Appraising research on personalized learning: Definitions, theoretical alignment, advancements, and future directions

Abstract This article introduces a special issue comprising research on efforts to personalize learning in different academic subjects. We first consider the emergence of personalized learning (PL) and the myriad of definitions that describe its essential features. Thereafter, we introduce the articles in the special issue by examining their alignment to extant theories of learning, the instructional design features that personalize the learning experience based on a learner characteristic, and the relationships between PL design and outcomes achieved in an educational context. Based on observations of contemporary PL research, we identify key issues to be addressed by the field and recommendations for future researchers to undertake to advance a PL theory. Chief among issues with PL are the role of technology, the agency of the learner, and the absence of a consistent theoretical grounding to motivate PL design choices. Future directions that would advance PL include the adoption of a theory of change in PL design, a design-based research approach to refine PL initiatives, more intensive and iterative research in authentic classroom contexts, and a greater focus on student input into and ownership of the PL experience.