The Power of Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning is method of instruction that uses technology to adapt course content to the needs of each individual learner. It relies very heavily on artificial intelligence which is when computers are made to think like humans and do things that would require intelligence when performed by humans. There are three major theories at play when it comes to adaptive learning. The first is the Metacognitive Theory which, when applied in an adaptive learning context, states that learners learn best when they are aware of what they do not know. Another one of the main theories associated with adaptive learning is the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve. The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve states the learners have truly learned something once it is committed to their long-term memory and that the best way to commit something to their long-term memory is to bring it up right when they are about to forget it. The last major theory is the Theory of Fun for Game Design, which relates to the principles of gamification of learning. The Theory of Fun for Game Design states that in learners must be challenged in order to feel engaged but they should not be challenged too much to the point where they get frustrated. Elements from all of these theories can be seen in most adaptive learning implementations. For example, most adaptive learning courses track the learner’s confidence as they progress through the course in order to ensure that the learner is aware of what areas they do not know (as per the Metacognitive Theory).

I think adaptive learning has the potential to create a big impact on teaching and learning in general. In one of the videos from this week, it was stated that students show the biggest improvement with one-on-one instruction because the instruction can be catered to them rather than the sort of one size fits all learning that is associated in lecture-based instruction. Adaptive learning can provide students with this customized instruction that is catered to their needs without requiring one individual instructor per student. Instead, the computer takes on the role of ensuring that each student’s needs are met. I also like the idea of gamification in learning because I think it makes learning more fun and engaging which will make students more excited about learning.

An adaptive learning module that I would create for my signature assignment topic would be a digital, guided tour of Microsoft Excel. It would teach students where all the features were and then have them go through the steps necessary to format a simple document using the skills they just learned. Before performing each step of the process, students would be asked to rate their confidence on locating and using the tool associated with that step. I would also incorporate game elements into the module such as a progress bar and achievements. Moreover, if there was a certain task that a student was struggling with repeatedly, the module would be able to track this, alert the student, and walk them through the steps of completing that task again. I think it would be really cool to have this mock version of Excel that could track where students are clicking and then provide them with feedback based on whether they clicked the right buttons to perform a task or not.

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