In recent years, growing classroom sizes have significantly affected the ability of educators to personalise their learning.

However, with the emergence of adaptive learning systems in education, schools have been afforded the perfect remedial solution.

In this article, we will cover:

What adaptive learning systems are
How adaptive learning systems work
Why adaptive learning paths are essential to the classroom

What are Adaptive Learning Systems

Adaptive learning systems are educational tools that leverage the power of data, algorithms, and AI to provide students with a uniquely personalised learning experience. They continuously monitor student performance – typically by way of assessments – and subsequently make content adjustments based on the level of progress achieved.

In essence, adaptive learning systems are responsive learning tools that help students improve their attainment by administering targeted course materials and assessments.

How does Adaptive Learning Work

To administer an appropriately personalised learning path, adaptive learning systems must first become familiarised with a student’s baseline knowledge. This understanding is typically achieved through a digital diagnostic assessment; however, certain tools, if required, can incorporate pre-existing student data instead.

Did you know: Adaptive learning systems don’t always follow the same approach to diagnostic assessment. Whilst some test students on their entire content mastery, others focus on unit topics and subtopics and are therefore segmented throughout a course.

Once the student has completed their diagnostic assessment, adaptive learning machine learning relies on measurable criteria – known as “adaptivity factors” – to determine how best to adapt to the specific individual. This dictates the content, pace, and difficulty of future assessments and teaching resources that are delivered to the student.

Adaptivity factors - such as Performance, Knowledge, Misconceptions, and Demographics - review learner behaviours and patterns in order to appropriately personalise course content.

Finally, throughout an individual’s learning, adaptive learning solutions leverage data analysis, algorithms, and AI to deliver real-time adjustments to course material. This ensures the student’s needs are always targeted through personalised administering of content.

For example, where misconceptions around a specific subject matter are demonstrated, real-time hints and tips may guide the user towards the correct answer.

Alternatively, if a student is showing clear signs of struggling in a specific area, the adaptive learning system will assign more material and tasks to complete until content mastery has been achieved. Meanwhile, a learner who has demonstrated a thorough understanding of a topic will be fast-tracked to a new area that advances their learning.

Benefits of Adaptive Learning

Adaptive Learning Paths Improve Student Confidence

Adaptive learning systems are designed to ensure no student is left behind, meaning course progression is only actioned or suggested once a minimum level of performance has been achieved.

SAM Learning administers tasks, challenges, and resources for students to complete at their own pace. — SAM Learning administers tasks and resources for students to complete at their own pace.

So, whilst students with proficient topic understanding are equipped to speed up or increase the challenge of their study, slower learners can pause and replay their program at a more appropriate intensity.

This empowers students to become active learners in which they develop a real sense of ownership over their education, helping the classroom quickly become an environment harbouring self-assured learners.

Adaptive Learning Strategies Save Vital Teacher Time

Generating teaching material that addresses every student’s unique needs takes a lot of preparation – time that most teachers don’t have. With adaptive learning research, the program can perform this time-consuming task for you (and at a much faster rate!).

So, instead of constantly trying to figure out each student’s level of knowledge — which changes from day to day and even class to class — an adaptive learning course allows you to easily decode what each student knows or needs to work on.

This means that rather than spending the class period lecturing or administering quizzes, teachers can assign targeted homework assignments to facilitate deeper understanding among each student. And with this freed up time during class, educators can introduce fun and creative lessons, encourage discussion based on common misconceptions, or set up group projects to challenge and enhance student learning.

Ultimately, adaptive learning for students allows you to focus on classroom dynamics, assessing personal character and wellbeing – important areas that may not have been given sufficient attention under normal circumstances.

Varied Adaptive Learning Materials Improve Engagement

Due to their association with tests, large volumes of continuous questions can be intimidating to students. However, content variety and less “formal” testing allows students to participate in high-volume learning without destroying their willingness and capacity to engage with course material.

With adaptive learning solutions, various digital content – such as text, videos, quizzes, and interactive exercises – can be administered as formal and informal targeted methods of assessment.

Spellzone provides numerous spelling activities and word games for classroom incorporation. — Spellzone contains numerous activities and games for lesson incorporation.

Digital Familiarity: The current generation are accustomed to using technology in their personal lives. As a result, using adaptive learning materials in the classroom will seem natural – and most likely feel more engaging than reading a traditional paper-based textbook.

