Advantages of Adaptive Learning Technology

Imagine a classroom with five learners. Let us suppose that Learner 1 and 2 are advanced learners, Learner 3 is a moderate level learner and Learners 4 and 5 are slow learners. With such varying individual learning requirements, the traditional education system falls short of producing a learning environment that is equally effective for all.

On a more realistic note, in a classroom with over 30 learners, the problem becomes even more magnified. The end result is quite frustrating for both, students and teachers. The solution to this problem is to design learning strategies which can be adapted for every individual learning need.

This is where adaptive learning technology comes in. In the age of technology and innovations, adaptive learning is the new buzzword in education.

Adaptive learning technology employs the method of modifying the curriculum to help every student in the class access information according to their intellectual capabilities. So, advanced learners can skip through course content and slow learners can be provided with additional information to help them understand course content better.

Adaptive learning utilizes technology to make these customizations seamless and effective. This brings a non-linear approach to the whole concept of learning. The best thing about adaptive learning technology is that it also provides valuable information to teachers on how to use it in a more constructive way. Student progress can be tracked with adaptive learning as data which can, later on, be compiled as a progress report.

There are a number of key benefits of adaptive learning. In this article, we will elaborate on these. Read on to find out more.

1. Can be Customized to Fit All Learning Levels

Adaptive learning is an incredible personalized learning system that adapts to all learning capabilities. This technology saves educators the entire process of identifying the different levels of learners and modifying course content and instructions accordingly. When students start working with adaptive learning technology, it picks up what different students are struggling with and what they are good at. Once that is done, it can adjust the instructions in a way that will benefit all kinds of learners. And the entire process takes place in real-time.

This style of learning ensures that no student lags behind. It provides additional resources to bring every slow learner up to speed. With adaptive learning, students get to understand the concepts completely before moving on to the next or more difficult one.

1. ­Provides Real-time Feedback

With adaptive learning technology:

• Students receive immediate response to whatever they are working on.
• The challenges faced by the students are easily identified.
• Students do not need to take tests every time to identify the information they have retained.
• Students get a better idea about whether they are ready to move on to the next chapter or not.

Adaptive learning technology lets students know whether they are rushing through a chapter that requires some more time and attention according to their level of comprehension and retention. This way, jumping ahead in a chapter at the risk of less retention is reduced and students get to understand and remember the course material better. As a result, memory serves better at the time of examinations.

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1. Accelerates Students’ Progress

Every student learns at a different pace which does not respond to the ‘one size fits all’ concept. Therefore, it becomes extremely difficult to address such disparities in learning when they are grouped in one classroom with a limited time stamped on the syllabus. Consequently, students who are unable to pick up the pace tend to fall behind. This is where adaptive learning technology comes to the rescue.

It helps design a curriculum that is broad enough to cover the varied learning requirements of students in a class and is also smart enough to cover everything within the stipulated time frame. This way, every student benefits from the course equally. No one is left behind. Also, this procedure clears up a lot of time for teachers to conduct doubt-clearing sessions with the students. This helps in improving student progress immensely.

1. Helps Teachers Become Better Educators

Adaptive learning has something or the other in store for everyone. It provides instructions to teachers on how to customize their lessons to help create a more effective learning experience. Adaptive learning technology assigns teachers with the roles of facilitators in the classroom, where they assume a more supporting position. This frees up enough room for them to identify the scopes of improvement for students and to conduct more enriching and effective classroom sessions.

In addition, adaptive learning keeps a track of students’ progress and sends the reports to teachers. This way, teachers can keep a track of how students are performing. Reports indicating northward movements in progress do not require much intervention. But those going down can be quickly addressed by bringing the concerned students up to speed.

Adaptive learning strives to achieve the perfect balance between face-to-face and online instructions. It drives learning by providing the right instruction to every student and leaves enough room for teachers to coach students in achieving their dreams. It is important to understand that adaptive learning technology is not meant to replace teachers. It initiates a self-paced guidance system that is perfected by the teachers.

1. Keeps Students Engaged and Motivated

Technology has seeped into every walk of life. It has made a niche in every minute detail of our lives. The same works for education. Its unending possibilities have kept the Gen Y glued to it every second of every day. When it comes to learning, a touch of technology is enough to stimulate the interest of students. Once they get interested, motivation follows suit. Adaptive learning technology helps in doing just that.

Nowadays, students work their ways through technology like reading a comic. Their tech savvy selves can comprehend technology easily. And when such simple actions result in learning a chapter, they get engrossed immediately. Consequently, they become more engaged with their lessons. You can already guess the outcome: improved understanding and better scores. Nothing can be better than that.

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1. Reduces Dropout Rates

The high school dropout rate has been witnessing a steady increase over the past few years. One of the reasons behind it is the stress of keeping up with their peers. As they watch their fellow classmates’ scores going up and their scores showing no sign of improvement, they begin to feel the pressure. They struggle with their studies as they try their best to get up to speed. When these efforts fail repeatedly, they succumb to the stress and drop out.

With adaptive learning technology, every student’s learning requirements are attended to, no matter how varied those are. It is the right amount of help they need to cross the hurdles and see their efforts reap results. Once the outcomes start getting better, they would automatically be drawn towards learning more. This would decrease the dropout rate immensely.

These are but a few of the many benefits that adaptive learning technology provides. What appeals to students about adaptive learning technology is the self-paced factor that it ushers into the education scenario. It helps students to concentrate on the right study material instead of wasting time in locating it. This way, time spent learning is completely productive and the outcomes become all the more evident when the results come out. This eventually leads to a more wholesome learning experience.

Would you like to add any other benefits of adaptive learning technology to this list? Share those with us in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.