Report outlines five factors driving the evolution of adaptive learning

A 2015 report by educational research and advisory company Tyton Partners with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, suggests that five factors are driving the evolution of adaptive learning, making its success dependent on considerations of cost, accessibility and quality of learning tools. In a review of 70 companies for the ‘Learning to Adapt 2.0’ study, the challenges most likely to impact the future adoption of adaptive learning were found to focus on the integration of ed tech solutions into existing campus resources and scaling beyond pilot studies; the changing roles of faculty as adaptive teaching emerges; rising popularity of competency-based education; and development of new adaptive product features in response to institutional demand.

Dive Brief:

Tyton Partners' Learning to Adapt 2.0 report spotlights five factors driving the evolution of adaptive learning from an institutional and supplier standpoint.

Among the things influencing the technology's evolution are approaches to large-scale integration, expanding uses for such tools, changing faculty roles, increasing popularity of competency-based education and the development of new features based on institutions' demands.

According to eCampus News, the report also states adaptive learning success is dependent upon cost, access and quality.

Dive Insight:

Adaptive learning has been a hot topic in ed tech for some time now, but it has faced hurdles around scaling the tech beyond pilots, educator skepticism and concerns of being replaced by computers, and questions around what even constitutes an "adaptive" learning experience. Problems integrating the tech with learning management systems and other existing platforms have particularly slowed its adoption on some campuses, eCampus News reports.

Still, its range of uses — whether for general for-credit and non-credit courses or specific learning needs, or as a homework, practice, study, remediation or competency-based tool — gives it a fair amount of value. Institutions must, however, ensure faculty maintain autonomy as such tools are deployed, and carefully plan their rollouts for smooth adoption. According to eCampus News, many vendors are notably already keeping the former in mind with relevant features around collaboration, customization and content.