Adaptive Learning in Corporate Learning

Businesses today are faced with an ever-changing and demanding world in regards to their ability to leverage the newest technology to remain competitive. In order to keep pace with technological change, corporations must be provided with the latest learning methodologies and knowledge sharing for the workforce. Data is used across-the-board to direct financial, strategic, and overall business decisions, but training efforts often lack the analytical foresight and adaptive traits that other parts of a business has.

While adaptive learning has become a buzzword in our education system and for good reasons, it has not been widely integrated into the workforce to help better train employees. Adaptive tools provide a system that evolves and tailors itself to each student, allowing them to effectively understand new material at their own pace. Unlike traditional learning methods, adaptive learning gauges the ability of individual users and adjusts to challenge them based on their unique needs. This new technology can help corporations move away from holding one-size-fits-all orientations and training. Lessons and on-the-floor training can be tailored to a worker’s ability, allowing them to learn at a pace that suits them best. Thus, adaptive technology can lessen the time required to learn a new skill or system, allowing employees to use more of their time in a way that impacts their companies. Adaptive learning fits well into today’s workforce in that it inherently views the employees as individuals, allowing them to personalize their experience and giving them a sense of greater value.

Furthermore, adaptive courses are more interactive and engaging than traditional learning methods, using a more tailored and personalized approach as a technique to make learning enjoyable for users. Workers are often preoccupied with tasks given by their superiors and thus do not take the time to invest in further learning. As a result, corporations may have a difficult time encouraging workers to enroll in and complete training courses. More specifically, the use of goal-oriented computer modules have been shown to improve user engagement and allow users to use the same technology they encounter regularly for further education.

Simple examples of adaptive technology in higher education include the implementation of adaptive curricula. Depending on the end goal of a student, a personalized curriculum can be developed to best prepare him or her for a post-higher education career. On a more day-to-day basis, analytics and data tracking will allow students to hone into where they need to improve and focus in on those areas. With technology, traditional problems sets that are standard over the years can be adjusted in real-time as students work through different questions. In sum, there is great potential for the inclusion of more adaptive learning methods in higher education and a technological tool that should be leveraged.

 

Case Studies on Adaptive Learning in Corporations

Training Industry: Using Adaptive Learning in Corporate Training

Education Dive: Adaptive learning: The best approaches we’ve seen so far

Chief Learning Officer: Adapting to Adaptive Learning

Medium: Is Adaptive Learning the future of Corporate Learning?

Efront: How will adopting an adaptive learning strategy help your business

Training Mag: Adaptive Learning: A Game-Changer for Corporate Training?

Inside Higher Ed: Learning to Adapt

Market Wired: Adaptive Learning Platform Helps Companies Improve Employee Engagement in Corporate Learning

 

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K12 Adaptive Learning | Higher Education Adaptive Learning

Adaptive Learning in Higher Education

Students in higher education today are faced with an ever-changing and demanding world in regards to the technological transformation that businesses and society are facing. In order to keep pace with the technological change, students must be provided the latest learning methodologies and a tailored curriculum for the workforce. While the rise of internships and co-ops have provided students with the opportunity to gain real-world experiences, the classroom itself needs to be transformed to adapt to the 21st century.

Adaptive learning has become a buzzword in our education system and for a good reason. Adaptive tools provide a system that evolves and tailors itself to each student, allowing them to effectively understand new material at their own pace. Unlike traditional learning methods, adaptive learning gauges the ability of individual users and adjusts to challenge each individual user. This new technology can help colleges move away from teaching a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Lessons and exams can be tailored to a students ability, allowing them to learn at a pace that suits them best. Thus, adaptive technology can improve productivity and focus, leaving more time for meaningful discussions with professors and valuable in-class periods. In higher education, classes may only meet a couple of times a week so professors must optimize the time when class is held and adaptive learning will allow both professors and students to make the most of the time they are together. In addition, there is an increased interest in independent study and combining coursework to better align with a student’s interests and needs. Adaptive learning fits well into today’s high education system in that it inherently views the student body as individuals, allowing students to personalize their students to an extend that was not possible a decade ago.

