With a ‘one size fits all’ approach to teaching and learning a thing of the past, identifying and developing the individual skills, interests, and learning styles of each student has become an area of focus for educators.
Schoolbox provides a canvas upon which teachers can capture a holistic understanding of the needs and progress of each and every student.
Teachers can choose from a variety of components in Schoolbox to create the best learning experience for their students. The result? A contextualised learning space where students are empowered to engage with and own their learning.
Schoolbox enables personalisation of the student learning journey in five important ways.
1. Identify a love for learning
Engaging, personalised learning starts when you give students the opportunity to share what area of learning they are passionate about.
Schoolbox offers Poll, Survey, and Form tools so that teachers can obtain this information efficiently. The data obtained from a Poll, Survey or Form can then be referenced during any future course design.
This way, learning is initiated with the student voice at the forefront, meaning students feel empowered and connected.
2. Take into account existing knowledge
In order to personalise learning, it is important for educators to take into account existing learning— ‘what do my students currently know’. Quizzes are a quick and effective tool to gather insights into what students already know and are a powerful way for teachers to develop learning journeys that meet the individual needs of their students.
Quizzes in Schoolbox allow the teacher to create sections, use a range of question types including multiple choice, short answer, and exact response. An effective tool for Pre and Post testing, Quiz responses are marked automatically, providing instant feedback to students and saving teacher’s time.
3. Promote Goal-Setting and Reflection
In order to instill a sense of ownership in their learning, the ability to set goals has been shown to increase student engagement. Goal setting and awarding of achievements can be used effectively in a personalised learning journey as students are able to determine their own path to success. Schoolbox enables both students and teachers to assign personalised goals via the Set Goals feature.
Set Goals 1
Students who have demonstrated the ability as defined within the goal, either in class or via assessments, will then have these converted into achievements.
Not only is it possible to set and align goals to curriculum, but also to co-curricular activities, personal development and more. The process of goal setting, reflection and awarding achievements supports a personalised learning culture where students are encouraged to map out a pathway to success.
Visible on a student’s profile to both teachers and parents, Goals and Achievements are valuable tools that can foster greater collaboration between learning at school and home.
4. Provide feedback on learning progress
Continuous feedback and reporting is critical within a personalised learning approach, as it provides students with a clear picture as to their individual progress.
Schoolbox provides continuous feedback and reporting tools that allow instant feedback via multiple means of representation including text, audio and video. For instance, a teacher can use the inline grader and rubrics to provide timely and specific feedback on student work.
Tools that encourage students to be self-reflective provide opportunities for students to give feedback to their teacher on how they are progressing and make them more accountable for their learning. Furthermore, Schoolbox provides a mechanism for parents to remain informed about individual progress and also provide feedback on their child’s progress. Parents have their own dashboard and receive separate notifications about their child’s learning.
5. Bring student wellbeing to the forefront
Whilst academic achievement is important, Schoolbox is focussed on the whole student and provides a holistic approach to how students progress through their learning journey whilst at school. Student achievement is influenced by many factors, including their physical and mental health and their general well-being. With the dedicated pastoral care module Schoolbox provides insights into how students are progressing beyond their academic achievement.
In addition to individualised learning tasks and academic records, pastoral records are also attached to each student profile in Schoolbox. By looking beyond academic performance and taking a whole student approach, teachers are able to better understand the whole student and in turn, build more, meaningful relationships with their students. It is then possible to deliver quality learning and teaching that suits the needs of each student.
Lifelong learners
Personalised learning is a fundamental aspect of modern teaching and learning and in the promotion of students as lifelong learners. Schoolbox is a canvas that can be painted in many different ways to achieve the learning goals of each and every child.
Is your school in need of a canvas for personalised learning? Contact a Schoolbox expert today.
Peter Cottle is an educator and e-learning specialist with over 13 years experience in K–12 schools. A passionate advocate of learning design underpinned by Universal Design for Learning approaches, Peter is a Territory Manager at Schoolbox and is continuously looking for ways to enhance the learning experience of all learners.
