Personalization Through YouTube
One learning experience that has made me think about personalization is using YouTube to learn automotive repair while restoring my 1978 Ford Bronco. When I started this project, I had almost no mechanical knowledge, so I relied heavily on videos to understand unfamiliar components, tools, and repair procedures. What I appreciate most is being able to choose what I want to learn based on the problems I’m currently trying to solve.
Bray and McClaskey (2014) explain that personalized learning involves giving learners more control over their learning experiences. I think YouTube supports this because I can search for specific repairs, choose between different explanations, and revisit videos whenever I need to. However, I also recognize that this isn’t entirely personalized learning. While I control what I search for, the platform’s recommendation algorithm still influences which information I encounter, and videos aren’t necessarily designed around my existing knowledge.
I can also connect this experience to self-determination theory, particularly autonomy and competence (Kerins, 2021). Having the freedom to choose what I learn makes the experience more enjoyable because I’m working toward something I genuinely care about. I also find that successfully completing a repair is far more motivating than simply watching a tutorial. Being able to apply what I’ve learned and see the results gives me confidence to attempt more challenging tasks. One challenge I’ve noticed is that having control over my learning doesn’t necessarily mean I’m learning everything I should. Sometimes tutorials assume I already understand certain mechanical concepts, and without an instructor, it’s up to me to recognize those gaps.
Overall, this experience has helped me understand that personalization isn’t just about having access to content that interests me. It’s also about having meaningful control over how I learn, while recognizing the limitations of learning independently.
References
Bray, B., & McClaskey, K. (2014). What is personalized learning? In Make learning personal: The what, who, WOW, where, and why. Corwin.
Kerins, B. (2021). Self-determination theory. The Decision Lab. https://thedecisionlab.com/es-ES/reference-guide/psychology/self-determination-theory