In honor of the Independence Day holiday today’s post revolves around freedom, specifically the freedom for the learner to personalize learning. The core principle behind Learner Intelligence (LI) is that given the freedom to choose the learner will always choose the way he or she learns best. It would be odd for the learner to select content that was either too easy, too difficult, or not relevant. Likewise, if a learner was tired of reading, why wouldn’t he or she opt to view a video given the choice.
“Given the freedom to choose, the learner will always choose the way he or she learns best.”
Why is learner choice so important? One reason is that people are not all the same and learn differently. The ability to control some aspects of the learning experience keeps learning relevant and more engaging.
The very act of choosing requires cognitive focus and discernment. Gone are the days of mindlessly clicking the next button in the hopes of learning something meaningful.
Another important factor is that learners are fluid, not static. A learner may prefer to read content at the start of the course, then decide to watch a video or engage in an interaction, and then switch back to text mode at an unpredictable moment. Providing learners with choices allows each user to learn in the most efficient way possible.
Today’s learner, fluent in complex web searches and ubiquitous connectivity, expects on-demand results. To meet their expectations, we should incorporate freedom of choice into learning. My next post outlines A Simple Three-Step Approach to Adaptive Design. How are you giving learners the ability to take charge of their learning?