What is Adaptive Learning and How is It Implemented in the Field

Imagine one day you made a road trip. You arrive from Soekarno-Hatta Airport to continue the journey to one of the hotels in South Jakarta.

When you ride Grab, the driver will easily take you by looking at an application.

You find in the application many roads, which you may not follow the route of the road.

However, if you use and follow the instructions in the application, there are lots of route change options that can be decided. And when choosing a route that is in the application, the destination can be reached faster.

There are many route options in the application, for example, turn right a few hundred meters to the main road, go straight for a few kilometers, turn 100 meters and so on.

The application provides you with route customization that allows you to follow the directions of the selected route which is relatively efficient compared to finding your own route especially at that time when you do not know which route is the best so you get to your destination faster.

 

What is adaptive learning?

Adaptive learning is interactive learning in which students are given instructions by the tutor, after the tutor provides an adaptive learning program that is tailored to the results and abilities of students during the learning process.

Tutors provide learning tailored to the level of student ability after students are given an initial evaluation. From the initial evaluation data, the tutor provides tailored learning.

How is it related to student responses during the learning process? Student response to learning is very influential. Because the tutor provides material that is always adjusted according to the level of response.

If the student responds slowly, the tutor's learning will be slow.

On the other hand, if the student responds quickly, the learning given by the tutor will be fast too.

In other words, the process of providing learning instructions (material) is adjusted to the level of student response to how to respond.

The aim of this adaptive process is that the transfer of knowledge can occur as efficiently as possible.

In adaptive learning, students can refuse, if the material given after being felt by students is not very useful. Although this benefit assessment is subjective only to students.

That is, learning according to what students want.

Likewise, turor can offer a variety of materials, when the material is considered to have a useful value that can be felt by students. Even though these students feel there is no benefit at this time.

However, in this adaptive learning, the learning process is controlled by students.

This does not rule out the possibility that, due to limitations, the tutor can provide other options, when the choices desired by students cannot be fulfilled.

An analogy is like an application system, when the student, in this case the user, does not follow the route directions from the application, the application provides another route option that can be selected.

 

Characteristics of Adaptive Learning

The characteristics of adaptive learning include:

(1) This learning is interactive learning

(2) Learning is adapted to student responses

(3) The tutor offers study options

(4) Learning purely because of the desire of students

(5) Students may refuse the learning process

(6) The tutor may debate the reasons for rejection, if he feels that the process is believed to be beneficial.

(7) The main objective is to obtain the efficiency of the learning process so as to maximize learning outcomes.

Excellence

As it is known that adaptive learning is more likely to control learning carried out by students and the tutor provides learning assignments that are adjusted by student responses, so the learning process is more optimal.

 

How is adaptive learning design?

Adaptive learning design can be done in several stages:

(1) Initial evaluation.

This initial evaluation can be in the form of data obtained previously or data from a placement test. This test aims to determine the initial ability as a stage to enter the level level.

(2) Providing Choices

Students are given the initial choice of the various learning they want. Students are left to choose the learning program provided by the tutor.

(3) Providing Instructions

After students make choices, the learning process continues according to the students' responses.

The tutor provides instructions during the learning process without being pushy.

Instructions given by students are only in the form of choices, which students may not choose.

Students are given the freedom to choose because the tutor cannot force them. If students provide different options from those that are not available, the tutor adapts to provide other options.

(4) Clear Goals

In adaptive learning, the learning objectives that students want to achieve must be clear.

Both students and tutors must have the same goals and the tutor has a set of learning options in order to achieve the desired goals of students.

(5) Interactive Learning Process

Adaptive learning demands interactive learning. Not only at the beginning of the learning process, but also until the end of the lesson.

Adaptive learning demands a variety of choices offered by tutors to students.

 

Matters to Look For

Adaptive learning does not customarily restrict students. It is possible that many students can do it with a limited number of tutors. If digital technology allows it, it can be used as a tool or as a mass control system.

However, the smaller number of students tends to have a good success rate.

The main point of adaptive learning is that the tutor is able to provide a variety of instructional options for learning by ensuring that goals can be achieved if student responses are fast.

Adaptive learning does not require a time limit.

Because the learning process is controlled by students. The time setting is adjusted by the students.

The tutor is sufficient to provide alternative choices so that learning can be as effective as possible.

 

Conclusion

Adaptive learning is learning in which students determine the material themselves and the tutor provides a variety of choices with clear learning objectives. Student response affects the speed of achieving learning goals. There is no time limit in achieving the goal. However, the tutor makes sure that the goals can be achieved as efficiently as possible.