I’ve said it before, and I’ll again; a one size fits all approach to education doesn’t work. People are different by nature. You can’t expect everyone to effectively learn new content the same way. To ensure that learners are able to absorb information, instructional methods must be differentiated for each individual.
Adaptive Learning
When you differentiate content and instruction to meet the specific needs of your learners, this is referred to as adaptive learning. In the industry of learning and development, instructional designers will collect learner data from their audience to find appropriate technology and learning theories that are tailored for each individual.
How can I use it in eLearning?
A simple example is having the learner take a pre-test before starting the course. Then the course will only focus on the material that the learner needs. There’s no reason to take an entire course and complete every activity if the learner already knows half the content.
Providing a “test-out” option is another great way to practice adaptive learning. Here the learner can opt to take formative and summative assessments needed to pass the course whenever they feel ready. This allows them to focus more on the content that they are struggling with, and skip what they’ve mastered.
However, adaptive learning goes beyond that. Think about your Netflix account. After you’ve completed watching a movie or television series, usually there are recommendations that Netflix will make based on your past content. They use a series of algorithms to calculate the viewing possibilities.
In eLearning, the same can be done when taking a course. Based on interactions the learner has clicked on, or questions they’ve answered correctly (or incorrectly for that matter) will alter the content and instruction within the course as the learner progresses. So, the course will carefully calculate every move the learner makes and continue to evolve to meet their specific needs. It’s pretty wild.
What are the benefits of Adaptive Learning?
So, why use adaptive learning? Just remember the 3 E’s. Adaptive learning is efficient, effective, and engaging.
Efficient
With everyone’s lives and jobs becoming more demanding, people don’t want to waste their time. As mentioned earlier, adaptive learning can help bypass unnecessary portions within courses. This saves the learner time and the company money.
Effective
Being able to hone in on the specific needs of learners, versus assuming that one methodology of teaching will work for everyone is far more effective. Some learners may require more visual aids. Others may require audio to help with large amounts of text. Using tailored teaching practices will ensure that each learner has their best chance of absorbing new content.
Engaging
The adaptive learning process is centered around the student. It’s designed to appeal to the learner and use technologies that are highly engaging. Gaining your learner’s interest will help make the learning process not just engaging, but effective and efficient, as well.