The Innovations in Learning and Teaching team has developed a student personas reflection worksheet for faculty to use in consultation with our team during the course design process, or independently as a reflective practice to foster continuous improvement and regular assessment and adaptation of teaching strategies based on student needs.
About student personas
Why is a student persona important?
Student personas serve as fictional representations of your target audience and are based on real data such as demographics, learning behaviors, academic goals, challenges and common student interests. Personas help you understand the diverse needs, preferences, and behaviors of potential students. In the realm of course design, they play a crucial role in creating tailored learning experiences that resonate with your learners.
By developing detailed personas, you can gain insights into your students' motivations, challenges, and learning styles!
Enhancing Engagement, Accessibility, and Learning Outcomes
- Engagement: Student personas enable course designers to craft content that is relevant and engaging to different learner profiles. By understanding the interests and preferences of each persona, instructors can incorporate interactive elements, real-world examples, and varied media formats to capture their attention and sustain their interest throughout the course.
- Accessibility: Designing with student personas in mind promotes accessibility by considering the diverse needs of learners. For instance, personas may include individuals with visual impairments, auditory learners, or those with different levels of technological proficiency. By addressing these varied requirements upfront, instructors can ensure that course materials are accessible to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities.
- Learning Outcomes: Tailoring course content to student personas enhances learning outcomes by aligning instructional strategies with individual learning needs. By identifying the specific challenges and learning preferences of different personas, instructors can adjust their teaching methods, assessments, and feedback mechanisms to maximize student success. This personalized approach fosters a deeper understanding of the material and promotes long-term retention of knowledge.
Student Learning Needs
Understanding student learning needs is central to the development of effective personas. These needs encompass a wide range of factors, including:
- Learning Preferences: Some students may prefer visual learning materials, while others may excel with auditory or kinesthetic approaches.
- Technical Proficiency: Students may vary in their familiarity with online learning platforms, requiring different levels of guidance and support.
- Motivations: Understanding what drives students to enroll in a course can help instructors tailor content to align with their goals and aspirations.
- Challenges: Identifying common obstacles that students encounter allows instructors to proactively address these issues and provide relevant resources and support.
Example student persona
Instructions to access the worksheet
The worksheet was developed using Adobe Express and does not require a paid account to access. A free account on Adobe Express is sufficient.
- Follow the steps here to login or create an account.
- Return to this page and use this link to open the worksheet.
- Select the blue “Remix” button in the top right corner.
- Once the worksheet opens, click in to any of the editable text boxes to enter your text. Some items on the worksheet are locked from editing to maintain the structure and style of the worksheet. Use the text panel on the left to change font style, size, and more.
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- When you’re finished editing, you can either download a file or share a view-only link.
Download a file
Select the gray “Download” button in the top right corner, pick the file format you want, then select the blue “Download” button.
Share a view-only link
- Select the blue “Share” button in the top right corner, and select “View only link” under the Post section.
- Select the blue “Create link” button.
- The link will appear next to a blue “Copy Link” button. Copy the link and distribute to those who you want to view the worksheet.
- If you want to remove access to the worksheet by link, use the gray “Delete link” button.
- If you make changes to the worksheet after generating a link, you need select the blue “Update link” button to sync your changes, so those with the link can see the most up-to-date version.
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