Adaptive learning explained: how it personalizes the learning experience
One of the biggest challenges for efficient teaching is the different requirements of learners. They are often described with the buzzword “student diversity”. For optimal learning outcomes, this diversity must be taken into account by providing individual support to individual pupils, which adaptive learning is responsible for.
In this article, we will discover what adaptive learning is and examine the extent to which adaptive learning software can contribute to individual support in the classroom.
Why learning paths need to be adapted
Teachers aim to provide deep knowledge to all students. However, it’s challenging to give personalized support to over 30 pupils at once in a class – and probably a few hundred on a learning platform. For individualized learning, students need timely, detailed feedback and guidance, which requires alternative methods beyond traditional classrooms.
Let’s look at the core traditional education problems, and the need for adapting learning paths will become clearer.
Memorization vs. critical thinking
Our education system relies on a lot of memorization and then testing it in standardized exams. Even today, students sometimes acquire detailed knowledge in individual subjects without understanding the connections.
What will be much more important in the future are skills often neglected in conventional classrooms: critical thinking, practical problem-solving, and creativity. These skills can only be developed through a tailored approach to students.
The same learning method for everyone
We know that students have individual strengths and weaknesses and that the learning speed can vary greatly. However, the traditional education system only promotes a very specific type of learner. Many students and their talents fall by the wayside in this system.
Digital and AI tools have the potential to offer personalized learning experiences and thus enable students to receive individual support.
Outdated curricula
In many public schools, curricula, and teaching methods haven’t changed in decades. Although attempts have been made to respond to technological progress, our curricula still contain shockingly little content on digitization topics – which, however, are increasingly vital to strive in our technology-driven world.
Special needs
Given the curriculum standards, traditional educational programs may hinder the unique profile of students’ strengths, weaknesses, interests, and motivations. But more importantly, a special need or disability may hold the student back in various ways.
For learners with special needs, mental and physical disabilities, learning outcomes can be improved through personalized and differentiated support. Adapting the pace, level, and complexity of instruction and assessment is the key to equal opportunities so that all students are neither under- nor over-challenged.
The reasons listed above show clearly: it is time to stop adhering to outdated learning methods only. These methods have to be augmented by state-of-the-art adaptive learning technologies, which we’ll go over right now.
What is adaptive learning?
The basic idea of adaptive learning is to use technology to improve teaching and education by offering students individually tailored programs. Usually, they are based on information they receive before and during their educational process.
The framework of adaptive learning has to include various aspects;
- Policy-making (establishing guidelines for personalized learning paths);
- Curriculum formulation (designing flexible and adaptable content);
- Teacher training (equipping educators to use adaptive technologies);
- Assessment and testing (using data-driven, personalized evaluations)
Aspects of adaptive learning
Adaptive learning uses specific feedback, tailored instruction, continuous adaptation, and flexible learning sequences to achieve a high level of personalization. The approach to each student includes:
- constant self-evaluation of the teacher’s actions;
- regular assessment of learning progress;
- close student-teacher exchange (coaching);
- graded difficulty level of the materials;
- individualized learning settings;
- targeted learning as a basis.
Typically, adapting the learning process for different demands follows a pre-planned scenario. Let’s break it down into steps.
Step 1: Knowledge in bits and pieces
The teacher creates single-unit objectives or small units of knowledge that are linked to the overall instructional strategy. Based on these, a sequence and ratio of assessments is developed.
Step 2: Circle of reviews and feedback
Assessments and feedback are created after the information has been broken down into manageable knowledge chunks. Assessments in an adaptive learning environment align learning objectives and activities and help determine a student’s learning trajectory based on outcomes.
Step 3: Adaptive learning trajectory
Once knowledge units, assessments, and feedback are created, the instructor can think about the course that students will follow. Adaptive learning software places the learner on a course based on the instructor’s recommendations.
Typically, learning objectives are achieved by learners through pathways that lead from basic knowledge to more advanced information. To make these pathways standardized, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were created. Check out our in-depth article on how WCAG helps to make content accessible.
Benefits & challenges of adaptive learning
Adaptive learning platforms powered by data mining carefully craft teaching or training materials tailored to the individual needs of each student. Their benefits can be divided into three categories: for students, teachers, and online education providers.
