Just what is personalized learning? It is a set of strategies that teachers can implement. The terminology sometimes changes to adaptive learning, but the distinction is like that of a tool and a teaching technique. The difference is necessary to the basic logic of how the various parts of any teaching intervention work together to make a difference. EdSurge News brought this information to us in their article, “When Personalized Learning Is a Logical Fallacy.”

According to Carnegie Mellon University learning science researcher, Marsha Lovett, “A product cannot be evaluated outside of its educational context. The contextual factors are huge. So a product just can’t be efficacious or not. It always has to be contextualized.”

Digital learning materials are improving student performance in college, resulting in higher exam scores, better grades, and fewer students dropping out of classes. Add to the context the fact that digital materials typically cost less than traditional materials and are easily accessible online, and it is easy to see why digital is fast becoming the preferred medium, personalized or otherwise.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.