Technological innovation is transforming the landscape of higher education, shifting from rigid standardization to flexible personalization. However, personalized learning is not individualized learning in isolation, but rather an interactive and interconnected learning process that requires social and digital interactions with both human and computer. With the increasing need to create learning environments that move beyond traditional one-size-fits-all designs and foster meaningful interaction tailored to individual learners’ needs, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for personalized interactive learning in higher education with specific reference to college English instruction. Drawing upon insights from social and psychological theories, the framework aims to accommodate learners’ diverse interaction mindset and promote collaborative engagement and communication. It explores how educational design can address learners’ affective state while fostering their social behavior. The findings highlight the potential of these models to enhance engagement, collaboration, and real-world communication skills in College English courses. By combining theoretical insights with practical implications, this study highlights the dual contribution of psychology and sociology to the design of sustainable learning models in higher education.
Adhami, N., & Taghizadeh, M. (2022). Integrating inquiry-based learning and computer-supported collaborative learning into a flipped classroom: Effects on academic writing performance and perceptions of students of railway engineering. Computer Assisted Language Learning. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2022.212744
Almeqdad, Q. I., Alodat, A. M., Alquraan, M. F., Mohaidat, M. A., & Al-Makhzoomy, A. K. (2023). The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Cogent Education, 10(1), 2218191. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2218191
Apoki, U. C., & Crisan, G. C. (2022). A modular and semantic approach to personalised adaptive learning: WASPEC 2.0. Applied Sciences, 12(15), Article 7690. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157690
Bernacki, M. L., Greene, M. J., & Lobczowski, N. G. (2021). A systematic review of research on personalized learning: Personalized by whom, to what, how, and for what purpose(s)? Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1675–1715. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09615-8
Burnette, J. L., O’Boyle, E. H., VanEpps, E. M., Pollack, J. M., & Finkel, E. J. (2013). Mind-sets matter: A meta-analytic review of implicit theories and self-regulation. Psychological Bulletin, 139(3), 655–701. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029531
CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (Version 2.2). Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Cevikbas, M., & Kaiser, G. (2022). Promoting personalized learning in flipped classrooms: A systematic review study. Sustainability, 14(18), 11393. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811393
Chen, Y., & Jumaat, N. F. B. (2023). Blended learning design of English language courses in higher education: A systematic review. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 13(2), 364–372. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2023.13.2.1926
Cordova, D. I., & Lepper, M. R. (1996). Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 715–730. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.88.4.715
Deutsch, M. (1949). A theory of cooperation and competition. Human Relations, 2(2), 129–152. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674900200204
Ellis, R., Loewen, S., & Erlam, R. (2006). Implicit and explicit corrective feedback and the acquisition of L2 grammar. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 28(2), 339–368. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263106060141
Fang, Q., Liu, G., Hu, Y., & Wang, J. (2022). A blended collaborative learning model aiming to deep learning. SHS Web of Conferences, 140, 01017. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202214001017
Fanguy, M., Costley, J., Almusharraf, N., & Almusharraf, A. (2023). Online collaborative note-taking and discussion forums in flipped learning environments. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 39(2), 142–152. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.8096
Fischer, I. D., & Yang, J. C. (2022). Flipping the flipped class: Using online collaboration to enhance EFL students’ oral learning skills. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19(15). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00348-3
Grant, P., & Basye, D. (2014). Personalized learning: A guide for engaging students with technology. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Great Schools Partnership. (2015). The glossary of education reform: Personalized learning. Portland, ME: Great Schools Partnership. Retrieved from https://www.edglossary.org/personalized-learning
Ha, Y., & Im, H. (2020). The role of an interactive visual learning tool and its personalizability in online learning: Flow experience. Online Learning, 24(1), 205–226. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i1.1620
Huang, A. Y. Q., Lu, O. H. T., & Yang, S. J. H. (2023). Effects of artificial intelligence–enabled personalized recommendations on learners’ learning engagement, motivation, and outcomes in a flipped classroom. Computers & Education, 194, 104684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104684
Huang, Y.-M., Liang, T.-H., Su, Y.-N., & Chen, N.-S. (2012). Empowering personalized learning with an interactive e-book learning system for elementary school students. Educational Technology Research and Development, 60(4), 703–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-012-9237-6
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1989). Cooperation and competition: Theory and research. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.
Kim, Y. (2018). Task complexity, learning opportunities, and Korean EFL learners’ oral output. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(3), 551–577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000275
Lei, P., & Xu, J. (2022). Developing and applying an interaction mindset scale for EFL learners from a multiple-interaction perspective. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 326(5), 66–77.
McDonough, K., Kielstra, P., Crowther, D., & De Vleeschauwer, J. (2021). EFL learners’ interaction mindset and their patterns of peer interaction. Language Teaching Research, 25(6), 947–968. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820910957
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
Murtaza, M., Ahmed, Y., Shamsi, J. A., Sherwani, F., & Usman, M. (2022). AI-based personalized e-learning systems: Issues, challenges, and solutions. IEEE Access, 10, 81323–81345. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3193938
Pang, Y. (2022). The role of web-based flipped learning in EFL learners’ critical thinking and learner engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1008257. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1008257
Plass, J. L., & Pawar, S. (2020). Toward a taxonomy of adaptivity for learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(3), 275–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1719943
Pozzi, F., Manganello, F., Passarelli, M., Persico, D., & Romagnoli, M. (2023). Collaborative approaches in online nurse education: A systematic literature review. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 21(3), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.2136
Reategui, E., Boff, E., & Campbell, J. A. (2008). Personalization in an interactive learning environment through a virtual character. Computers & Education, 51(2), 530–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.05.017
Salih, F., & Mohammad, Z. A. (2022). The value of collaborative learning in developing students’ speaking skills. Route Educational and Social Science Journal, 9(5), 144–165.
Sato, M. (2016). Exploring the construct of the interaction mindset. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 6(2), 157–181. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2016.6.2.1
Sato, M., & McDonough, K. (2020). Predicting L2 learners’ noticing of L2 errors: Proficiency, language analytical ability, and interaction mindset. System, 93, Article 102301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102301
Sato, M., & Viveros, P. (2016). Interaction or collaboration? Group dynamics in the foreign language classroom. Language Teaching Research, 20(3), 327–347. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168815570149
Su, F., & Zou, D. (2020). Technology-enhanced collaborative language learning: Theoretical foundations, technologies, and implications. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1750431
Su, J.-M. (2020). A rule-based self-regulated learning assistance scheme to facilitate personalized learning with adaptive scaffoldings: A case study for learning computer software. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 28(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22222
Sun, Z., Liu, R., Luo, L., Wu, M., & Shi, C. (2017). Exploring collaborative learning effect in blended learning environments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(6), 575–587. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12200
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (1998). Interaction and second language learning: Two adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language Journal, 82(3), 320–337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb01209.x
Tran, V. D. (2019). Does cooperative learning increase students’ motivation in learning? International Journal of Higher Education, 8(5), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n5p12
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology (National Education Technology Plan 2010). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds. & Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1986). Thought and language (A. Kozulin, Ed. & Trans.). MIT Press.
Walkington, C., & Bernacki, M. L. (2020). Appraising research on personalized learning: Definitions, theoretical alignment, advancements, and future directions. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(3), 235–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1747757
Wertsch, J. V. (1985). Vygotsky and the social formation of mind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Chen, Y., Jumaat, N. F. B., & Chu, Y. (2025). Toward a Framework for Personalized Interactive Learning in Higher Education: Theoretical Insights and Implications. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(9), 850–863.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
