BUZZWORDS MEET THE REAL WORLD: Is the hype behind adaptive learning in higher education finally becoming a reality? In 2012 Tyton Partners, a Boston-based consulting firm, called adaptive technology “a nascent market spring-loaded with potential.” Today the company released a new study, “Learning to Adapt 2.0,” that shows how adaptive learning has changed in higher education over the past three years.
The new report, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, explores five themes in adaptive learning based on Tyton Partners’ interviews with leaders at higher-ed institutions and adaptive solutions suppliers.
- Institutions have more experience with adaptive learning through pilot programs, but the path to broad implementation is uncertain.
- Applications of adaptive learning technology are expanding.
- The role of faculty is changing with “adaptive teaching”—guiding individual learner pathways.
- Adaptive learning is relevant for specific uses in competency-based education.
- Adaptive products are adding new features like customization tools and direct-communication capabilities.
For more on the adaptive learning landscape in higher ed, including case studies and resources for product selection, check out the full report.
