Course Personalization with an Emphasis on Social Presence

EDU 708 Personal Philosophy and Action Plan Part 1

One of the major advantages when it comes to implementing a hybrid learning format at the high school level is that it allows instructors to easily differentiate instruction for their students. According to Johnson and Lamb, “Differentiation involves designing instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners” (2009). What’s more, “techniques of differentiation offer a variety of ways to address readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles” (Johnson & Lamb, 2009). What this means is that educators can modify the way in which they construct hands-on, inquiry based activities, deliver content, and format assessments in order to better meet the unique needs of their individual students.

More specifically, instructors can personalize the mode of instruction for their students (i.e. text-based readings, audio-based podcasts, or visually appealing infographics and video clips), the level or depth of detail, as well as the reading level at which certain resources are written. They can even allow students to pick from a set of carefully curated supplemental resources that best fit their individual interests and needs (i.e. webquests, online simulations, audio files, microlectures, video clips, virtual labs, and so much more)! Such efforts allow students to engage with the content more easily, make connections between that which they already know and the material currently being studied, and increase the likelihood of retaining information learned or skills practiced in an effort to inch closer to mastery of the material.

Yet another perk of incorporating hybrid learning with adolescent students is that the arrangement lends itself incredibly well to providing individualized feedback in a further attempt to personalize instruction for all pupils. Customized feedback is of the utmost importance when it comes to content mastery with Hattie and Timperley stating that, “Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achieve- ment, but this impact can be either positive or negative” (2007). To elaborate, formative feedback provided frequently throughout the entire duration of a course allows students to better gauge their understanding of class concepts, or specific content standards and learning objectives, while simultaneously identifying which portions of the content they need to direct their attention to, or receive further support with, in the near future. “Providing specific feedback to each student also helps them take control of and responsibility for their own learning, and builds trust and connection with the instructor”, as stated by educational technology consultants at the University of Michigan (LSA Technology Services, 2020).

Not only are there an ample amount of benefits that stem from providing individualized feedback to your students, but it is also relatively easy to do in a hybrid environment. Educators can provide constructive criticism and a thorough review of one's work through a variety of different means, whether that happens to be through annotations added directly to the work itself, an audio file or a video recording, or even a detailed rubric with comments (Fiock & Garcia, 2019). Similarly, teachers may also incorporate peer-to-peer feedback within their lesson sequences, discussion boards that can be used to gauge both individual and whole-class responses to a prompt, or even opt to set aside time for individual video conferencing and one-on-one remediation (Ball, 2021). All in all, such evaluation strategies give students an immediate snapshot of where their skills lie relative to where they need to be with respect to their overall educational goals and mastery of the content.

While personalized instruction and individual feedback are noteworthy advantages to the implementation of hybrid - or blended - learning at the secondary level, they do not come without a cost. In almost all literature related to online or hybrid models of education, it is noted that, “the social aspects of the educational process have become an essential component in the educational experience” (Armellini & De Stefani, 2016). While an extensive social presence, and the subsequent relationships that are formed through such frequent and well-intentioned interactions, is an absolute must in order to connect with students and increase student buy-in, it does take a considerable amount of time and continuous work on behalf of all involved parties. Throughout this process, “The instructor role is a highly intricate one. According to Davis and Roblyer (2005, p. 406), there are four clearly different roles (counsellor, assistant, teacher and designer), each calling for the development of specific competences” (Armellini & De Stefani, 2016).

Along these lines, it has been proposed that, “effective instructors in an ever-changing educational setting need to constantly create and maintain a balance between content, pedagogy and technology” (Armellini & De Stefani, 2016). In a time where it feels like we, as educators, are consistently being pulled in a million different directions, with more and more being asked of us on a daily basis, it can be challenging at best - and incredibly overwhelming at worst - to maintain this delicate balance. Yet, at the same time, it is absolutely essential with a student in one study noting that, "A sense of community helps reduce stress and the sense of loneliness. The instructor absolutely needs to get involved in learning and the students absolutely need to be able to communicate!" (Whiteside, Dikkers, & Lewis, 2014).

Citations:

Armellini, A., & De Stefani, M. (2016). Social presence in the 21st century: An adjustment to the Community of Inquiry framework. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(6), 1202-1216.

Ball, R. (2021, April 13). How to Maximize Student Feedback in Hybrid and Virtual Learning Contexts. The International Educator (TIE Online). Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://www.tieonline.com/article/2923/how-to-maximize-student-feedback-in-hybrid-and-virtual-learning-contexts.

Fiock, H., & Garcia, H. (2019, November 11). How to Give Your Students Better Feedback With Technology. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://www.ch

ronicle.com/article/how-to-give-your-students-better-feedback-with-technology/.

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.

Johnson, L., & Lamb, A. (2009). Addressing Diverse Needs: Differentiation in Distance Learning. Indiana State Library, 28(3), 3‐6.

LSA Technology Services at the University of Michigan. (2020, October 22). Giving Ongoing Feedback to Online and Hybrid Students. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://lsa.umich.edu/

technology-services/news-events/all-news/teaching-tip-of-the-week/offering-ongoing-feedback-on-student-learning-online.html.

Whiteside, A., Dikkers, A., & Lewis, S. (2014). The Power of Social Presence for Learning. Educause. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2014/5/the-power-of-social-presence- for-learning.

Image from North Albany Elementary School.