In the classroom, the concept of diversity is imminent, with learners or students varying from each other, ranging from skills they have, level of understanding, backgrounds, and even ages. As a teacher, understanding this diversity is paramount in realizing better learning outcomes. As part of the learning process, what students learn (gain), and how they successfully learn (how) rank as essential aspects (Javaeed et al., 2020). Thus, as a professional teacher, ensuring sufficient measures in supporting student learning is fundamental. This report focuses on personalized learning, aimed at bettering student learning. The teaching covered learners undertaking different assessments, i.e., protest, formative, and summative assessment. Of 35 learners in the pre-test, only 32 managed to complete the formative and summative assessment. The assessments focused on:
Word Problems (2). Numerical Questions and (3). Art/Picture-Based Questions
Data Analysis
The assessment and evaluation encompassed the protest assessment, which was followed by a formative and summative assessment. The focus was on incorporating a three-dimensional approach, containing word-based questions, numerical based questions, and artistic or picture-based questions in structuring the questions. This approach was efficient in assessing the students' performance and gauging their skill and expertise levels across the three dimensions.
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In making conclusions, the total scores over 9.5 after the protest were used to evaluate meeting the students' standards were examined. The main distribution across the scores for the student is as shown in the following table criteria.
|
Total Scores for Formative & Summative Assessment |
Remark/Evaluation Criteria |
| Under 9.5 | Does not meet the standard |
| 9.5 to 12 | Average, yet meets standard |
| Over 12 | Excellent, fully meets standard |
Of the 32 evaluated students, 24 students met the learning standard, 14 entirely (100%) and 10 not fully (average), across formative and summative assessment after the pre-test. A total of eight (8) students failed in meeting the assessment standard satisfactorily.
| Remark | No. of Students (COUNT) |
| Does not meet the standard |
8 |
| Average, yet meets standard |
10 |
| Excellent, fully meets standard |
14 |
As a professional teacher, the need to apply personalized teaching lies in realizing better outcomes for learners, which makes it paramount that additional measures are needed for those learners failing to meet the desires standard. From the results tabulation, of the 32 learners, eight (8) attained assessment scores below the defined standard. Hence, applying other techniques, e.g., extra tuition and changing teaching methods or models, is essential for improving their scores. With personalized teaching, this model is mainly characterized by modelling the teaching in ways that align with individual students' aspects, e.g., skills and interests (Morin, 2020). Hence, in this case, for the eight (8) students, it means the personalized teaching, in this case, had no significant implications on them. This is a noticeable outcome, which, as a professional teacher, using some better plans is needed to improve their outcomes.
Personalizing learning is shown in the outcomes as pivotal in improving outcomes, as depicted by many better scores, for the formative and summative assessment. With scores in assessing performance based on 10 points, there is an evident improvement in scores, from the protest to the realized formative and summative evaluation. This change shows the overall positive outcome associated with applying personalized teaching. Although not all students attained the positive effect desired in standard scores, the majority attained the standard, which concludes the positive implications of adopting personalized teaching.
Reflection
Personalized teaching has significant roles, and in this case, ensuring students attain the best when compared to when there was no personalized teaching is essential, i.e., in the pre-test. This makes undertaking evaluations pivotal. Notably, in education, evaluations are vital in checking applied tools or program methods if they efficiently helped achieve defined goals (Taylor & Tyler, 2012). Hence, by checking the personalized teaching plan, some met goals, while others were less attained, especially on students not meeting better outcomes.
Instructional shifts that were vital in the personalized teaching plan varied, with multiple implications. First, with the pre-test not adopting personalized teaching, using writing goals than simply multiple-choice questions acted as a tool to improve scores. Secondly, instead of focusing on one assessment criteria, a three dimensional approach was used, which focused on looking at word problems, then followed by numerical questions, and finally, art or picture-based questions. Also, for better outcomes, assessing learners based on their profiles and skills supported the outcomes instead of assessing everyone equally.
Formative and summative assessments are essential. As educators or teachers, doing evaluations is vital, as, through this process, one can effectively gauge the success of their applied techniques and adopt improvement measures (Taylor & Tyler, 2012). When compared to other assessments, using formative and summative evaluations offers educators opportunities to complete better assessments. With formative assessment, there is a chance to assess how the various students learn different material (Ahmed, Ali & Shah, 2019; Dixson & Worrell, 2016). This varies somehow with summative assessments, which are outcome-based, with evaluation aiming at gauging students' learning during the entire course or teaching process (Ahmed, Ali & Shah, 2019; Dixson & Worrell, 2016). Thus, in this case, checking formative assessments, and combining them with summative assessments, was vital to gauge student improvements. This is because every learner exhibits uniqueness (Morin, 2020), making in-between (formative) and end of the course assessments (summative) essential.
