Personalized Learning in an Online Drugs and US Health Care System Controversies Course.

Objective. To examine if personalized learning objectives influenced student engagement and if achievement of objectives could be measured from course assignments. Methods. Learners created personalized learning objectives that correlated with their own goals within the context of the course. Using a mixed-methods analysis approach, the influence of these objectives on engagement and evidence of achievement of objectives were examined. Results. Students reported a positive influence of personalized learning objectives on engagement. Additionally, measurement of student progression or achievement of objectives was possible from analysis of the course assignments. Conclusion. Personalized learning is an important educational design for future pharmacists and health care professionals. Creating personalized learning objectives that build on centralized course objectives and connect to a broader context is one way to achieve the goal of an engaged and expanded learning experience.