By: Dr. Jacqueline Zweig and Dr. Kathryn Kennedy
As dedicated K-12 education researchers, we spent the past two years immersed in the educational landscapes of schools across Ohio, observing the implementation of personalized learning through a combination of focus groups, surveys, and direct classroom observations. Our research, in partnership with KnowledgeWorks, unveiled a myriad of insights, with the emergence of learner-driven classrooms standing out as a particularly transformative theme for both students and educators.
A key component of Ohio’s Personalized Learning Framework is learner agency. A learner-driven classroom is built on the principles of learner agency — where students are empowered to take ownership of their learning, set learning objectives in collaboration with their teachers, and make choices about what, how, and when they learn.
Ohio educators reported they are witnessing positive changes in their student’s engagement and motivation when integrating personalized learning practices into their lessons. Of the 114 educators who responded to a survey in April 2024, 89% agreed their students were more engaged, and 83% agreed that their students took more ownership of their learning. This is a huge feat when students across the country are reporting a lack of interest and engagement in school.
Creating Opportunities for Student Ownership
In the early stages of implementing a learner-driven approach, educators start by creating opportunities for students to take ownership. Setting goals and creating learner profiles are two strategies educators in Ohio have used to foster student agency in instruction and assessment.
Goal Setting
Goal setting is a way to foster agency in assessment. By establishing clear, measurable learning objectives aligned with each student’s needs, both educators and students can identify strengths, areas needing improvement, and areas of growth. When students actively participate in setting learning goals and monitoring their own progress, teachers report that their students gain a sense of control over their learning and develop resilience in overcoming challenges. Here are three of the multitude of examples from our classroom observations in Ohio:
- Fact Fluency in Mathematics: A second-grade teacher implemented goal setting in mathematics by using color-coded folders as a progression tool. Each folder represented a different stage of mastery. As students demonstrated an understanding of the content in one color folder, they moved on to the next. This system allowed students to clearly see and reflect on their progress.
- Analyzing Mistakes and Refining Goals: In another school, students analyzed their mistakes on returned assignments and adjusted their learning goals to address areas that needed improvement. At the end of a unit, students would meet with their teacher to reflect on their learning and document insights on their goal sheet.
- Conferencing for Goal Setting: An educator introduced conferencing to the goal-setting process. Students selected a writing goal, worked on it independently, and then met with the teacher individually to monitor their own progress using a grading rubric.
Learner Profiles
Learner profiles are another tool frequently used in learner-driven classrooms. These profiles help students communicate their interests, motivations, learning styles, and areas where they need support. Learner profiles provide educators with a comprehensive picture of who learners are and can help with the creation of personalized learning paths. Learner profiles are dynamic documents that evolve over time to meet the changing needs of students.
- Creating and Displaying Learner Profiles: In a rural district, educators end the school year and prepare for the next by updating their learner profiles. The educators also create their own learner profiles as a template for students and display those profiles for students and parents to view at open houses.
- Connecting Profiles with Learning Progressions: An instructional coach supported teachers in aligning learner profiles to learning progressions. The profiles helped educators understand what motivates each student and tailor their learning targets and challenges accordingly.
- Engaging Students in the Process
Educators can actively involve students in the creation and maintenance of learner profiles using tools like surveys, empathy interviews, skill inventories, and reflection journals. For younger learners, the following prompts can guide meaningful self-reflection:
- I’m good at…
- I have trouble with…
- I focus best and get work done when…
- An adult I trust is…
Scaffolding Student Choice
Students may need guidance as they navigate decisions related to their learning choices. Teachers in Ohio shared different ways they scaffolded choice to build students’ agency over time as students build their confidence to make choices.
- Survey Tools to Support Choice: In a sixth-grade classroom, students were asked to choose three careers to explore and develop portfolios to display the information they gathered. Some students were unsure about how to choose a career, but the teacher was ready with a tool to get them started — a survey to identify possible careers that would align with their interests.
- Students Helping Students: In a third-grade classroom, students used a choice board to select a topic from their unit where they were responsible for helping their classmates review key concepts. The choice board had eight sections: seven topics from the teacher and one option to suggest their own topic, encouraging greater ownership for those ready to take on more responsibility. The teacher helped guide the students to choose a topic, but allowed students creative freedom to determine how they would help their peers learn the topic. For example, some students made games for their classmates to play while others wrote flashcards.
Embedding Educator Supports
Students are not the only ones who need support in transitioning to a more learner-driven learning environment– educators need support too! Educators in the Ohio Personalized Learning Network had access to a system of support to help them better understand and implement learner-driven strategies. These supports included both formal structures, such as partnerships with Educational Service Centers (ESCs), and informal opportunities for collaboration with other schools and districts.
- Dedicated Time to Reflect and Improve: One school’s design team in a small town in Ohio scheduled collaboration time specifically for personalized learning during what normally was an intervention block every two weeks. The design team talked through what was working and wasn’t working and how to improve the approach. Another utilized their ESC, where they co-created a plan for how best to implement personalized learning in their schools.
- Collaborating Across the State and Beyond: While exploring the idea of implementing a Portrait of a Learner in their school, one school’s design team asked for examples from other schools in hopes of learning from their experience. They were then connected with another school that was actively using a portrait, allowing them to ask questions and see the portrait in action. This connection inspired and informed their own implementation efforts.
Tips for Success
- Start Small: Begin with one or two learner-driven practices, such as goal setting or learner profiles, before expanding to others.
- Provide Structure and Support: Initially, students may find the concept of learner agency overwhelming. Offer guidance and tools, and gradually release responsibility to the students.
- Encourage Reflection: Regularly ask students to reflect on their learning. Questions like: “What did you do that helped you learn during this unit?” and “What would you do differently next time?” can be very insightful.
- Foster a Collaborative Environment: Create a classroom culture where students feel safe to share their thoughts, make choices, and take risks.
- Utilize Available Supports and Resources: Connect and collaborate with other educators pursuing learner-centered classrooms. Peer-to-peer learning is a powerful motivator and tool.
By adopting these strategies, you can create a learner-driven classroom, which may enhance student engagement and foster a deeper, more personalized learning experience.
For more information on Ohio’s personalized learning journey, visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce personalized learning.
For more tips on how you can get started making your classroom student-centered, check out this article from KnowledgeWorks.
Dr. Jacqueline Zweig is the Founder and Principal Researcher at EdResearch Solutions, a woman-owned small business committed to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for students through research and evaluation. Drawing on her deep expertise in quantitative methods and educational improvement, she partners with education organizations to document program impact and supports education leaders to use evaluation findings for continuous improvement.
Dr. Kathryn Kennedy is the Founder and Principal of Consult4Ed Group, a woman-owned business passionate about working with individuals, schools, universities, and organizations to support them in meeting the needs of their communities in holistic, authentic, and meaningful ways. Collectively representing many years of practice- and research-based experience in teaching and learning, Consult4Ed Group is home to over 50 consultants who work together to support the field of education.
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Explore learner-driven classrooms in Ohio focusing on student agency, engagement, goal setting, and personalized learning strategies.
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