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The value of adaptive learning
There is an increasing and significant need for adaptive learning methods, which will expand the horizons of higher education and provide stronger foundations for students to excel.
By Niamh Ollerton, contributing writer
The notion that education should take on a one-size-fits-all approach is a thing of the past. Over decades, and even centuries, students were forced to follow strict education systems, models, or curriculums which adhered to outcomes, rather than their individual growth and needs. Fortunately, with advancements in understanding the human brain and smarter learning methods, varied learning models have rose to prominence.
Not just about classes and content
Adaptive learning methodologies have reduced barriers in education by focussing on students’ needs and using a personalised teaching approach. By doing so, institutions are able to keep their students more engaged during their educational journey, while factoring in their diverse educational backgrounds and experiences
Indian research firm MarketsandMarkets found in a 2020 report that the global adaptive learning market size is expected to grow to US$5.3 billion by 2025, demonstrating how many more higher institutions may start using adaptive learning methods.
One such company that has made adaptive learning its mission is Realizeit, an online learning platform which aims to help organisations “deploy intelligent, agile, and performance-oriented learning experiences”, according to its website. .
Speaking at the Learning Technologies 2023 conference in London, the company’s CEO, Manoj Kulkarni, touched on how learning models are not merely about courses, classrooms and content. Learning is also not done through check-the-box methods, where it is measured by completion and satisfaction, or “once-and-done,” where there isn’t any ongoing support for students, he added.
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"Students will also eventually feel supported, as adaptive learning increases relevance and meaning through unique learning experiences."
Kulkarni advocated that modern learning needs to include a:
Learning purpose: Be performance-aimed and skill-building;
- Learning delivery: Be individualised, personalised, and everywhere;
- Learning model: Be continuously adaptive, blended, and flexible;
- Learning implementation: Be integrated, connected, and seamless;
- Learning operation: Be intelligent, automated, data-enabled, and responsive;
Truly adaptive learning or machine learning needs to be intelligent, and will in turn impact outcomes and efficiency, he says.
“[Adaptive learning] adapts to context and relevancy through role-based learning, relevance to task, tenure, current need, in the flow of work, mobile.
“It adapts to engagement and behaviours as it adapts to pace, dynamic interventions, level of effort, progress; nudges learners, and offers emotional support.
Kulkarni adds: “It adapts to knowledge and performance, taking into account prior knowledge, knowledge gaps, and performance.
“Intelligent adaptive learning will adapt to learner profiles too, for their language, location, preferences and likes.”
Kulkarni says adaptive learning also speeds up learning as it accounts for prior knowledge and skills, allows students to learn at their own pace, pinpoints the gaps in knowledge and will update content accordingly.
Consequently, learner satisfaction also improves as learning is personalised for students and for their success, offering just the knowledge they need when they need it.
Students will also eventually feel supported, as adaptive learning increases relevance and meaning through unique learning experiences shaped to each individual learner with cognitive, behavioural and emotional support.
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"One size does not fit all."
Breaking down barriers
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the US has experienced the value of adaptive learning and its benefits. After realising that the school’s introductory courses, also known as gateway courses, had high failure rates, they turned to Realizeit to test out adaptive learning.
Kiran Budhrani, Associate Director of Personalized and Adaptive Learning at UNC Charlotte says: “We have students coming from all different points, a lot of transfer students, and we have gaps in foundational skills.
“Typically, algebra, biology and chemistry — these are those foundational courses which, if students get past them, they move into majors. At UNC Charlotte there are gateway courses that can become barriers to student success.”
After redesigning the courses with adaptive learning strategies, Budhrani says the university started to see some incremental results, including a narrowing of the equity gap between white and non-white students in one statistics course. One size doesn’t fit all.
With adaptive learning, teachers, instructors, and professors are able to use active learning techniques in class to engage students in a way that promotes a deeper understanding of the course material. On top of that, the potential of artificial intelligence to help with personalisation and adaptivity can accelerate innovative learning. In education, one size doesn’t fit all. Thankfully, interactive and experiential learning systems aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and many in the sector are curious to see how adaptive learning will evolve.