The Personalization and Segmentation Principles
The Personalization and Segmentation Principles are tools of presentation that are used to assist in making online learning easier and more beneficial for the learner. Personalization is the concept of keeping the language used informal and conversational in tone. It speaks directly to the learner in a polite manner with correct grammar. For example, in a multiple choice question, instead of saying ‘Choose one’, you would say ‘Please select the best option’, but you would not say ‘Hey, gimme your answer now’. Also when using Personalization, you may choose to use a character that acts as a guide throughout the presentation. Segmentation is presenting material broken down into easier to understand segments. This way, the learner can absorb one concept at a time, and understand it, before moving on to the next concept. This is something that an instructional video might use. For example, a video guide of how to make a 3-course meal would be broken down into 3 separate segments, one for each course.
A good example that utilizes both the Personalization and Segmentation Principles is the Virginia Education Wizard, found at https://www.vawizard.org. The Virginia Education Wizard, also know as VAWizard, helps students, veterans, and the workforce, explore to learn more about themselves and achieving their career goals. It uses career assessments, college and career advice to help plan and focus on each step.
The VAWizard site utilizes the Personalization Principle by speaking directly to the user in a friendly, polite, and informal manner. This truly makes the user feel comfortable and encouraged to engage with the website. It also has a visual virtual coach named Ginny to interact with you, give help, and guide you through the process.
The site also illustrates the Segmentation Principle. For example, when you use the career assessment tool, Ginny will guide you step-by-step in the different parts of the career assessment, explaining and completing one step before moving on to another. She will then ask you what other advice you would like, and can guide you step-by-step to a plan in achieving your career goal. This includes understanding the education required, finding a college, how to pay for college, and career statistics.
Whatever the media, but especially in online learning, the Personalization and Segmentation Principles make learning more relaxed and less stressful. By using these principles, educators can more effectively reach their students on a more personal level and ease their comprehension.