CIM NEWS

Mass Customized Learning: Within Your Reach

11/20/2012

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You've probably heard the buzz about "mass customized learning," but what does that really mean? Mass customized learning means instruction is tailored to each student's needs and interests. No two students look, talk, or act the same way, so why should we expect that each student learns the same way? Many educators believe mass customization is finally possible through personalized digital learning technologies. Here are a few ways you can use technology to make learning personal in your classrooms:

Digital Curriculum When teachers aren't tied to just a traditional textbook, they're free to find all different types of instructional resources that meet varying learner types. Imagine teaching the same lesson to each student in the class, but one learns through a video, another learns through an interactive manipulative, and still others learn through an online group research project. Sites like Kahn Academy, StarrMatica, Brainchild, Remedia Cloud, and CK-12, just to name a few, offer great online instructional tools (some for free!).

One-to-One Learning One-to-one programs can help students learn at their own pace and in their own way. With solutions like CurriculumLoft, educators can sync different variations of the same lesson or assessment to individual student devices.

In-class Formative Instruction When assessment takes place during instruction, teachers get real-time insight into which students understand, and which ones need remediation. Solutions like eInstruction's Insight 360 allow students to provide immediate feedback and teachers to see instantly when re-teaching needs to take place.

Here's one instructor's interpretation of mass customized learning.

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