In our recent blog posts we have focused on the factors that drive a successful adaptive learning implementation. In this post, we explore the success story of one of our clients, Dr. Paul Smith. Paul is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), and an enthusiastic user of technology aimed at supporting teaching and learning. In late 2015, he started using CogBooks’ adaptive platform to develop and deliver his courseware to two classes: a part-time distance learning class and a full-time undergraduate class. Below, he explains why technology is essential for teaching in the future, and his experiences with adaptive learning.

Our last blog looked at how Universities are looking to implement personalized learning technology in their courses to attract – and attain – as diverse a range of students possible. The question is – does it work? And when the technology is in place, what else do students need? Earlier in 2016 we interviewed a student who turned her C-grades to A-grades after one semester of using CogBooks’ BIOLOGY 100. Anna* is a first-generation student and through our discussion it became apparent that there are two significant – yet easy to adopt – factors that universities can implement to improve student success.

The Higher Education sector is on the cusp of change. The advancements in digital technology have altered the shape of education. Learners have an expectation that the courses they take will mould around their lives; not the other way round. Today’s universities are competing for learners in a landscape that is mostly unrecognizable to people who studied as recently as five years ago. Fast forward five years into the future, and there will be no such thing as a typical student – nor a typical student experience. Demand on institutions to offer courses that attract an ever larger and diverse range of students continues, whilst budget restrictions mean finding ways to get more for less.

The uptake in adaptive learning courseware continues to rise in Higher Education institutions. Instructors and administrators are aware of the benefits of developing personalized and adaptive learning programs, and how teaching and learning experiences can be enhanced. Access to granular data illustrating students’ use of online materials, and their progress, is a key factor for the success of those platforms. Often, the benefits of data generation, collection and analysis can slip under the radar, as administrators and instructional designers implement adaptive learning technology on campus. In this article, we look at what Big Data is and how it can be used to enhance your teaching practices and thus, empower your students.