The Pivot to Personal Digital Learning:Customization, Motivation, Equalization

Tom Vander ArkMonterey Institute

March 11, 2011

A personal journey back to the private sector

• 14 years in energy, consulting & retail• 14 years as superintendent & grant maker• 2 years funding & advocating for edupreneurs

Conclusions: we need1. Private capital to spur/scale innovation2. Philanthropic capital to reduce risk, promote OER,

advance equity, 3. Public sector leadership to set goals, aggregate demand,

exercise accountability

learn capital

The historic pivot to personal digital learning

Batch-Print Personal Digital

An opportunity to boost learning, staffing & facilities productivity

Age cohortsTextbooks

SequentialAnnual tests

Institutions

Individual studentsDigital contentAdaptiveInstant feedbackNetworks

Open blends will change the world

OER & cheap tablets

…will change the world

Texts, Testing, Tutoring, Tech (U.S.)

• $25b segment will grow by >50% by 2020• Compression:

– OER+shift to digital will shrink $9b textbook segment – Cheap devices will compress Tech expenditures

• Growth:– Assessment– Tutoring, & specialty teaching services– Professional development– School services

Benefits of personal digital learning

Customization

Motivation

Equalization

Customization

• Kids will learn more– Adaptive content– Instant feedback– Personalized guidance

• Move at their own pace – Demonstrated competence – Rolling enrollment; money follows student

• Driven by:– Learner profile– Smart recommendation engines

Customization dimensions

• Differentiation• Pace• Modality• Schedule• Interests

• Location• Projects• Demonstrations• Guidance• Application

Discussion

Implications of customization?

Potential for kids to learn more faster?

Role of OER?

Motivation

Persistence: Exploit game strategies

Passion:Exploit interests

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Mangahigh makes math fun & social

Pioneering development of engaging Learning Games w/ embedded assessment

PHET sims makes Physics fun

Supported exploration

Projects, science fairs

Job shadows, internships

Discussion

Can compelling content get kids to work twice as hard?

Can OER be compelling?

Equalization

• Affordable extended day/year• Access to all courses• Access to good teachers• Access to guidance & support

F2F Driver

Rotation

Flex

Online Lab

Online Driver

Self Blend

LOCATION

TYPE OF INSTRUCTION

STUDENT INDEPENDENCE

EXTRACURRICULARS AND SOCIALIZING

Dimensions

Fewer traditional elements

More traditional elements

6 models of blended learning

Innosight Institute

Case for the ‘Game-Frame’

5k 5th grade day• Adaptive reading quiz• Math game• Computer scored writing • Virtual history environment

10k 10th grade day• Physics simulation• 3 writing prompts • Language community • Math tutorial & exercises

The pivot to personal digital learning will cause a flood of keystroke data from a variety of learning applications

A ‘game-frame’ would translate scores from multiple learning apps into a standards-based gradebook

Discussion

Can new models narrow the preparation gap?

Will OER play a significant role?

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Open Education Solutions

OpenSolutions

Innovative open curriculum, tools, and value-added solutions

OpenLearning

Leading blended learning services firm

AMPeD: Open Learning Platform

Online Badges for Standards Mastery

• Give k-12 students Common Core-linked learning options• Toward “DIY High”

• Leverage open content• NROC, OER Commons, Khan Academy, WNET, Curriki, CK12

• Motivate persistence/acceleration via badge system• Scouts + Foursquare meet at the Common Core

• Enable integrated thematic units of study• Superbadge units combine multiple badges/subjects

• Develop pioneering smart student profiles (v2)• Smart recommendation engine will queue content playlists

AMPeD: A Better Approach

Make school relevant with motivating data

Plans Dashboards

Badges

Units

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AMPeD: Badge Architecture

Each Badge Includes:1. Clear goal2. Evidence:

• Required assessments• Demonstration Options

3. Relevance links4. Instructional resources:

• Video, virtual envmts.• Games, sims• Voice over text

Multiple Forms of Evidence• Content-embedded assmt

• End of unit quiz• Game score

• Computer scored writing• Rubric scored assignments

Opportunity: develop/sell comprehensive Core-aligned assessment system with motivational overlay

Summary

AMPeD is the first educational data platform specifically designed to motivate students by providing control of, multiple modalities for, visible progress into &

context for their education

Open Education Solutionschanging the way the world learns