Community Contribution #6
For this week’s blog post, I wanted to focus on my journey while learning the piano. I was put into piano lessons at five years old, and this was an obligation, not my choice. My parents made the decision for me to learn because my dad is a musician and wanted me to learn an instrument. I had weekly lessons, but I dreaded practicing and resisted learning. After reading this week’s material, I think this struggle highlights the difference between individualized instruction and true personalization, and how both interact with human motivation. Monica Bulger says that instruction tailored to an individual’s pace or skill level is often only slightly individualized or differentiated (Bulger, 2016). My piano lessons were definitely individualized, as my teacher adapted technical skills to my learning pace, although I think this learning experience lacked true personalization. As Bulger (2016) states, genuine personalization is learner-centred, and it honours an individual’s unique goals, interests, and agency. Because I had no say in the content that was being taught or the decision to learn, the experience felt restrictive instead of personal. This relationship directly aligns with Self-Determination Theory (SDT). As Triumph Kerins (2021) outlines, humans are fundamentally motivated by three main psychological needs, which are autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When an environment impedes autonomy, which is the need to feel in control of one’s choices and behaviours, our intrinsic motivation melts away. This external pressure made piano feel like a chore.
The turning point for me occurred when my parents gave me full control to continue or to take a break. Once this external pressure was removed and my autonomy was restored, something surprising happened. In the absence of pressure, I voluntarily returned to the piano bench. When I reclaimed agency over my learning, I had a newfound internal motivation to build capability and express individuality through music. I now teach myself music I am interested in and enjoy the learning process. I find it rewarding when I complete a full song by myself.
The readings this week and writing this post made me realize that true personalization cannot exist without learner agency. If we just tailor pacing or content to a learner, this is never enough if they do not have a choice. In an educational context, I think systems should move beyond individualization and find ways for students to drive their own learning.
References
Bulger, M. (2016, July 22). Personalized learning: The conversations we’re not having. Data & Society Research Institute. https://datasociety.net/wpcontent/uploads/2016/09/PersonalizedLearning_primer_2016.pdf
Self-determination theory. (2021, August 30). The Decision Lab. https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/self-determination-theory