Personalized Learning with Playlists and Choice Boards

Personalized learning is an educational approach that aims to customize learning for each student's strengths, needs, skills, and interests. Personalized learning capitalizes on students’ almost instinctual ability to use technology. Through the use of Canvas, instructors can create a personalized approach to learning which includes: technology-assisted instruction, face-to-face teaching and student-to-student collaboration to leverage each student’s interests for deeper learning. When done right, it meets several of the ISTE Standards while leading to a more rigorous, challenging, engaging and thought-provoking curriculum.,

One component of personalized learning is student choice. Playlist and choice boards are a sequence of resources and/or lessons for students to complete. Students take ownership of their learning by choosing activities that align with their interests and learning style. This allows the teacher to direct students without having to be present, freeing up to the teacher to work 1:1 or with small groups of students, manage behavioral challenges, observe & respond to academic blockers, offer tech support, and so much more.

⮕Playlists & Choice Boards

Through the creation and use of playlists and/or choice boards teachers can provide for differentiation, provide student choice, and have multiple learning opportunities happening at the same time–even in secondary.

Playlists/choice boards can include content for one skill, one standard, one lesson, one unit, or even cover multi-disciplinary content.
They can be assigned to one student, a group of students, or all students.
Traditionally activities and resources get progressively more rigorous and include a variety of content to address the many different learning styles.
Allow for student ownership. Ask students to set goals for playlist completion. Build in reflection time for students to think about their progress (and likely report progress to the teacher).
Points accumulation - assign point values to playlist items if the sequence is less critical. Challenge students to accumulate a minimum number of points, and let each student determine his/her path to doing so.
Minimum pace - is there a cadence that students should keep in order to stay on track? Consider collaboratively building a target timeline with students (or subgroups of students) for the first playlist you introduce. Then, gradually release the responsibility to students to manage their own time.

Playlist/Choice Board Content

Use your summative assessment as your guide: what do students need to know/know how to do?
Consider having multiple options for the same topic or skill so students can exercise choice.
Sequence the resources and activities in a logical way.
Layer personalized learning strategies to ensure each student’s needs are met.
Add adaptive digital content as a resource.
Allow for student choice: "Must do/May do".
What prompts can you include to help students make the best choice for themselves? Is there a data point they can reference from a recent formative assessment or self-reflection to drive the decision?
Include pit stops (formative assessments) where students must demonstrate mastery before moving on to the next section of the playlist.
Set a completion pace to keep students on track. Build a target timeline with students or subgroups of students for the first playlist/choice board. Then, allow students to manage their own time.
Use your summative assessments as your guide gather the resources and activities students should explore/complete.
Pull small groups to target students with similar needs while the rest of the class has work time.

Modules should contain resources and activities that are self-directed and self-paced.

Playlists/Choice Boards can be assigned for a class period, a full day, 2-4 weeks or even over the period a full course.

Modules Should Include

Videos for students to explore and take notes.
Targeted practice through LTI's.
A formative checkpoint in each module, assessing mastery and prompting the student to either move on or review content.
A variety of activities to meet the needs of the many different learning styles.

Student Does

Self-selects according to interest and learning style and works independently through the Playlists/Choice Board.
Monitors mastery progress through checkpoints and summative assessments, reviewing and retaking if necessary.

Teacher Does

Monitors student progress via checkpoints.
Supports students in progressing through circulating, 1:1, and small group remediation, setting deadlines, and individualizing playlists/deadlines for struggling students.

Technology Does

Houses playlists/choice boards in Canvas LMS.
Supports student learning and practice through videos, adaptive practice, and student choice.
Allows demonstration of mastery with immediate feedback through checkpoints, mastery paths and summative assessments.

Templates

When creating Playlist/Choice Boards use a consistent format so that students are familiar with how to navigate.

To use pre-made Playlist templates

Linking Items to the Playlist/Choice Board

Once the Playlist is created with all resources and activities included into "May Do", "Must Do", "Activities", or "Enrichment" the content title needs to link directly to the activity in the Module.

To create a link to the Page, Assignment, Quiz, or Discussion

Click Edit
On the Playlist page place your cursor where you want the link to be placed.
In the Rich Content Editor, click the link icon, select "course link".
The course content will load on the right side of the page, choose the drop-down according to the type of content, and then the name of the specific page, assignment, quiz, or discussion
Update the Playlist page

Navigation Tip: To simplify returning to the Playlist/Choice Board, one each assignment, lesson, page etc, consider adding a navigation button that is linked back to the Playlist/Choice Board. ie "Back to Playlist Button".

Sample playlist page on the Systems of the Human Body Civil rights playlist

Demo Choice board

Demo Choice Board