Running head: PERSONALIZED LEARNING MOOC 1

Personalized Learning MOOC

Initial Understandings, Connections, and K-12 Implications

Stephanee Stephens

Kennesaw State University

June 2017

Dr. Julie Moore

January 2017 (Cohort 29)

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Setting/Context

For my Capstone Project, I will design and deliver a self-paced Massive Open Online

Course (MOOC) in Personalized Learning. This course will be offered online via a learning

management system (LMS). The target group for this course is any K-12 educator who is

interested in Personalized Learning, with a prerequisite knowledge of educational/instructional

technologies. Those seeking enrollment in this course should also have an understanding or

background experience with online learning, as the course will assume online learning

competence and offer no technical support.

Several principles of Personalized Learning will be modeled through the instructional

design and delivery of the course. I will obtain pre-course and post-course Personalized

Learning perception data from all participants as a way to gauge impact. I will also collect

continuous course feedback to improve participant experiences and outcomes. The MOOC will

consist of 3 modules covering key concepts, pedagogies, and theories that support a K-12

personalized learning environment (PLE). In each module, participants will be required to

demonstrate mastery prior to unlocking the next module. I will incorporate design strategies

and research (Martinez, 2000) that suggest a lagging area in online, adaptive learningthe

connection to the Learning Orientation Construct (LOC). This whole-person perspective

methodology is one of the earliest hints at the notion of personalization in teaching and learning

that we have seen surge since.

Statement of Problem, Need and Rationale

The educational system in our country is in the midst of massive pendula. Data supports

the notion that our traditional one-size-fits-most approach to teaching and learning just simply

isnt effective, especially for minority students and those with disabilities (U.S. Department of
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Education, 2017). A grass-roots movement is sweeping schools, and there are whispers about

what the future of teaching and learning holds. In the many schools and districts that I have

supported over the last five years, one theory of action has cemented its place in the vocabulary

and planning of school leaders and classroom teachers alike. Personalized Learning is a way to

approach not only the what of teaching, but the how. Supported by the transformational

power of technology, Personalized Learning can accelerate, amplify and expand the reach of

effective teaching practices (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). Educational funders,

researchers and non-profit organizations have all invested in the promise of Personalized

Learning and some of the most quantitative and promising research is available through the Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation. RAND published a report in 2015 outlining the data from 62

schools over the course of 2 years. In all situations, when Personalized Learning theory was

applied, students made significant gains in mathematics and reading (Pane, 2015).

Make no mistake howeverPersonalized Learning is not a checklist of steps to

accomplish, but rather a belief system that permeates the pedagogy of anyone who buys in. So

many times, and in so many ways, educators initial excitement about the prospect of what

Personalized Learning can illicit are left with more questions than answers after traditional

workshop professional development sessions. This dilemma is not original to Personalized

Learning initiatives. Teachers require about 50 hours of professional learning to realize a shift in

their practice and their students success, but often receive much less than that (Darling-

Hammond, 2009). It falls to us then, the providers of educator training and coaching, to design

and deliver learning opportunities that are different.

In schools today, much is expected of teachersbut little consideration is given to their

support as they attempt massive shifts. Carol Dweck, a psychologist, theorist and faculty member
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at Stanford University proposed mindset theory to describe the effect that individuals beliefs

about the nature of intelligent have on learning and education. Frequently referred to as Fixed

vs. Growth Mindset, mindset theory identifies the difference in perception that intelligence and

other traits are either set in stone (fixed mindset) or able to be affected by training and learning

(growth mindset) (Dweck, 2012). Individuals with a fixed mindset are not interested in feedback

as an iterative tool for learning because they dont believe that their success is dependent on their

relative effort to learn, but rather is based on their innate ability. Failure, then, for those with a

fixed mindset is debilitating as it would mean an inability, limit, or deficit that could not be

overcome. On the contrary, individuals with a growth mindset, welcome failuresas a way to

learn and adjust, therefore improving their ability to succeed. A MOOC environment is a perfect

way for learning to occur in a growth environment.

The pedagogical structure of a Massive Open Online Course incorporates a social,

distributed, networked approach as well as a dependency on learner autonomy which promotes

adult lifelong learners who are motivated to pursue professional development (Kennedy, 2014).

Free from risk of failure (as no grade is assigned), and with the ultimate goal of empowerment

and supporting change, I believe that now more than ever this course is needed.

