This refers to documents, ventures, and discussions that aid educators as they become familiar with their students. In learner profiles, one can find information on the individual’s following aspects:
· Knowledge base, interests, and strengths
· Ambitions and fierce desires
· What the individual likes or dislikes
· Life history
· Major learning methods
· Potential blockades to learning
There’re also other factors considered important by either the student or teacher. Learner profiles aim to bridge any barriers between teachers and students and help educators understand their students more clearly. As such, it eventually results in the development of the most inclusive classroom where teachers are well aware of what kinds of accommodations need to be made for each student to thrive.
Learner profiles have the potential to fuel personalized learning via better data that can inform learning in meaningful ways and encourage a transition to a competency-based education system. Here’re different ways learner profiles encourage competency-based learning.
They encourage student ownership: Learner profiles can be utilized as a part of a mechanism teachers use to ensure proficiency before moving to the next level. Learner profiles can also be used as assessments of learning. In this scenario, the students use their learner profiles as a place to maintain information and a place where they can meaningfully reflect on their work via journaling and writing, upload, and own the documents.
They allow portability across systems: When students transfer, their transcripts, student records, and other information move with them. This helps educators and other providers learn about their needs, strengths, interests, and other relevant information, thus providing the students with personalized access to high-quality learning. As students think about applying for a job or applying to post-secondary institutions, the information in their learner profiles can be gleaned and mined for use in a job and/or college application scenario.
They encourage anytime, anywhere learning: A learner profile houses a variety of data, including information that goes beyond what may be found in an official transcript or a data backpack. It can contain measurement and data from different providers that are accessible by parents, tutors, community-based organizations, and therapists. These entities can support students’ competency-based learning by understanding their needs, strengths, preferences, and more. Learner profiles also facilitate the demonstration of students’ career and college readiness.
The K-12 system can use learner profiles as both a tool for pupils and their learning and structural support to accomplish competency-based learning.