What You Want, When You Want It: The Value of Learner Profiles
The learner profile is a key component of the Ed3.0 environment. It's function is to bridge the gap between compartments of school and real life. It elevates a learner from a series of scores to a person with unique experiences, understandings, interests, and approaches to life. The profile is a space to create a holistic view of a learner. What do they like to learn about? What activities and modalities engage them? What times of day and year are they most productive? What do they struggle with? What motivates them? Few teacher could answer these questions about all their students, yet we know how the application of this information can mean the difference between a dropout and a college graduate.
The concept of the learner profile stems out of Learner Analytics. What can we discern about how learners experience learning to improve their experience? The learner profile meant to be a reflective space for the student to recognize their learning tendencies and to inform facilitators how to help the students reach that learning "sweet spot." To do this the learner profile works with other components to customize learning.
Profiles collect data that point to a student's preferred learning modalities and academic needs. A content classification system will feed off the learner profile data to match students with right fit exercises from a cyber warehouse of learning resources. Student MAPs, or Managed Accountability Plans pair the learner profile and content classification by creating a personalized learning path. The process leverages technology to improves learning in four ways.
- Learner profiles act as a personalizes learning by creating spaces where students reflect on their progress through standards based checklist, MAPs, portfolios, and assessments.
- Educators can quickly learn and track what motivates a learner and apply this knowledge to increase student engagement.
- Students hone their interests and abilities through building their portfolio and reflecting on their progress. In tracking their growth over long periods of time, students will be prepared to make choices about which careers they will be most successful in.
- The GAP measure, or Goal Action Planner engages students in the process of setting objectives and meeting challenges.
Personalized Learning MAPs
A students profile page will be a dynamic living snapshot of their progress over time. Students can use the space to set and track goals, share their interests, build a portfolio of their work, and manage the direction of their learning. The architecture of the learner profile entices students to take ownership in their growth and participate in their progress planning. Learners can go to their MAPs, on their dashboard to view standards they've mastered and those they still need to work toward. Standards based MAP movement allow students advance based on proficiency rather than seat time.
"Just-in-Time" Support
Profiles serve both for administrative management and to include learners in the progress of charting their personal growth. Our goal is to put students in the drivers seat of their personal growth. Students will have access to benchmark assessment scores, peer assessment of their projects and collaborations, facilitators feedback, and a record of his or her self-assessments. A variety of optional aptitude tests will help students recognize natural abilities and skills they may need to work on with extra effort to master. Personalized MAP offer students choices on how they can conquer their objectives, demonstrate how skills scaffold on each other, and show students progress over time.
Goal Action Planning
The GAP application, involves students in the process of identifying their personal challenges and making a step-by-step plan to meet them. GAP is designed to help students meet academic challenges as well as personal challenges such as time management, interpersonal skills, organization, and stress management. Students can set goals and track their ability to follow through over the course of their school career. Goal setting will help students clarify core values and better prepare them for the work forces. The profile management system engages students as full-time navigators of their choices and academic performance.