sophisticated, data-driven, and in some cases, non-linear approach to instruction and remediation, adjusting to a learner’s interactions and demonstrated performance level and subsequently anticipating what types of content and resources learners need at a specific point in time to make progress.” (Tyton Partners, 2015).

Adaptive learning tools can reinforce the rigor of curriculum by aligning instruction with state standards and assuring that students are mastering challenging content before moving on, rather than simply covering it. Knowing that students truly understand what they’ve learned before allowing them to progress helps lay a solid foundation at every step, and reduces gaps in learning that can undermine progress in the future.

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Some learning programs adapt the learning path based on the results of a digital assessment at the end of a lesson, while others monitor student work in real-time and adjust content to a student’s performance. For those choosing a personalized learning platform, understanding how it adapts to a student’s learning over time can be an important factor in the decision-making process. McGraw-Hill Education’s intervention and acceleration team recommends asking these questions to determine how adaptive a program is:

• How often and accurately does the program evaluate student progress?

• Does the program respond to assessment results by altering lessons in real-time?

• Does the adaptive program identify and address learning gaps before presenting new content?

• Is the program backed by academic and scientific research?

• Does the program encourage guessing or does it include open-response answers?

An increasing number of adaptive learning systems and platforms deliver digital content that complements textbook content at flexible speeds. One of the great benefits of using adaptive technology to supplement core curriculum programs is that it allows students to make choices about how, and how quickly, they will progress through the content.

The learning platforms that educational leaders choose should be flexible enough to encourage exploration and collaboration while keeping students focused on their individual learning goals. The ability to deliver the most effective and efficient personalized learning approach for each student will help ensure the best outcome.

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Finding Optimal Adaptive Solutions for Personalized Learning

B efore implementing an adaptive digital solution to advance a personalized learning curriculum, school leaders should have a clear idea of how it will differ from what

happens their classrooms today, and how new strategies will align with their district’s current curriculum or instructional frameworks.

When evaluating and adopting personalized, adaptive learning programs, McGraw-Hill Education’s intervention and acceleration team advises educational leaders to keep seven criteria in mind to help ensure all students are college and career ready.

1. Purpose

2. Pathways

3. Diagnostics

4. Feedback

5. Analytics

6. Simulations

7. Proof

1 234 5

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Curricula

1. Purpose

P ersonalized learning curriculum programs must be thoroughly grounded in the principles and methodologies of learning science. Purpose-driven adaptive

technology should be packed and paired with engaging and impactful content that delivers valuable student-data insights. Adaptive curricula should provide opportunities for anytime, anywhere, real-world learning objectives and standards (Worthen, 2017). Content should be aligned to state and national standards to ensure accountability.

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26% of district leaders need content that more

EXPLICITLY ADDRESSES ACADEMIC STANDARDS

EdWeek Market Brief Curriculum Tops Digital Devices, 2017

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

2. Pathways

S tudent-centered adaptive software should deliver content and assignments dynamically, using a differentiated path that is optimally aligned and individually

paced. Flexible pathways are customized and aligned to the student’s zone of proximal development—the zone in which guidance and support is needed for learners to become independently competent—and variably paced to provide the right amount of practice. The software dynamically assesses prior knowledge and current understandings, and identifies potential challenge areas by standard, topic, and activity, which informs and constantly adapts the individual curriculum.

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EdWeek Market Brief Schools’ Preference for Print Curricula, 2018

37% of school curricular materials purchases are

DIGITAL CONTENT

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

3. Diagnostics

P ersonalized, adaptive learning programs should conduct automated initial and ongoing diagnostic assessments to pinpoint more accurately where students

are in their learning progressions, identify areas requiring more practice, and help teachers keep apprised of student progress. Adaptive software uses smart algorithms that assess, adapt, and scaffold student learning, measuring and moving students toward higher standards and deeper learning.

EdWeek Market Brief What Are the Ed-Tech Products, 2018

# 1 WISH among teachers and school administrators for ed-tech digital tools is a comprehensive set of tools for

TRACKING STUDENT DATA & WORK

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

4. Feedback

A daptive curriculum programs should provide immediate feedback through proactive, interactive support for problem-solving during learning and during

formative and summative assessments. Interactive support delivers a continuous stream of intelligent response, prompting students to rethink approaches that will create success. Scaffolding and instruction at time of impasse is extremely effective and something that software can do immediately on an individual basis, providing the right supports at the right time. The system should provide continuous reinforcement and knowledge checks to ensure retention and provide remediation for topics not yet mastered.

EdWeek Market Brief Evidence of Effectiveness, 2018

97% of school district leaders use PERSONALIZED LEARNING APPROACHES IN CLASSROOMS

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

5. Analytics

A daptive software for personalized learning should include learning analytics that empower educators with deep insights needed for continuously improving

the classroom learning environment (Lopez, iNACOL, 2017 ). As educators shift roles from conveyors of knowledge to facilitators of instruction, adaptive resources help them better fill in learning gaps with their expertise where it’s needed most. This approach also encourages students to direct their own learning. Actionable data should guide instruction with customizable reports revealing progress, mastery, and time spent on a task. Analytics and data also provide transparency for accountability purposes.

92% of district leaders implementing personalized learning say

TEACHERS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE

90% say students are

MORE ENGAGEDafter the introduction of personalized learning

Education Elements, 2016-2017 Impact Report

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

6. Simulations

A daptive learning involving interactive simulations challenges and engages students in ways that few other activities can. Experiential games and virtual

projects stimulate learning, add variety to instruction, increase students’ attention spans, and mitigate discipline issues. Digital adaptive programs contain interactive games, simulations, and gamification to thoroughly engage students in learning and help them gain awareness of their own level of understanding. Project-based learning in adaptive software allows students to explore problems, showcase proficiency, and create solutions. Students should be challenged, and never frustrated or bored.

