Rediscovering the Power of Embibe's Classic Features in a New Light

Let me tell you about an intriguing social experiment conducted by a group of psychologists with two sets of people, Group A and Group B.

Both groups were given an anagram puzzle—a word scramble where you rearrange letters to form a new word. Group A got a word with an easy solution and figured it out quickly. But Group B was given a word with no possible anagram. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t solve it.

Then, both groups received another word. Group A, with their easy word, solved it fast. Group B, however, was given another unsolvable word and got frustrated. They had no idea that Group A was working on easier words.

Finally, both groups were given a simple word to solve. Group A cracked it right away. But Group B, having struggled with two impossible tasks, couldn't solve this easy one. They had given up mentally, even though the puzzle was now solvable.

This experiment sheds light on how repeated failure can make us give up, even when success is within reach. Psychologists call this Learned Helplessness.

The concept of learned helplessness was first introduced in 1967 through experiments with animals. Researchers noticed that the same phenomenon might apply to humans. Over the years, more research confirmed that learned helplessness can lead to increased stress, depression, and even PTSD.

We see learned helplessness in various life situations, from trauma and domestic violence to academic struggles. For instance, if a child repeatedly struggles with exams despite studying hard, they might start believing that their efforts don’t make a difference. This mindset can lead them to put in less effort, ultimately harming their performance.

But here's the good news: not everyone who faces challenges falls into the trap of learned helplessness. It often depends on their explanatory style—the way they interpret events. Students with a pessimistic explanatory style, who view setbacks as unavoidable and due to their own failures, are more prone to learned helplessness. On the other hand, those with an optimistic explanatory style are less affected.

So, how do we help students avoid learned helplessness? It's crucial to address the root causes of their challenges and offer realistic solutions. That’s where Embibe’s features come into play, specifically Adaptive Practice and Test Feedback.

Adaptive Practice: More Than Just Adjusting Difficulty

Many edtech platforms claim to offer adaptive practice, where questions are tailored to a student's strengths and weaknesses. However, most of these systems only adjust based on question difficulty—easy, medium, or hard. If a student answers an easy question correctly, they get a medium-level question next. If they get it wrong, they get another easy question.

While this approach is somewhat effective, it doesn’t fully capture the complexity of solving questions. For example, a student might answer an easy question incorrectly, not because they lack knowledge but because they didn’t spend enough time on it. Traditional systems often miss factors like this.

Embibe’s Adaptive Practice algorithm, known as the Next Question Engine, is a game-changer. It considers over 60 parameters for each question, creating a truly personalised practice experience that addresses both academic and behavioural needs.

And beyond that, every question comes with:

1. Hints: Provide a nudge in the right direction.
2. Step-wise Guidance: Offers micro-hints to assist at each step.
3. Full Solutions: Detailed explanations to learn the correct method.
4. Learning Interventions: 3D videos that address conceptual gaps.
5. Real-time Speed vs. Accuracy Analysis: Helps with time management and skill honing.

This level of personalisation helps students recognise their shortcomings and address them effectively. They start seeing that improvement is possible, which shifts their mindset and explanatory style from self-blame to understanding how to overcome challenges. Our data shows a 30.81% average improvement in attempt accuracy between two adaptive practice sessions.

Test Feedback: Understanding the Whole Student

Now, imagine a student who excels in class but struggles with test performance. It’s frustrating, right? In 2014, Embibe discovered that a student’s test performance is influenced not only by their knowledge but also by their behaviour. Specifically, knowledge accounts for 61% of performance, while behavior contributes 39%.

A student might have great knowledge but poor test-taking behaviour—like overconfidence, nervousness, or poor time management—leading to lower test scores. This led us to create highly personalised Test Feedback, which identifies both academic and behavioural gaps.

Imagine a student receiving insights into their issues before the actual exam. Instead of feeling defeated, they get actionable feedback on how to improve. This shift in perspective and their explanatory style helps them avoid learned helplessness.

Embibe’s AI-powered test feedback provides a comprehensive diagnosis of why a student got questions right or wrong, covering both academic and behavioural aspects. This is crucial because behavioural gaps are tough to track in detail manually. Our data shows a 25% increase in test scores after just two tests, thanks to the targeted recommendations.

Learned helplessness is a serious issue that can significantly affect students' performance and extend beyond academics. As I delved into this topic, I was impressed to see how our features addressed this problem long before it was acknowledged by many edtechs, which promised to revolutionise education but often ended up as mere content aggregators.

Adaptive practice and test feedback are among Embibe's earlier features, and I felt a renewed sense of excitement writing about them as if I had rediscovered them in a new light. With so many new products and features now available, I can’t help but wonder about the deep-rooted problems they’re addressing.

Even after seven years, I still feel there’s so much more to learn and write about.