Learning to Adapt 2.0: The Evolution of Adaptive Learning in Higher Education

Over the past four years, adaptive learning has gone from an ill-defined concept in postsecondary education to an important category of teaching and learning technology. Definitions of adaptive learning have been proposed and rejected, with the term often dismissed as “marketing-speak” among skeptical buyers. Despite the confusion surrounding this technology, a promising road lies ahead as institutions and suppliers learn to adapt their approaches to ultimately best serve student outcomes. This report, Learning to Adapt 2.0, explores the evolution of the adaptive learning market since the publication of Learning to Adapt in 2012.

Learning to Adapt 2.0 presents findings from our interviews with institutions and suppliers, which was conducted with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The research includes insights from qualitative interviews with leaders from over 20 institutions about their experiences with adaptive learning, and survey responses from 32 suppliers of adaptive solutions.

The findings featured in this publication will assist adaptive learning vendors looking to better understand how postsecondary institutions are thinking about the adaptive learning market. This report will also assist postsecondary institutions that are either looking to begin the process of piloting adaptive learning, or those that have already taken the plunge and are looking for ways to improve their implementation.

Would you like to discuss the implications of this work on your organization? Email the authors of the report here.