What Value Does Adaptive Learning Offer To Organizations?
An explanation of adaptive learning is that it is an educational method used globally by top universities, securing millions in investment for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and now incorporating Learning and Development. It offers huge potential for reshaping organizational learning. But what is it, and what value does it offer to organizations?
Adaptive learning acknowledges that people come to learning situations with different goals, strengths, learning gaps, and preferences. It shifts away from the "one-size-fits-all" approach, using technology and learner data to serve up learning experiences tailored for individual users.
The workplace and the way we do our jobs are changing dramatically. Workers are changing as well. We are more connected, feel more bombarded, and have less time than ever, yet we have higher expectations for what and how we learn at work. Organizations are challenged to provide ongoing development that’s captivating, continuous, tailored, and available on demand. Pushing out the same content in a predictable pattern to all employees is no longer good business. Adaptive learning is an effective approach to keep pace with this change.
What Is Adaptive Learning?
Learning That Works
By giving learners what they need and in ways they like, adaptive learning creates more effective and efficient learning experiences. Rather than working through a learning program from start to finish—accessing all content and completing all activities—adaptive learning takes the learner to the content they need by assessing what they already know and what they still need to learn.
Today, 21st-century approaches to learning celebrate differences and acknowledge that learning experiences must be shaped to fit the student, not the other way around. In truth, learner personalization has been a challenge for eLearning, where, too often, learning solutions tend toward one-size-fits-most. Adaptive learning changes this. The explanation is that adaptive learning allows us to create eLearning that responds to individual learners, meets them where they are, and provides just what they need.
Tailored Learning
Adaptive learning provides individualized learning programs by using technology to gather data from the user during the learning process. Online media streaming services offer similar functionality; our searches, selections, clicks, and likes determine the movies we’re recommended, the songs we hear, and even the news we see. In much the same way, adaptive learning uses technology to tailor learning experiences to users’ preferences and learning needs, based on their actions and performance.
What Are The Benefits Of Adaptive eLearning?
Although adaptive learning has its roots in tertiary education, savvy organizations are adopting it for corporate learning. Research into the use of adaptive learning in tertiary education is showing promising results for achievement levels and learner engagement. The explanation of the key benefits of adaptive eLearning for corporate development is summarized below.
- Effective
By focusing on their areas of need, learners concentrate their energy on where it needs to be. Learning goals are more likely to be met and at a faster rate. - Efficient
While shorter learning time isn’t necessarily a goal of adaptive learning, it is a positive effect. By only focusing on what they need to know, workers enjoy reduced training time. - High engagement
Adaptive learning is learner-centered; it acknowledges not just individual learners’ needs but also how modern workers want to learn. This leads to higher engagement in learning experiences for a wider range of users. - Continuous improvement
The data that some adaptive programs collect about learners can be used for wider benefits than tailoring courses for individual users. This data can be mined by program creators and workplaces to identify areas of need across a cohort or influence program improvements.
Download Our eBook
Do not forget to download the SAP Litmos White Paper Adaptive Learning Demystified for a thorough explanation of adaptive learning. It is very easy to read and suitable for everyone who is just being acquainted with the notion of adaptive learning.
