Personalized Learning Strategies for Your Students in Canvas

The one-size-fits-all approach rarely fits all, especially in education. Our students have a wide range of backgrounds, learning abilities, and learning preferences. This can be quite challenging for instructors, especially for programs with very strict curriculums. I am excited to share some personalization strategies I learned in the Canvas Certified Educator program that may help integrate more choice into student learning.

What is Personalization?

Personalization in education involves creating individualized learning opportunities for students in ways that shift the ownership of learning onto the student. Personalization includes three core elements:

  • Differentiation - We can personalize learning by differentiating and scaffolding learning for students based on proficiency levels, cognitive skills, and social-emotional profiles.

  • Pacing - We can personalize by enabling students to progress through competency-based progressions or a well-sequenced curriculum at their own pace without waiting for their teachers or peers. 

  • Agency - We can personalize by emphasizing self-directed learning and student ownership; by offering students increased voice and choice; and through a focus on individual identity, interest, and ability. 

Ways to Incorporate Personalization in Canvas

Personalization strategies can be big or small. An entire course could be designed around these principles. In Canvas, this could look like:

We recognize that some of these strategies may be too big to integrate in certain classes. Luckily, there are many small ways to integrate personalization into a class. In Canvas, this may look like:

  • Using Pages to present content in a variety of ways - text, video, images

  • Providing multiple submission types for online assignments - text entry, file upload, media, images, website URL, etc.

  • Allowing video responses to discussion boards

  • Allowing students to create discussion board threads

  • Creating zero-point quizzes/surveys to check student progress or as a way to get student feedback

  • Allowing students to edit a Canvas page as a collaborative space

  • Creating student groups in Canvas for small study groups to encourage collaboration

  • Providing multiple forms of feedback in Canvas: rubrics, Speedgrader annotations, text comments, audio comments, etc.

  • Including self-reflection in assignments encouraging students to reflect on their learning

These are just a few ways you might include personalization strategies in Canvas. If you have questions, comments, or would like to share your Canvas stories, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Edtech@fscj.edu. We’d love to hear from you!

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