Against “Personalized Learning” « Annie Murphy Paul

But if students are not properly equipped to direct their own learning, then what? “We created the profession we call ‘teaching’ largely to solve for this problem,” he dryly observes:

“Students need to be guided down the path of their learning. Teachers should remain central to the activity of imparting knowledge to students.”

From my own reading of the research, I have no doubt that Riley is correct on this point. Again and again I see people in the education world (especially the online education world) assuming that if information is made available to students, they will use it to teach themselves what they need to know.

Source: Against “Personalized Learning” « Annie Murphy Paul

I feel that personalized learning is diverging in its definition. On one side is personalized learning being the ability for the student to choose the paths and method on the way to mastery. The other side is the ability for technology to personalize the instruction according to the students needs and desires.