The future belongs to solutions using adaptive learning technology. After all, the ideal that online education strives for is a situation when a person receives only the information he needs at a convenient time and in an optimal format.
Adaptive Learning – Providing the user with a personalized learning experience based on needs. That is, the curriculum is personalized by responding to the actions of a specific person, for example, the speed of passing the test and the number of correct answers in a particular module. Of course, the prospect for using more subtle factors of adaptability in conjunction with Big Data tools that provide the most individual approach.
Adaptive learning allows you to spend less time studying with more efficiency. For example, the Surgent company uses it to prepare for exams to obtain a Certified Accountant license, which allows it to provide accounting, tax, and financial services to the public. Surgent A.S.A.P. technology is based on a patented algorithm that takes into account performance, topic complexity, student learning style, and even exam date and available weekly study hours, creating an optimal curriculum.
When describing their product, companies often use the term adaptive learning with different meanings. You need to understand that the training program can be adjusted in three main areas:
- Content – feedback depends on a specific answer, the sequence of questions and presentation of the material does not change. For example, a student may receive hints or links to relevant content.
- Sequence – depending on the answers, the order of the questions and the presented material changes. For example, if it is difficult for a student, then the questions are simplified.
- Assessment – the student’s actions are monitored continuously, which determines the content and sequence of the presented material.
Most effective when these capabilities work together.
Why the emergence of schools in VR is no longer beyond fiction
According to Fortune Business Insights, the volume of the virtual reality market by 2026 may reach $ 120.5 billion, that is, it is expected to grow almost 17 times compared to 2018. VR is now spreading like a PC in the early 90’s. Technology is becoming cheaper and more affordable for the population.
Of course, a high-quality online VR experience requires high processing power and high-speed Internet – mostly for rendering virtual landscapes. But the development of 5G technology and the transfer of computing to the cloud can contribute to the transition of VR devices to the mainstream and simplify their hardware – they will only have to broadcast the picture and track the user’s reaction. Such a scenario will facilitate the development of all kinds of interactive virtual reality applications.
Based on the main trends in online education and existing projects, for example, VRChat, where a deep experience of virtual interaction in real time is already available, it is not difficult to imagine a VR school hike. When, being at home, a person will be able to put on a helmet and be on a virtual educational campus in the form of an avatar. Spontaneous emotional communication with classmates and a sense of belonging are provided.
You can add a little gamification – for example, implementing training in “Muggle” disciplines at Hogwarts Castle. Let the boring practice of foreign pronunciation take place in the format of spell lessons, and the study of programming algorithms will have something in common with classes in potions. And each correct answer is rewarded with additional personal points, which, of course, go to the benefit of the entire faculty.
No two-hour webinars, just 6 minutes
Online education is actively moving towards microlearning. Its essence is that information is presented very point-wise – in small but self-sufficient units necessary to achieve specific, practical goals. This is not surprising, because, according to analysts at Deloitte, back in 2016, the average employee devotes only 1% of his workweek to professional development – that is, 24 minutes.
A modern person does not need to store information in memory. The main thing is to know where and what to look for on the Internet. Learning is getting closer to getting urgent tips while solving specific problems. These can be videos, texts, pictures, audio, tests, quizzes, games, or a combination of these. By the way, a study by Edx company determined the optimal length of the training video is 6 minutes.
Therefore, in the spirit of microlearning, the auto mechanics course will not consist of a series of two-hour webinars, in which it is very difficult to find an answer to a specific question. It will be sequentially structured into small rollers for each individual skill, such as wheel repair, oil change, engine diagnostics, with small tests after each.