Adaptive Learning Machine Learning Forms Impartial Judgements

Unfortunately, as humans, we can naturally form biased opinions about students based on past situations and events. This can, inevitably, influence what we think our students can and cannot do, and therefore how we elect to teach them.

Thankfully, adaptive learning systems do not harbour any preconceived judgments about students. This means its materials can be delivered in a consistent and unbiased manner, and its evaluations formed with complete objectivity.

Active Learning Algorithms Support Formative Assessment Evaluations

An adaptive learning course collects highly valuable data at a granular level, enabling the teacher to hone in on a specific student’s progress and areas of need. It also provides reporting on a panoramic level, allowing educators to surface common strengths and weaknesses of the whole class.

Eedi delivers measurable insights into student performance.

What’s more, predictive analytics can estimate a student’s future performance, detect gaps in knowledge, and help educators understand what exactly an individual or class needs to work on before a student falls further behind. This is delivered through adaptive learning algorithms that provide actionable metrics about each individual student’s proficiency, study habits, and more, allowing educators to effectively differentiate instruction and guide students toward specific learning goals.

Experts have called this the “Swiss cheese effect”, where holes in knowledge persist over time, haunting students as they move forward into new areas of study. For example, if a student is unable to balance equations and lacks other core algebra skills, they may suffer later in chemistry.

Ultimately, adaptive learning systems show teachers exactly where students are struggling – helping educators more easily identify and close these gaps before they get worse.

Best Adaptive Learning Systems

SAM Learning | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

SAM Learning offers thousands of pre-made learning activities across GCSE and KS3 subjects, with various activity types including quizzes, tests, and real-world scenarios. Teachers can also enhance content with videos, audio, and images to accommodate different learning styles.

The platform’s adaptive AI suggests weekly challenges and provides extensions after activity completion, reducing teacher workload.

SAM Learning’s reporting suite provides real-time insights for whole schools, classes, or intervention groups, facilitating gap analysis and future planning.

Additionally, the platform incorporates gamification elements, allowing students to explore SAM World, compete on leaderboards, customise avatars, and share achievement certificates socially.

Subjects Supported: All GCSE and KS3 subjects
Age Range: 11-16
Pricing Plans: Paid Subscription: £2/pupil

Educake | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Educake is an award-winning online assessment and revision platform for secondary school students that allows teachers to administer specification-matched assessments and materials in seconds, as well as receive immediate feedback. This saves essential time on setting homework, marking, and analysing results, along with providing valuable insights into strengths and weaknesses for both teacher and student.

Subjects Supported: Science, English, Geography, History, Computer Science, PE, Business Studies, and Maths.
Age Range: 11-16
Pricing Plans: Free 30-Day Trial, School Subscription: £550/year or £850/year (subject-dependent)

CENTURY | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Created by experienced former teachers and senior leaders, and aligned with the English national curriculum, CENTURY’s 1000s of videos, slideshows, and self-marking questions reduce teacher workload and accelerate student learning by identifying learning gaps and filling them with recommended content instantly.

CENTURY also features an easy-to-use dashboard that decreases time spent on data entry and admin, allowing teachers to implement timely, targeted interventions, both one-to-one and on a class level.

Subjects Supported: English, Maths, and Science
Age Range: 5-18
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, School Subscription: £1200/year

Atom Prime | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Atom Prime combines teacher-made content, automated marking, world-leading adaptive technology, and at-a-glance student performance analyses to allow teachers to focus on what they do best: teach.

And best of all? Atom Prime is completely free!

Subjects Supported: English, Maths, and Science
Age Range: 5-13
Pricing Plans: Free!

Lexia Reading Skills Software | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Lexia Reading Skills Software allows students to dictate when, where, and how their literacy learning takes place, and, like any good adaptive learning platform, provides real-time, detailed reports that enable teachers to appropriately tailor their instruction. Furthermore, its emphasis on combining effective teacher-led instruction with an interactive, user-centric experience empowers learners of all ages and abilities to feel supported.

Lexia’s ability to accelerate literacy skills is backed by research, including a recent EEF-funded study that attributed the program with a “high security” and “low cost” delivery of learning.

