Adaptive Learning Systems
A tool to personalize learning: Sarbani Mukherjee, a Principal Learning Designer with Tata Interactive Systems', explains the concepts behind Adaptive Learning Systems.
The domain of learning has traditionally been teacher-centric. The approach, perhaps, is attributable to social hierarchy that dictates learning has to be driven from the ‘top’ by a teacher or mentor. While this may well be effective, besides being tried and tested, it often fails on one count – it’s assumption that one size fits all. Teacher-centric models traditionally follow a ‘take it or leave it’ philosophy, where the student group is often considered to be a homogenous entity with similar learning styles, levels of competence, learning needs and motivation levels.
The need, thus, is for a paradigm shift – to a student-centric model – by leveraging technology. While a student-centric model may not be the panacea for all-things-wrong in the teacher-centric approach, it is a response to an increasing call to give the power to the people.
An Adaptive Learning System (ALS) is a Learning Management System (LMS) that, quite simply, can adapt to the needs of the learner. Unlike a traditional LMS, which acts as a repository of information and a tool for the training administrator to assign modules and track progress, an ALS assigns modules based on learner needs/styles/competence level/etc.. And there’s more. It has the ability to assess learner progress and account for this while creating the learning path.
An ALS may have one or more of the following components or models:
» Expert model: This has information which is to be taught. It stores tutorials,lessons, answers to questions, etc. It is often clubbed with the instructional model.
» Student model: This component determines the student’s skill levelthrough Adaptive Testing methodology. Students are presented with questions based on level of difficulty, as determined by their skill/ competence level. As the test proceeds, the computer adjusts the score based on the answers, refining the score by selecting questions from a narrower range of difficulty.
» Instructional model: This model incorporates tools like multimediaelements. In a Computer Adaptive Testing-style student model, the instructional model ranks lessons in correspondence with the ranks for the question pool. When the student’s level of competency has been determined, the instructional model provides the appropriate lesson.
» Instructional environment: The user interface for interacting withthe system.
Based on the components described earlier, an ALS should ideally be designed to include several discrete e-learning modules, which together form a training or educational eco-system, Modules should be available in various instructional formats like case studies, simulation, games, straightforward tutorials, etc. Learners should have the option to select the format they prefer, Assessment modules with adequate feedback to test competency and guide towards the correct learning path, Ability to draw content from a larger eco-system beyond the current one (for example, through connections with a Cloud-based network or even the Web), Ability to assess popularity and relevance of content based on peer usage and assign modules accordingly and also the ability to include social networking features, which not just allow peer interaction, but development of higher-level cognitive skills like analysis and synthesis of information.
Commenting on the argument that ALS is all about giving power to the people, Ms. Sarbani Mukherjee, Principal Learning Designer - Accounts (North America), Tata Interactive Systems said “The case for investing in an ALS may thus have to go beyond immediate economic benefits. The argument should circle back to the possibility of a greater good – empowerment, motivation, development of human capital. And like the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there are dollar benefits, in the horizon, from all of this.”
For detailed insight and information on Adaptive Learning Systems, please refer: http://bit.ly/1gh0jxC.