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Over the years, more and more classrooms have installed personal digital devices. Digital technology makes it easier for teachers and students to communicate and facilitate learning experience. However, digital technology not only facilitates communication for higher efficiency, but also improves students’ learning experience and effectiveness.

What is adaptive learning

In the classroom, it is common to see many students are shy to ask questions when they do not understand the content in the class, or they even did not know what their weaknesses are. Adaptive learning is a right fit for students' needs.

Adaptive learning is one technique that provides customized learning paths for each student according to their weaknesses. Since adaptive learning typically occurs on a web-based platform, once students complete tasks on the platform, the data-driven system will design a specific learning journey and further adjust the path and pace of learning for the student. Each journey is personalized to the student based on their unique needs.

Benefits of adaptive learning

Students may be confused about their strengths and weaknesses in their studies. Even they would like to ask questions, they may be struggling with what the knowledge points are missing. An adaptive learning system can analyze students’ performance and generate corresponding courses and practices. Students will get a clear picture of their ability distribution and learning progress.

In addition to students’ academic results, adaptive learning gives students confidence and supports them from a mental perspective. Students learn at their own pace. With instant responses from the system, they can practice for certain topics until they fully understand the concepts. It helps students to be confident on topics they have practiced for multiple times. Even they did not do well in the examinations, they can receive suggestions from the system and learn from failure. The performance trend chart gives students a sense of competing with themselves but not the others. It can greatly relieve students’ learning pressure and sense of competition.

Not only do students benefit from adaptive learning, but also teachers do. Teachers can understand students’ learning progress via the system to give personalized suggestions. In the past, teachers could only take an average of students’ performances to adjust the teaching pace. Now, it would be much easier for teachers accessing to every student’s performance analysis report and monitoring students who need assistance to maximize learning outcomes. With the system support, it relieves teachers’ workloads and be able to take care of a wider range of students.

What makes adaptive learning to be mainstream in the future?

In the future, adaptive learning will take a significant role in teaching and learning. Since the use of blended learning technologies surges, it encourages suppliers to develop adaptive learning software at a faster pace. Moreover, students’ technology accessibility keeps improving by generations. They tend to pursue a personalized learning journey to improve their learning efficiency and effectiveness. Adaptive learning can be an effective way to bring individualized learning to a large group of students and cater for their needs.