32%

24%

EdWeek Market Brief Before Purchasing Educational Games, 2018

24% want seamless

INTEGRATION OF GAMES into lessons or curricula

32% of district leaders say top criteria for selecting games isRESEARCH EVIDENCE

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Seven Criteria for Evaluating Personalized Learning Technology

7. Proof

R esearch and efficacy are critical for unlocking the full potential of each learner. Educators must design personalized learning environments that incorporate

the use of research-proven, adaptive programs and resources aligned to student needs. These curriculum programs should be based on established research that uses sound, evidence-based pedagogy, rigorous instruction, innovative algorithms, and current academic standards. Educators are advised to choose curriculum partners that research how students learn best, and offer solutions that are tested, retested, and continually updated to meet educators’ high standards.

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EdWeek Market Brief Evidence of Effectiveness, 2018

30% of school district leaders cite “EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS” as the #1 need for personalized learning

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Conclusion

T oday’s K–12 educators are faced with learners coming in at all levels and limited time for one-on-one interactions, yet every student has unique challenges that require personalized

solutions. Adaptive technology harnesses learning science research to assess a student’s knowledge or skill level and determine the most effective, efficient path for that individual student to learn and master content and skills.

Districts and schools interested in implementing digital personalized learning programs must define their own needs and expectations before doing side-by-side comparisons of available adaptive technologies. Understanding what adaptive technology is capable of, and choosing programs that are research-proven to work with each learner’s age and academic level, will give educators confidence that they have chosen well.

Adaptive learning curriculum programs enable more effective personalized and differentiated learning, ultimately helping develop future-ready, lifelong learners who are prepared for achievement and success in school, college and careers.

To learn more, please visit mheonline.com/personalbest.

McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences to help students, parents, educators, and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Its learning solutions are available in nearly 60 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

mheducation.com

About McGraw-Hill Education

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English Language Arts

Redbird® Language Arts & Writing (grades 2–7) is a digital, adaptive personalized learning solution that helps students achieve their full potential as writers, no matter where they are on the learning continuum. The technology is built upon more than 25 years of research in adaptive and writing technology, and it addresses language and writing standards.

StudySync® (grades 6–12) is a cross-curricular, core literacy solution with hundreds of texts, dynamic video, and multimedia lessons guaranteed to inspire and advance reading, writing, critical thinking, speaking, and listening skills to prepare students for college and careers. StudySync provides powerful digital instruction with engaging print resources to ensure teachers can provide students a systematic path to success.

Math

Redbird Mathematics (grades K–6) is a digital, adaptive curriculum developed by Stanford University that features the latest in adaptive instruction, gamification, and project-based learning. Redbird Mathematics uses real-world examples and STEM careers to help students build confidence and enthusiasm for math.

ALEKS (grades 6–12) is an online math solution that uses artificial intelligence to identify and provide instruction on the topics each student is most ready to learn. ALEKS helps students meet rigorous standards with differentiated instruction specific to their unique needs by creating an individualized learning experience.

Personalized Learning Solutions for K–12 ELA and Math

P ersonalized learning solutions from McGraw-Hill Education help educators leverage digital curriculum technology to create the right individualized learning path for each learner, based on personalized and adaptive instruction.

Now, school leaders can complement and enhance existing curricula and instructional practices with personalized learning solutions that provide remediation for struggling students, supportive practice for on-level students, and enrichment for advanced students. No matter the waypoint on his or her academic journey, each learner can achieve his or her personal best.

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ReferencesEducation Box. (n.d.). Quality and Equity by Design. Retrieved from http://educationdocbox.com/

amp/73518230-Homework_and_Study_Tips/Quality-and-equity-by-design.html

Education Elements. (n.d.). Education Elements Impact Report 2016–2017. Retrieved from https://www.edelements.com/personalized-learning-report

Future Ready Schools®. (n.d.). (2017). Personalized Student Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dashboard.futurereadyschools.org/framework/student-learning

Tyton Partners. Retrieved from http://tytonpartners.com/tyton-wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Learning-to-Adapt_Supplier-Landscape.pdf

Worthen, Patrick, S. et al. (2018). Current to Future State: Issues and Action Steps for State Policy to Support Personalized, Competency-Based Learning - iNACOL. Retrieved from https://www.inacol.org/resource/current-future-state-issues-action-steps-state-policy-support-personalized-competency-based-learning/

Yettick, H. (2018a). What Are the Ed-Tech Products That K–12 Educators Wish They Had? (2018, March 2). Retrieved from https://marketbrief.edweek.org/exclusive-data/educators-share-their-ed-tech-dreams/

Yettick, H. (2018b). Before Purchasing Educational Games, School District Leaders Prioritize What They Want. (2018, February 23). Retrieved from https://marketbrief.edweek.org/exclusive-data/what-do-educators-want-from-educational-games/

Yettick, H. (2018c). Curriculum Tops Digital Devices, PD, and Assessment as K–12 Purchasing Priority for 2018. (2018, January 22). Retrieved from https://marketbrief.edweek.org/exclusive-data/curriculum-is-top-purchasing-need-of-2018-survey-says/

Yettick, H. (2018d). Evidence of Effectiveness, Easy Integration Are High Priorities for Personalized Learning Purchases. (2018, April 16). Retrieved from https://marketbrief.edweek.org/exclusive-data/evidence-of-effectiveness-easy-integration-are-high-priorities-for-personalized-learning-purchases/

Yettick, H. (2018e). Schools’ Preference for Print Curricula Remains Strong. (2018, April 6). Retrieved from https://marketbrief.edweek.org/exclusive-data/schools-preference-for-print-curricula-remains-strong/

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