1. Benefits for students
- Personalized interaction with content: Access issues often stem from poorly designed environments. Adaptive learning allows students to interact with course materials in ways that best suit their individual preferences, with diverse formats available, enhancing motivation and promoting personalized learning experiences. Learn how exactly thoughtful color selection and adaptive design expand learning possibilities for students.
2. Benefits for teachers
- Supporting special educational needs: AI-driven tools make it easier for teachers to cater to students with diverse abilities by adjusting content difficulty, formats, and materials with minimal effort;
- Improved learning analytics: Adaptive learning platforms provide detailed insights into student progress, helping teachers identify learning gaps and customize support more effectively;
- Streamlined content delivery: Teachers can focus more on engaging with students and less on administrative tasks, as adaptive systems automatically adjust course materials and assessments.
3. Benefits for educational businesses
- Cost-effective learning process: Adaptive learning reduces the need for traditional textbooks and resources by offering customizable digital materials. Thus, it lowers overall spending for end-users and widens the platforms’ audience;
- Inclusive access to learning materials: Providing knowledge to students of any age and skill level is a key feature of educational platforms. In turn, by tailoring content to different backgrounds and abilities, adaptive features like providing alternative types of content, make courses more friendly to diverse learners;
- Enhanced course outcomes: Higher success rates from personalized learning experiences can improve the credibility and attractiveness of the platform, driving more enrollments.
As with any innovative technology, there also are a few challenges that may hinder the implementation of AI-based adaptive learning systems.
- Cataloging and assessment of digital materials. Educational institutions need to conduct a comprehensive inventory of their existing digital materials to ensure compliance with accessibility standards. Without prior preparation, this process can be resource-intensive and time-consuming;
- Community-specific accessibility needs. Districts must identify and prioritize the accessibility needs of various community members, including students, teachers, staff, and families. Such an approach requires understanding the diverse challenges faced by each group;
- Lack of personal instructors. Adaptive learning systems rely heavily on technology rather than personal instructors. This can reduce personalized guidance that learners may need, potentially impacting the learning experience negatively;
- Isolation in learning. Since adaptive learning focuses on individualization, it can lead to a lack of community and collaboration among learners. The lack of spontaneous exchange and peer learning can decrease motivation and engagement.
These, as well as other eventual hurdles, can be addressed with a trusted technology partner. And there are a lot of time-tested reasons for that.
Implementing adaptive learning software: where to start
What does the concrete implementation look like? The key lies in AI, which individually adapts the corresponding learning formats of adaptive learning in real time. Two factors play a decisive role here.
Anonymized data of all previous participants
Anonymizing data ensures that the personal information of learners is protected while allowing AI to analyze trends, behaviors, and outcomes from a large pool of participants. This is crucial for identifying learning patterns and making real-time adjustments without compromising privacy.
Customized open-source or proprietary AI models can be developed and fine-tuned to meet specific learning objectives, all while being hosted on the client’s servers. Such solutions allow for more precise personalization and adaptation to individual learner needs, while also providing flexibility in integration with existing systems and ensuring room for future growth.
We have previously covered the importance of AI compliance and how it is regulated – take a peek to better understand how to comply with data privacy principles when implementing AI-based technologies.
Independent AI learning
Based on different decisions and behaviors, the learners are provided with different content. Typical parameters for improving teaching strategies and adapting classrooms include:
- Choice of modules;
- Order of selected modules;
- Processing time for different content;
- Selected learning methods;
- Correctly or incorrectly answered tasks.
Parameters to consider
Tell us about your case
Given vast experience in implementing complex EdTech projects, Aristek experts will provide accurate time and cost estimates, as well as all the necessary advice and support to improve the learning process.
In a nutshell
The heart of adaptive learning as a method is making knowledge accessible to students and equalizing their learning opportunities. And given today’s diverse needs in education, the more personalized one’s path is, the fuller one’s potential is developed.
With a fundamental principle in mind that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion in learning environments, the Aristek team can help you incorporate adaptive learning tools, no matter what your starting point is. Just drop us a line.