A teacher´s desire lies in meeting each student´s learning needs, meaning that it is useful for those behind to apply some tools to help. This is a personal and school-based responsibility, and following through will help gauge how successful a teacher is. Through the assessments, there are evident positive impacts, i.e., score improvement from the pre-test.
Likewise, with personalized teaching, this teaching model ensures every student/learner gets a specific “learning plan” that is fully linked and customized to how well the students learn, the things they know, and their respective interests and skill levels (Morin, 2020). Thus, through this exercise, there is the overall recognition that as a professional, it becomes useful in fully understanding what each student's capabilities are during teaching. Through this customized approach, based on knowing each student's interests and skills, there is success in realizing better outcomes, as the learning process is made in a manner that aligns with each student. As another lesson, through personalized teaching, various students work on short and long term with their teachers, helping them in owning the learning process (Morin, 2020).
Action Plan
As seen through the results, not all students, despite applying personalized teaching, could fully (100%) realize the planned and desired better outcomes. Hence, some useful action measures, support strategies, and modifications will include;
First, there is a need to personalize the student´s learning, less in line with other students, not to give them an advantage, but to better understand them. This will be possible through routine engagement, increased probing to get the learner´s and interests, and apply to improve the teaching process. Secondly, classroom diversity, modeling questions, and take-aways assessments (Homework) based on students' weaker areas are essential. Thirdly, it will be necessary for the school and teachers to set personalized expectations for respective learners/students, which is vital in meeting better outcomes (Morin, 2020). Through aligning outcome standards and aligning them with each student, attained expectations can be gauged based on performance.
Significant modifications and additional support practices will include taking more evaluation of the respective students, which will pinpoint their weaker areas or sections they have problems with during learning. As a teacher, improving the teacher-student relationship, in this case, will help them see their problems and use this information to better their grades. To make this possible, keeping diaries or records of the student´s performance, personal-school related issues, and anything affecting their learning will be useful in improving their outcomes. Secondly, recording student weaknesses during the learning process are essential. With this information, one can capitalize on them, minimize negatives, and help improve learning decisions (Morin, 2020).
As a last resort in improving outcomes, one modification can entail using technology to support the student´s learning. According to Froment, García González, and Bohórquez (2017), applying innovation in education is imminent with technology growth. Some include social media tools/platforms to improve student learning and comprehension (Javaeed et al., 2020). Hence, instead of only focusing on teaching using traditional/conventional tools, using newer tools, e.g., technology, can improve outcomes.
The last modification can be changing the teaching environment, e.g., learn outside, learn in morning hours, or using pictures/art during lessons. These items' aim lies in supplementing understanding, and if the students can do better in newer environments, then as a teacher, applying these measures will be essential. Rather than subjecting learners to non-desirable environments or situations, changing things can improve scores, than seen in classrooms.
Lastly, it will be important in setting goals for each student, which is critical in evaluations (Taylor & Tyler, 2012), based on how well they perform, their historical performances, their family settings, and classroom behaviors. Diversity is evident in classrooms, especially in the modern technological world (Froment, García González & Bohórquez, 2017; Taylor & Tyler, 2012); recognizing student differences and using tools promoting each one´s success is vital. This makes customize the learning path for the respective students necessary. This will help them feel better and respond positively to the learning, provided motivations, and desired learning objectives/goals (Morin, 2020). Finally, to improve performance, scheduling every student´s learning, based on their skill levels, interests, performances from the past, and in-depth desire is essential, e.g., group discussions and additional questions for take-home assignments.
References
Ahmed, F., Ali, S., & Shah, R. A. (2019). Exploring Variation in Summative Assessment: Language Teachers' Knowledge of Students' Formative Assessment and Its Effect on Their Summative Assessment. Bulletin of Education and Research , 41 (2), 109-119.
Dixson, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory into Practice , 55 (2), 153-159.
Froment, F., García González, A. J., & Bohórquez, M. R. (2017). The Use of Social Networks as a Communication Tool between Teachers and Students: A Literature Review. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET , 16 (4), 126-144.
Javaeed, A., Kibria, Z., Khan, Z., & Ghauri, S. K. (2020). Impact of Social Media Integration in Teaching Methods on Exam Outcomes. Advances in medical education and practice , 11 , 53–61. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S209123
Morin, A. (2020). Personalized Learning: What You Need to Know. Understood For All Inc. https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/personalized-learning-what-you-need-to-know
Taylor, E. S., & Tyler, J. H. (2012). The effect of evaluation on teacher performance. American Economic Review , 102 (7), 3628-51.