Subjects Supported: English
Age Range: 5-18
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, Paid Subscription: £25/Pupil

Tassomai | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Tassomai utilises multiple-choice micro-quizzes, reminiscent of flashcards, to reinforce knowledge through tailored repetition, and these quizzes are complimented by concise explainer videos and curated links to external resources.

Additionally, Tassomai’s algorithm discerns each student’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling precise targeting of knowledge gaps and providing valuable feedback to teachers regarding areas requiring individual or class-wide support.

Subjects Supported: English, Maths, and Science
Age Range: 11-16
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, Paid Subscription: £15/Pupil for 1 Cohort, £5/Pupil for 5 Cohorts (Years 7-11)

Spellzone | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Spellzone has three main components: The Spelling Ability Test; a complete spelling course, and 1000’s of word lists.

The Spelling Ability Test serves as a diagnostic assessment for gathering baseline scores, and uses this date to create individualised learning pathways indicating which course units should be studied. Automatic retesting then keeps students on track with minimal intervention required.

The phonics-based course covers all the English spelling rules and their exceptions. Basic concepts taught include vowels, consonants, syllables, prefixes, and suffixes, and tasks are administered to students in different ways to ensure variety.

Word lists are translatable into 92 languages, and can be administered digitally – through spelling activities and word games – or off-line, including printed handwriting worksheets. Structured access to these lists makes Spellzone ideal for dyslexic and ESL students.

Subjects Supported: English
Age Range: 5-19+
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, Paid Subscription (Price Bands): £165 (20 Students) – £599 (2000 Students)

Maths-Whizz Suite | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

The Maths-Whizz virtual tutor mimics effective human tutor behaviors by assessing students across various math topics and creating personalised learning plans targeting their knowledge gaps. Through interactive lessons, it adapts based on individual understanding, advancing or providing support as needed.

With over 1200 lessons from Foundation to Year 8, Maths-Whizz offers real-time insights on students’ progress in 22 math curriculum topics, accessible to parents, teachers, and tutors as they interact with the platform.

Subjects Supported: Maths
Age Range: 5-13
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, Paid Subscription: £19.99/Pupil (Starting Price)

Eedi | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Eedi is a hybrid learning solution, combining individualised, AI-powered learning pathways with immediate access to live tutor support. This serves to overcome the lack of personalisation in education, as well as the challenges of teacher shortages.

Eedi only costs 8% of traditional tutoring, and makes homework and study support available to students on-demand, helping them resolve misconceptions and close knowledge gaps efficiently.

Subjects Supported: Maths
Age Range: 8-16
Pricing Plans: Free Version, Paid Subscription Upgrade (Price Bands): £4.50/Pupil (50 Students), £5.50/Pupil (25 Students), £6.50/Pupil (10 Students)

Learning by Questions | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Learning By Questions (LbQ) is a classroom app featuring curriculum-aligned Question Sets and instant feedback to enhance learning. It streamlines teaching by automating marking and providing immediate insights for effective interventions, catering to all student abilities.

LbQ offers versatility, allowing you to target specific topics with practice or mastery sets, and even create custom Question Sets. Real-time lesson analysis empowers teachers to intervene and plan ahead without the need for manual grading.

Subjects Supported: English, Maths, and Science
Age Range: 5-16
Pricing Plans: Free Trial, Free Version, Paid School Subscription Upgrade: £250/year

Shiken | Reviews 2023: Features, Price, Alternatives

Shiken is an extremely versatile educational platform, featuring 50,000+ customisable quiz games, tests, exams, and courses that can be gamified to create friendly class competition, as well as the ability to administer these interactive activities both remotely and in-class.

Furthermore, Shiken incorporates activities designed to reduce stress and anxiety into students’ learning pathways, particularly during exams. This includes mindfulness practices and daily motivational quotes that enhance student focus.

Subjects Supported: English, Maths, and Science
Age Range: 11-19+
Pricing Plans: Freemium, Free Trial, Free Version, Paid School Subscription Upgrade: £99/year

Closing Thoughts

The benefits of adaptive learning are manyfold, and the technology is easily implementable. Its solutions are also becoming an increasingly popular tool within education for delivering attainment outcomes.

So, why not explore the plethora of adaptive learning technology solutions available on EdTech Impact?

EdTech Impact aims to meet school buyer needs by connecting them with the world’s leading EdTech companies. Additionally, we set industry standards through our quality framework, and offer regular news content to assist school leaders in making informed decisions about their purchases.

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