The LEAP Learning Framework™ is the foundation for all of our work.
The LEAP Learning Framework is the guiding vision for LEAP Innovations. Our definition of personalized learning lies within the construct of its four core components.
Personalized learning is focused on, led with and demonstrated by the learner, and is connected to career-relevant, real-world skills and opportunities.
The LEAP Learning Framework Components
Learner Focused
Learners are empowered to holistically understand their needs, strengths, and interests.
Learners:
- Deepen their understanding of themselves holistically, including:
- academic needs, strengths, and interests
- physical and mental health
- social and emotional learning
- cognitive skills (i.e. focus, working memory)
- identity and culture
- social and community context
- Experience learning that is relevant, challenging, contextualized, and designed for their individual needs, strengths, and interests
Learner Led
Learners are entrusted to take ownership of their learning.
Learners:
- Articulate their needs, strengths, and interests
- Partner in setting their learning goals
- Partner in shaping their learning pathways and experiences
- Assess, monitor, and reflect on their progress
- Advocate for needed support from teachers, peers, technology, and other sources
Learner Demonstrated
Learners can progress at their own pace based on demonstrated mastery.
Learners:
- Begin at a challenging level appropriate to their prior knowledge and learning needs
- Receive feedback on effort, process, and mastery throughout every learning experience
- Advance or go deeper upon demonstration of mastery
- Demonstrate learning in multiple ways
- Receive recognition based on demonstrated mastery, not time
Learner Connected
Learning transcends location in relevant and valued ways, connected to families, educators, communities, and networks.
Learners:
- Collaborate with peers, family, educators, and others
- Cultivate meaningful relationships
- Advance opportunities through connections
- Engage in real-world experiences to develop:
- Academic skills and knowledge
- Community and civic engagement
- Workplace experience
- Earn valued recognition for all learning, regardless of where and when it happens
About the Learning Framework
Our work at LEAP Innovations centers around helping make modern learning science and research actionable in real-world classrooms, and the LEAP Learning Framework is our main resource for doing this. It details the key pillars of a personalized learning experience and is supplemented by tangible strategies to help teachers deliver them.
Since 2014, we’ve built out and refined the Learning Framework with structured research reviews and the invaluable contributions of a diverse range of experts from around the education field. It guides all our work to catalyze and ignite education transformation.
Timeline
LEAP Innovations is founded
Our work in classrooms begins, with many teachers seeking more tangible strategies for guiding change to their personalized learning practice.
LEAP begins development of the LEAP Learning Framework
Partnering with LEAP, American Institutes for Research (AIR) examines existing evidence related to personalized learning. LEAP and AIR co-facilitate critiques with a diverse team of learning scientists, national experts, researchers, and educators.
LEAP releases the Learning Framework
The first Edition features guidelines for the Learner Focused, Led and Demonstrated components. LEAP begins creating guidelines for the Learner Connected component. LEAP also begins development of the Personalized Learning Teacher and Student Surveys with AIR.
LEAP expands the Learning Framework
The updated Edition introduces guidelines and strategies for the Learner Connected component. Amelia Peterson, a Fellow at Harvard University’s Education ReDesign Lab, begins a review of the Framework’s base of evidence, exploring over 600 studies.
External Review of the LEAP Learning Framework begins
Inspired by the medical field’s AGREE II methodology, Chris Dede of Harvard University’s Learning Technologies, Technology, Innovation, and Education Program and Edith Gummer, the Executive Director of Data Strategy for the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, lead the External Review.
Dede and Gummer complete the External Review
58 participants—ranging from researchers to educators to policymakers—from 23 states critique the Learning Framework. Expert panels affirm the rigor of its development process.
LEAP to roll out 2020 Edition of Learning Framework and Educator User Guide
The evolved Components and Guidelines in the 2020 Edition stem directly from the Dede and Gummer External Review. Aligned with these, the User Guide will help educators add depth and context to classroom strategy development.
Guiding Principles
The LEAP Learning Framework is grounded in three evidence-based, guiding principles:
Every learner can succeed with support that’s customized to the child’s interests and needs
Every learner brings strengths and talents to the classroom
Learner agency is essential
