How can teachers ensure equitable access to adaptive learning?

1 Assess your students' needs

Before implementing adaptive learning, you need to understand your students' strengths, weaknesses, goals, interests, and learning preferences. You can use various methods to gather this information, such as surveys, interviews, pre-tests, portfolios, or self-assessments. This will help you choose the most appropriate adaptive learning tools and settings for your students, and also identify any potential gaps or difficulties that they may encounter.

2 Provide multiple options

Adaptive learning is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different students may benefit from different types of adaptive learning, such as adaptive content, adaptive assessment, adaptive feedback, or adaptive sequencing. You should provide multiple options for your students to access and interact with the adaptive learning materials, such as text, audio, video, images, animations, or simulations. You should also allow your students to adjust the level of difficulty, pace, and mode of learning according to their needs and preferences.

3 Support your students' autonomy

Adaptive learning can empower your students to take more control and responsibility for their own learning. However, this also requires them to have the skills and motivation to monitor, regulate, and evaluate their learning progress and outcomes. You should support your students' autonomy by providing clear learning objectives, expectations, and criteria; giving them timely and constructive feedback; encouraging them to set their own goals and strategies; and facilitating their reflection and self-evaluation.

4 Foster collaboration and communication

Adaptive learning can also enhance your students' collaboration and communication skills, which are essential for 21st century learning. You should foster a collaborative and communicative learning environment by creating opportunities for your students to work together, share their ideas and experiences, and provide peer feedback. You should also use various communication channels, such as email, chat, forums, or video conferencing, to communicate with your students, address their questions and concerns, and provide them with guidance and support.

5 Evaluate and improve your practice

Adaptive learning is not a static or fixed process. It is a dynamic and iterative process that requires constant evaluation and improvement. You should use data and evidence from the adaptive learning system, as well as from other sources, such as observations, interviews, or surveys, to monitor your students' learning outcomes, engagement, and satisfaction. You should also seek feedback from your students, colleagues, and experts on how to improve your adaptive learning practice and make it more effective and equitable.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?