Futhermore, adaptive schoolwork is often more interactive and engaging than traditional learning methods, using a more tailored and personalized approach as a technique to make learning enjoyable for users. Students in higher education often focus on more than one subject at a time. As a result, professors may find it difficult to get buy-in from students, making adaptive learning an important motivational as well as educational tool. More specifically, the use of goal-oriented computer modules and challenged-based games have been shown to improve student engagement and allow students to use the same technology they use regulary for educational purposes.

Simple examples of adaptive technology in higher education include the implementation of adaptive curricula. Depending on the end goal of a student, a personalized curriculum can be developed to best prepare him or her for a post-higher education career. On a more day-to-day basis, analytics and data tracking will allow students to hone into where they need to improve and focus in on those areas. With technology, traditional problems sets that are standard over the years can be adjusted in real-time as students work through different questions. In sum, there is great potential for the inclusion of more adaptive learning methods in higher education and a technological tool that should be leveraged.

 

More places to find info on Adaptive Learning in Higher Ed

Ed Surge: With Adaptive Tech, Students Are Saving Money and Learning More

Forbes: Rethinking Higher Ed: A Case for Adaptive Learning

Ed Tech: Adaptive Learning and Partnerships Drive Academic Transformation

Ed Surge: Failing Forward With Adaptive Learning in Higher Ed

 

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Adaptive Learning in K12 | Adaptive Learning in Corporate Learning

K12 Adaptive Learning Overview

Every year in the United States, more than one million students drop out of high school. While focusing on high school retention is important and programs to encourage students to stay in school are helpful, the problem starts from the first moment a student steps into a classroom. Young students come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultural, financial, and educational in terms of the kind of educational environment they experienced before entering the K-12 education system. The gap between top students who go on to attend prestigious colleges and struggling students who leave school before graduating high school stems from the one-size-fits-all education that negatively impacts students who are not suited for a traditional classroom.

Adaptive learning has become a buzzword in our education system and for a good reason. Adaptive tools provide a system that evolves and tailors itself to each student, allowing them to effectively understand new material at their own pace. Unlike traditional learning methods, adaptive learning gauges the ability of individual users and adjusts to challenge each individual user. While a customized curriculum can help all students, its postive impact on lower-performing students is especially striking. Students who fall behind, even if their performance is only slightly below average, can become frustrated and unmotivated if they believe that the work they are given is beyond their abilities. Thus, if they are challenged at the right level and pace, struggling students can still continue to progress and succeed in school in the way that best fits them.

Furthermore, adaptive schoolwork is often more interactive and engaging than traditional learning methods, using gaming as a technique to make learning enjoyable for users. Elementary students in particular often do not react well to the traditional classroom where there is little interaction and creativity involved in day-to-day activities. The use of goal-oriented computer modules and challenged-based games have been shown to improve student engagement and allow students to use the same technology that they may use outside of schools for educational purposes. Adaptive learning provides teachers with the opportunity to consider using alternative, innovative teaching methods in the classroom.

Simple examples of adaptive technology in the classroom include the implementation of adaptive problem sets and quizzes. Lesson plans in many subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Science are traditionally organized by topic or problem type. Using adaptive learning tools, instructors can give students additional practice problems if a student is lacking in a specific area. Traditional problems sets may contain a variety of problems but there is often a set number that is spread out evenly among a few problem types. With technology, these problem sets can be adjusted in real-time as students work through different questions. All in all, there is great potential for the inclusion of more adaptive learning methods for K-12 education and it should be an area that is further explored.

Adaptive Learning Products & Resources in the K12 Space

Dreambox Learning: Adaptive Learning

Procure K12: How are Schools Investing in Adaptive Learning Technology?

McGraw Hill Education: Adaptive Learning’s Next Audience: Struggling K-12 Students

K12 Blueprint: Personalized Learning

EdTech Update: Tools for Adaptive Learning

Ed Surge: Adaptive Learning