Objectives & Deliverables

In order to improve K-12 educators capacity for delivering personalized instruction

within their classrooms, I will develop and deploy a Personalized Learning Massive Open Online

Course (MOOC). I aim to ensure that any educator that chooses to participate in this course

finds value in the content and is able to improve and/or enhance their practice. The following are

objectives and deliverables for this project.

Table 1.
Project Objectives and Deliverables
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Project Objective Deliverable

By August 2017, develop 1 self-paced module for the - An online learning module that
Personalized Learning MOOC focused on will house content, tutorials, and
background/supporting research and how to identify assessments focused on
Personalized Learning understanding and identifying
Personalized Learning
Environments
By September 2017, develop 1 self-paced module for - An online learning module that
the Personalized Learning MOOC focused on the design will house content, tutorials, and
and deployment of Personalized Learning assessments focused on the
design and deployment of
Personalized Learning
By October 2017, upload modules (content) to an online - Digital pre-learning self-
learning management system (LMS). assessment to help determine if
the MOOC is the right fit for
participants.
- Goal Setting Template
- Mastery Based Assessments
By December 2017, perform Beta Pilot MOOC - Identify and Enroll Pilot
experience for small test group. Participants
-MOOC Feedback Form
(Continuous Improvement and
Iteration through pilot)

By January 2018, launch Personalized Learning MOOC -Online advertisement, social

media campaign.
-Schedule Live Twitter Chats at
several cross points
- Pre-Course Perception Data
(Survey)

Professional Standards Commission (PSC) Standards

1. Visionary Leadership

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to inspire and lead the

development and implementation of a shared vision for the effective use of technology to promote

excellence and support transformational change throughout the organization.

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1.4 Diffusion of Innovations & Change

Candidates research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining

technology innovations and for managing the change process in schools. (PSC 1.4/ISTE

1d)

2. Teaching, Learning, & Assessment

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively integrate technology

into their own teaching practice and to collaboratively plan with and assist other educators in

utilizing technology to improve teaching, learning, and assessment.

2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies

Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies

addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)

2.6 Instructional Design

Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of research-based best practices in

instructional design when designing and developing digital tools, resources, and

technology-enhanced learning experiences. (PSC 2.6/ISTE 2f)

3. Digital Learning Environments

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create, support, and manage

effective digital learning environments.

3.3 Online & Blended Learning

Candidates develop, model, and facilitate the use of online and blended learning, digital

content, and learning networks to support and extend student learning and expand
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opportunities and choices for professional learning for teachers and administrators. (PSC

3.3/ISTE 3c)

6. Candidate Professional Growth & Development

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to engage in continuous learning,

reflect on professional practice, and engage in appropriate field experiences.

6.2 Reflection

Candidates regularly evaluate and reflect on their professional practice and dispositions to

improve and strengthen their ability to effectively model and facilitate technology-

enhanced learning experiences. (PSC 6.2/ISTE 6c)

Project Description

As I begin to describe this project, its clear that the 100 hours of work that are mandated

to be completed as part of this capstone are much easier achieved than I had originally thought. I

have already dedicated many hours to research, and relevant work, and I know that as with

anything, when one is passionate about the topic or focus of work, it feels very little like work at

all. Below are the project items and activities that will encompass the creation of a Personalized

Learning MOOC, with details provided.

Develop 2 Module MOOC

In my initial discovery of the problem of practice held within the pursuit of instructional

or theoretical shifts towards Personalized Learning, I identified the lack of a common language

or set of beliefs held by the majority in relation to Personalized Learning. Many educators are

left to rely on a randomized Google Search return to tell them the answer to: what is

personalized learning?. In Module 1, a deep focus will be on creating that common language
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and linkage to existing research and learning theory that supports Personalized Learning. In

conjunction with Module 1, Module 2 digs deeper into the pedagogical case studies and

approaches to setting up a Personalized Learning Environment. The canyon between knowing

and doing is deep, and in order to bridge it, Ill rely heavily on the self-paced and individualized

nature of the MOOC to make the content as comprehensible and relatable as possible.

