Personalized learning is more than just the latest educational trend or buzzword—it’s an essential part of ensuring that all students can achieve their full potential. And while it might have been difficult or even impossible to personalize learning for an entire classroom of students just a decade ago, recent advances in educational technology make it possible for teachers to take personalized learning to new heights.

One easy way to personalize learning is with HyperDocs. The basic idea is this: the teacher puts a variety of assignments into one document, and then students work through the activities in that document. (Notice that HyperDocs are a powerful way to keep a variety of resources—videos, interactives, online games, etc.—easily organized). And while HyperDocs don’t have to be personalized, the format lends itself well to personalized learning. A HyperDoc can begin with a student taking an online quiz on the topic to be studied that day. Then, the student can be directed in the HyperDoc to various activities depending on which questions they got correct or incorrect.

For example, a HyperDoc on adding fractions can begin with a quiz. If a student correctly answers all of the questions where the fractions have the same denominator, then the student does not need to do the activities in the HyperDoc that teach and practice that concept. But if that same student struggled on questions where the fractions had different denominators, then the student can be directed to a video created by the teacher that will explain this concept. Students who already understand all of the topics to be covered can be directed to enrichment work on related topics.

The tool Edpuzzle allows teachers to add assessment items to any video on the Internet, which means that a teacher can find a video on YouTube, add questions to the middle of it, and then track student performance on those questions. Videos with embedded assessments are a powerful addition to a HyperDoc.

One powerful benefit of using HyperDocs is that teachers can provide materials tailored to the individual needs of the students. Additionally, students who are struggling will feel less stigma: if everyone is working on the same HyperDoc, there is no reason for other students even to know when a student needs a bit more help. Further, students can review videos and other materials more than once if they find this helpful. And, since the bulk of the instructional materials are contained in the HyperDoc, the teacher is free to provide one-on-one instruction as needed to students who would benefit from a bit of extra help.