Implementing Adaptive Learning
Describe any ways you or your institution have implemented adaptive learning or how you would like to implement adaptive learning.
While we have not adopted any adaptive learning yet, our curriculum development team is currently discussing the option of using adaptive learning in our math class. I think would be a perfect place to start: it is a General Education course which all students take and the content is well suited to adaptive learning.
Jill,
I have never used Versal.com. Will look at it now.
Renee Shaffer
I have been using youtube videos, Khan Academy, and Versal.com in order to put information online in an organized fashion for my students to use at home.
Matt,
Great. There are some school out there that are dictating exactly how online course should look and they do not allow for hte instructors individual nature.
Renee Shaffer
Our school has been using and implementing many techniques for adaptive learning. The school has setup and allows instructors to utilize Learning Management System as a major resource for learning.
Each course can take advantage of the system to deliver its content in the most effective way. Some courses are broken down into individual learning modules that student can work through. Some rely heavily on interactive media and discussion forums.
As the school is a technical school with a broad range of areas to study, this system allows each discipline to tailor its content in an appropriate way.
Adel ,
Certainly. In addition the level and amount of remedial students changes from term to term, so I never really know how I am going to "slow everything down" from one term to the next.
Renee Shaffer
This is very encouraging news! I can see adaptive learning being extremely useful in our math and cost control classes. In a classroom environment where an instructor may have students whose abilities vary greatly, this type of technology enables fairness in assessment and requires the student to be self directed if he needs additional instruction. This could enable instructors to stay on track with the class without having to slow everything down for remedial students.
Jill,
yes, good point. It would be great for the large number of students who need remedial work. I keep seeing more and more of these students.
Renee Shaffer
Being a small satellite campus from a significantly larger main campus, the technical school I teach at could certainly begin with a "low risk" adaptive learning program as a pilot for the main campus. I would find the adaptive learning technology particularly advantageous in the pharmacology curriculum for medical assisting. I find many students lacking the remedial math skills required for basic pharmacology. In properly addressing these weaknesses, other students are held back from a faster pace with which they are ready to advance through the curriculum. An adaptive learning program could help minimize this problem.
Annette,
Good luck. Let us know how it works out!
Renee Shaffer
My institution is gearing up for our first adaptive learning pilot. We have explored several options over the past year and have settled on one that we would like to test. I am anticipating a positive result for instructors and students alike. In return, I am also expecting a deeper impact on institutional student success rates.
We have implemented adaptive learning by virtual clinical excursions.
Computerized skills labs that allow you to access skill learning at your own pace, reinforce if necessary.
Focused reviews by using a multi-media tool that is based on the results on a given assignment.
DVD - streaming videos of specific content about a specific topic.
Proctored Assessments, Practice Assessments and Tutorials.
Sydney,
We use Wonderlic but not to determine the way that they should learn. As instructors we are not allowed to see their score or know anything about it.
Renee Shaffer
Our institution requires that every student takes the WONDERLIC test to determine the way that they learn as an individual.
Helen,
I am not surprised that it would be viewed as more work. But if you can convince them that it to their benefit somehow, I think they will be better students. Where I teach, the tool is embedded in the course, and they are required to do the AL assignments.
We have implemented an adaptive learning method just recently. While it has taken some time for students and faculty to learn the mechanics of navigating the class, I can see a big improvement in student success rate. Students focus on areas that they are weak in, and don't have to really focus on areas of strength, thus making it better for students overall. It is still early in the process, but I think this will be a big success to student learning.
Our institution has begun rudimentary progress toward AL. We use it as a course that is complimentary to the course they are learning. Students tend not to use it as they think it is "more work". We also use this program for remediation which then forces them to use the program. Once they use it they realize how helpful it would have been if they had used it in conjunction with the classroom experience.
LE,
Oh wow, the instructor weren't in charge of actually making the courses? Some schools have the instructors doing everything which is a bit too much.
Renee Shaffer
We have implemented Adaptive Learning on a very broad basis. The core general education courses were the first ones that were moved to the Adaptive Learning platform. The course content was defined by instructors and then passed to course development professionals. The institution has stated a goal of implementing Adaptive Learning for all courses. The roll out strategy is very aggressive.
