I have experimented with many different methods of delivery for the playlists, but my favorite so far has been through the use of Google Docs. When creating the playlists, I make checklists in Google Docs containing links to all the activities. Students are able to provide evidence for their work right on the document. I have the luxury of being able to view their work from my computer, and can avoid the drama of students losing a paper checklist. I also have the ability assign different playlists to different students through Google Classroom.
Although I have not finalized my research into these learning playlists, I have already learned a few things about this instructional method. First, while they are very time-consuming to create and plan up front, the hard work pays off later in the unit. Once they are finished and have been assigned to students, I’ve found I can more easily focus on the students’ experiences and learning in class since the instructional planning has already been done. I’ve also found
learning playlists to give me the ability to get to know my students better. During the course of one day, I typically see over 100 students. The individualized and small-group nature of this type of instruction allows me to connect with the kids more than I ever could through whole class instruction. Finally, the students seem to enjoy learning playlists as well. Having an
individual plan that they can progress through at their own pace takes off a lot of the pressure of “keeping up” with classmates and allows them to go back and review things as much as needed, or progress quickly if preferred. Even if my research shows no academic difference between whole class instruction and individualized playlists, I will continue to use them for these benefits alone.