There is a good chance that many readers will have only the haziest idea of what adaptive learning is. There is a much better chance that most English language teachers, especially those working in post-secondary education, will feel the impact of adaptive learning on their professional lives in the next few years. According to Time magazine, it is a ‘hot concept, embraced by education reformers‘, which is ‘poised to reshape education’[1]. According to the educational news website, Education Dive, there is ‘no hotter segment in ed tech right now’[2]. All the major ELT publishers are moving away from traditional printed coursebooks towards the digital delivery of courses that will contain adaptive learning elements. Their investments in the technology are colossal. Universities in many countries, especially the US, are moving in the same direction, again with huge investments. National and regional governments, intergovernmental organisations (such as UNESCO, the OECD, the EU and the World Bank), big business and hugely influential private foundations (such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) are all lined up in support of the moves towards the digital delivery of education, which (1) will inevitably involve elements of adaptive learning, and (2) will inevitably impact massively on the world of English language teaching.
The next 13 posts will, together, form a guide to adaptive learning in ELT.
1 Introduction
2 Simple models of adaptive learning
3 Gamification
4 Big data, analytics and adaptive learning
5 Platforms and more complex adaptive learning systems
6 The selling points of adaptive learning
7 Ten predictions for the future
[2] http://www.educationdive.com/news/adaptive-learning-the-best-approaches-weve-seen-so-far/187875/ October 31, 2013 (last accessed 4 December 2013)
Adaptive Learning in ELT 
[…] There is a good chance that many readers will have only the haziest idea of what adaptive learning is. There is a much better chance that most English language teachers, especially those working in… […]
Reblogged this on nifty jock and commented:
Excellent read, do we have a choice?
Reblogged this on elteachertrainer.
Reblogged this on keepitrealELT and commented:
The death of the paper course book?
Increasing availability of education to more people or disempowering those who cannot afford the technology? Saving trees or publishers making more money? Something else to ‘assess’ teachers by like
IWBs or another useful tool for teachers?
Interesting post to follow methinks.