Launch and Facilitate MOOC

In my effort to not only develop, but to launch and facilitate this Massive Open Online

Course (MOOC), I would be remiss not to include the actual facilitation of the course in my

project items/activities list. I will investigate the best option not only for compliance and

accessibility, but also for the quality of the end user experience and user interface design as

prescribed by research and reviewed literature. In the launch and facilitate phase of my project, I

will beta test, update and adjust, and offer pre-and post-course perception surveys to collect

various data points. I hope to expand this MOOC to eventually include additional modules, so it

is necessary to look at each participants feedback as a chance to improve.

Table 2.
Project Activities Alignment
Project Item/Activity
Develop (2) content
modules for MOOC.
Project Objectives
By August 2017, develop 1
self-paced module for the
Personalized Learning
MOOC focused on
background/supporting
research and how to identify
Personalized Learning
By September 2017, develop
1 self-paced module for the
Personalized Learning
MOOC focused on the
Deliverable
- An online learning
module that will house
content, tutorials, and
assessments focused on
understanding and
identifying Personalized
Learning Environments
- An online learning
module that will house
content, tutorials, and
assessments focused on
the design and
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design and deployment of deployment of

Personalized Learning Personalized Learning

Launch and Facilitate By October 2017, upload - Digital pre-learning

Personalized Learning modules (content) to an self-assessment to help
MOOC online learning management determine if the MOOC
system (LMS).
is the right fit for
participants.
- Goal Setting Template
- Mastery Based
Assessments
By December 2017, perform - Identify and Enroll
Beta Pilot MOOC experience Pilot Participants
for small test group. - Complete MOOC
Feedback Form
(Continuous
Improvement and
Iteration through pilot)

By January 2018, launch -Develop Online

Personalized Learning advertisement, social
MOOC media campaign.
-Schedule Live Twitter
Chats at several cross
points
- Pre-Course Perception
Data (Survey)
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Evaluation Plan

When evaluating any project, its important to differentiate between evaluation of the

product, and/or impact of the product on teaching and learning, and evaluation of the

implementation or delivery. For this specific project, I plan to evaluate one facet which will aid

me as I refine and relaunch the Personalized Learning MOOC that I develop. The results of the

evaluation plan will also provide insight regarding my progress in mastering the PSC standards

directly related to the project.

First project item/activity.

The overall objective of this project is to create and launch a Massive Open Online

Course on Personalized Learning. The main evaluation metric for this first and focal item is a

participant perception survey that will be given to MOOC participants to ascertain their level of

understanding of Personalized Learning prior to participating in the course, as well as after

completion of the course. This pre-post survey will use a combination of Likert scale questions,

as well as multiple choice scenarios and open-ended responses to determine participants self-

perceptions and self-identified skills. I will also use mastery checks created with Google Forms

that will be a requirement for completion in each module. The module exit tickets will act as

formative assessments of learning, and will allow me, as the facilitator, to make immediate

adjustments or provide just-in-time supports to MOOC participants. The usefulness of all

response data will be dependent on the number of participant responses as well as the quality of

those responses. For this reason, the completion of these surveys will be requisite within the

MOOC coursework. If valuable data is provided, then the questions were effective and well

written.

Table 3.
Project Evaluation Timeline
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Project Item/Activity Projected Hours

By August 2017, develop 1 self-paced module for the 30
Personalized Learning MOOC focused on
background/supporting research and how to identify
Personalized Learning with embedded mastery check.
By September 2017, develop 1 self-paced module for 30
the Personalized Learning MOOC focused on the design
and deployment of Personalized Learning with
embedded mastery check.
By October 2017, upload modules (content) to an online 20
learning management system (LMS).

By September 2017, develop 1 pre-survey and 1 post- 10

survey inclusive of perception and course feedback foci.
By December 2017, perform Beta Pilot MOOC 20
experience for small test group.

By January 2018, launch Personalized Learning MOOC 10

Collect Pre-and-Post Survey Data 20

Total Hours: 140
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Works Cited

Darling-Hammond, L. (2009). Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status

Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad. Retrieved from

Learning Forward: http://www.learningforward.or/docs/pdf/nsdcstudey2009.pdf

Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Constable & Robinson Limited.

Kennedy, J. (2014, Spring). Characteristics of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): A

Research Review . Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 13(1), 1-15.

Martinez, M. (2000). Retrieved from Successful learning research site:

http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/learningorientations.htm#lo

Pane, J. F. (2015). Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning. Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation. RAND.

U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education. Office

of Educational Technology, Washington, DC.