Personalized Learning with AI
- Date
- April 22, 2024
- Thomas Hummel
No two students learn in precisely the same way or at precisely the same pace. In ways both subtle and apparent, the contexts and backgrounds of our students vary. Sure, there are techniques and methods that can be broadly effective, but scaffolding student prior knowledge and creating rigorous learning experiences regardless of students’ present levels is a complex, overwhelming, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenge. This challenge is only compounded by limited time and resources. Thus, even the teachers who want to provide individualized instruction still find their efforts hampered. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can reshape who we approach preparing our classrooms, making it easier for educators to offer true personalized learning experiences that don’t just include mentions to student interests, but meaningfully differentiates instruction to fit the ideal pace and path for the individual student while also weighing the needs of the collective class.
The Power of AI in Personalized Learning
At the heart of personalized learning is the belief that every student should have an education suited to their unique needs, pace, and preferences. AI tools are making this vision a reality by offering data-driven insights and resources that help educators customize their approach. Here’s how:
1. Creating Tailored Lesson Plans
AI-powered platforms like Eduaide.Ai are designed to make the best of the lesson-planning process accessible by breaking the task down to its component parts and then aligning those components with within a broader notion of what works in Education. For example, teachers can input an objective or standard and then identify the relevant prior knowledge to access it, and create a range of warm-up activities to activate and gauge that prior knowledge. And here’s where the sequencing piece comes in, you can use something like Eduaide’s remediate tool and create a deliberate practice protocols for students who struggled with the warm-up. For the students who excel, you can create a bridge activity that relates to-be-learned material to the activated prior knowledge through instructional analogies, elaborative questioning. And given how quickly Generative AI can create these materials, we can use it to accommodate materials to different levels of understanding and prior ability in less time than it would take to create a single assignment using traditional means.
- It’s not that AI will save you time, it’s that it will compress the time it takes to do any one thing allowing you to slow down and more deeply consider what direction you want to take. Due to AI’s speed, we don’t have to rush, we can afford to be deliberate and experiment because AI dramatically lowers the cost of exploration by streamlining the administrative pieces and speeding up the creation of materials to bring your instructional vision to reality.
2. Differentiated Instruction Made Easier
Differentiation is key to reaching students with varying abilities and interests. Traditionally, crafting multiple versions of the same lesson or activity is time-consuming and logistically challenging. AI tools streamline this by providing immediate access to customized resources—quizzes, worksheets, interactive content—that cater to different student profiles.
This empowers teachers to adapt instruction on the fly, whether it’s modifying an assignment to fit a student’s reading level or offering enrichment materials to students ready for more advanced work. With AI, differentiation becomes a seamless part of daily teaching, reducing the burden on teachers while maximizing student engagement.
3. Catering to Individual Learning Paces
Some students grasp concepts quickly, while others may need more time to master foundational skills. AI helps teachers identify these differences through real-time data tracking and offers personalized support. For instance, if a student is struggling with a particular math concept, an AI platform might suggest supplemental exercises or provide an alternative explanation to solidify their understanding.
On the flip side, students who are excelling can be directed to more challenging materials, ensuring that they remain engaged and continue to progress. This creates a dynamic learning environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive at their own pace.
Supporting Diverse Classrooms with AI
Managing a classroom with students of varying needs—whether those are academic, social, or emotional—can be overwhelming. AI acts as a co-pilot for teachers, analyzing data to flag areas where students may need extra support, from mental health check-ins to academic challenges.
For example, AI can identify patterns in student performance that may indicate a need for additional intervention or suggest ways to address behavioral issues before they escalate. This frees up time for teachers to focus on building relationships and fostering a positive classroom culture, all while ensuring that no student slips through the cracks.
AI as a Partner in Personalized Education
As AI technology continues to evolve, its potential to transform education is undeniable. Teachers no longer have to tackle personalized learning on their own. AI offers a powerful solution, enabling educators to design differentiated lessons, track individual progress, and manage the complexities of diverse classrooms more effectively.
By embracing AI as a tool, teachers can better support their students' unique learning journeys, offering each child a path to success in a way that’s manageable, efficient, and deeply personalized.