Written by: Tay Roth, Senior Product Manager and Megan Shuker, Senior Manager, Product Management
The environment in which learning takes place has changed drastically over the last few years. Whether a learner is in primary school, secondary school, continuing education, or corporate learning, the mediums and means of learning have had to adapt. At D2L, we pride ourselves on "transforming the way the world learns"; one of the many ways in which we do this is through learner-led development. One size does not fit all in education and allowing learners to create and manage their work, in conjunction with more conventional assessment types, can provide added incentivization and motivation.
Create your JourneyIn the ever-evolving world of education technology, D2L’s Portfolio and Awards tools allow students to track their progress and achievements throughout their learning career and manage that journey by sharing only what they want to share. These tools can enable learners to develop personalized learning experiences that grow with them. If learners are drawn to a specific topic, they can use these tools to safely explore it without sharing it to an instructor. Allowing students to take ownership of their journey improves engagement and motivation. Providing this level of autonomy and agency empowers students to be creative and explore in a safe place that goes beyond typical content consumption and repetition.
Reflect on your JourneyIn our current age of information overload, portfolios and other similar tools allow learners to take time to introspect and reflect on their experiences, which can help build essential emotional intelligence(Bailey, 2022). Metacognition helps build critical thinking, self-awareness, and humility, which are necessary skills required to succeed in school and work(Rivas, 2022). In an information-rich world, the process allows for a moment of peace and deep thought for learners. Reflecting on assessments and experiences can be deeply personal, but the outcomes of doing so in a secure, private place has the potential to improve in learner outcomes.
Grow through your JourneyGrowth is not a linear path, and it is often easy to forget how far you’ve come. At D2L, we speak regularly with educators, instructors, and administrators who share stories about how learners utter, "There is no way I'm passing this exam!" or "I'm just bad at this." Digital portfolio tools can help us remember where we were and how we got to where we are. They can act as a "before" and "after" for your learning and create a story to share with instructors. It allows you to remember how far you've progressed on your journey. Shifting the perspective from the end goal to the starting point and subsequent journey encourages learners to remain motivated and set attainable goals to continue their journey along their lines.
The educational world is shifting from the Golden Rule of the past, "treat others how you want to be treated," to the much more accommodating, "treat others how they want to be treated." Enabling learners to manage their learning, with instructors' support, is treating learners how they want to be treated, empowering them to feel safe in exploring how they want to grow in throughout their learning journey. Transforming the way the world learns means allowing the world to transform how they learn through learner-led tools such as D2L’s Portfolio tool. This student-centered approach empowers learners to deepen their understanding and foster self-awareness, creating a more holistic and meaningful educational experience for all.
Bailey, James R, and Scheherazade Rehman. “Don’t Underestimate the Power of Self-Reflection.” Harvard Business Review, 21 Mar. 2022, hbr.org/2022/03/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-self-reflection.
Rivas, Silvia F., et al. “Metacognitive strategies and development of critical thinking in higher education.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913219.