Author:
Adebayo Adebiyi, PhD
No one is a Dullard. Every individual is inherently a learner, possessing unique skills and varying learning needs, each developing at their own pace.
This proposition is grounded in the concept of individual learner specificity, which explains how every learner brings a unique constellation of characteristics to the learning process (Wilkinson, D. H., 1950; Tetzlaff, L., Hughey, J., 2020; Schmiedek, F., & Brod, G., 2021).
Here’s an example drawn from real experience, as it’s more dependable than a hypothetical one.
In a maths class, students were asked to solve a set of word problems. The same mathematical problem was posed to the students; examine how they all approached it.
Student A reads the questions slowly and highlights key phrases because he needs time to process written language.
Student B prefers to hear the questions aloud, so he uses an assistive technology text-to-speech tool to listen while following along.
Student C starts to draw diagrams, as she prefers visual representations, which help her understand the relationships in the content of the question more easily.
The narrative above illustrates that although the students were exposed to the same learning environment, each student is unique in the factors and abilities they bring to the learning moment.
This unique constellation of factors each student brings to the learning moment is called Individual Learner Specificity (Rose, T., & Fischer, K. W., 2009). The different approaches deployed by the three students to the same question reflect the natural variation in how learners interpret information and choose strategies that align with their skills and processing styles, which are always good signals of identifying individual learners’ preferred supports. The differences are not indicators of weak ability but of individual specificity in how they access, organise, and process information.
Humans do not learn in a uniform, one-size-fits-all way. Instead, our learning is shaped by a range of individual factors—including linguistic background, prior knowledge, cognitive differences, and emotional states. In fact, Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014) argue that learner variability is the norm, not the exception, and instruction must account for unique learner profiles.
An individual who is perceived as slow can often accelerate and master any concept once their specific learning style is identified or understood, and appropriate strategies and support are deployed into their learning process. Effective learning design practices recognise this diversity and adapt accordingly. For this reason, all actors (professionals) in learning design are expected to remain flexible, tailoring learning materials and approaches to the specific needs identified in each learner.
#learningtheory #cognition #pace
Bibliography
Hughey, J. (2020). Individual personalized learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1825–1845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09768-1 (doi.org in Bing).
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. CAST.
Rose, T., & Fischer, K. W. (2009). The science of the individual. Mind, Brain, and Education, 3(2), 54–63.
Tetzlaff, L., Schmiedek, F., & Brod, G. (2021). Developing personalized education: A dynamic framework. Educational Psychology Review3(3), 863–882. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09562-5 (doi.org in Bing)
Walkington, C., & Bernacki, M. L. (2020). Appraising research on personalized learning: Definitions, theoretical alignment, advancements, and future directions. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(3), 235–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1747757 (doi.org in Bing)
Wilkinson, D. H. (1950). Individuality: A basic concept in educational theory and practice. University of London Press.
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