3 ways adaptive learning technology enhances education

Analysing data is changing business, healthcare, and now education. This sector has always had the potential to produce huge amounts of data, thanks to the nature of educational content and the amount of time students spend working with materials.

Now, as students shift from using print to digital textbooks, adaptive learning technology works behind the scenes to analyse anonymised data, helping publishers personalise digital courses and textbooks to adapt to the needs of every student. Teachers can leverage this data about how students learn to better support each student.

So, how is adaptive learning technology improving the learning experience for today’s teachers and students?

1. Students get personalised course materials

As students work through lessons online, adaptive learning tools figure out what a student knows and how they learn best, making recommendations for next steps. This helps students stay engaged and ensures that they master concepts that will be important for future lessons. Let’s say a student is having difficulty with the topic of osmosis in biology. When applied effectively, data insights will recognise this and adapt the online lesson accordingly, putting additional emphasis on this specific area.

2. Teachers gain insight into student learning

Adaptive learning tools can also provide predictive analytics for teachers — actionable metrics about each individual student’s proficiency, study habits, and more. These analytics go far beyond traditional reporting or final exams, which focus on what a student has done rather than what they know now or are likely to do in the future. Teachers use these predictive analytics to more effectively differentiate instruction and guide students toward specific learning goals.

Predictive analytics can estimate a student’s future performance, detect gaps in knowledge, and help educators understand what exactly an individual or class needs to work on before a student falls further behind.

Experts have called this the “Swiss cheese effect”, where holes in knowledge persist over time, haunting students as they move forward into new areas of study. For example, if a student is unable to balance equations and lacks other core algebra skills, they may suffer later in chemistry. Adaptive learning technology shows teachers exactly where students are struggling – helping educators more easily identify and close these gaps before they get worse.

3. Teachers and students can spend class time more effectively

With adaptive learning, teachers can immediately identify skills gaps and tailor lessons accordingly to aid students in need of help. Instead of constantly trying to figure out each student’s level of knowledge — which changes from day to day and even class to class — teachers know exactly what each student knows or needs to work on.

Rather than spend the class period lecturing or administering quizzes, teachers can assign targeted homework assignments to facilitate deeper understanding for each student. This frees up time during class for educators to introduce fun and creative lessons, encourage discussion based on common misconceptions or set up group projects to challenge and enhance student learning.

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