Source: Image of books, Public Domain, http://mrg.bz/NL0Nqv
Hi, my name is Ashley. And today's lesson is titled the role of the teacher in using adaptive learning.
In today's lesson, we will look at the role of the teacher in adaptive learning. We will also consider the role of the teacher in traditional classrooms. Lastly, we will compare traditional and adaptive learning models.
What is the role of the teacher in adaptive learning? In the adaptive learning classroom, the teacher oversees student learning. Though the instruction is individualized and is meeting the needs of each student, the technology cannot do everything. The teacher still must maintain classroom management, and ensure that students are on task, and provide help when it's needed.
The teacher must also provide enrichment opportunities. The adaptive learning system does do a good job at providing basic individualized concepts. However, the teacher can develop activities that involve authentic hands-on learning.
On the other hand, students may need more basic information. Though adaptive learning is useful for pointing out weaknesses in student's academics, the teacher who knows the student personally should be able to gather learning activities to help build student's skills in weak areas.
Let's take a look at the role of a teacher in the traditional classroom. In the traditional classroom, the teacher is the keeper of knowledge. The teacher is the one with the information that the students must learn. The teacher presents the information through direct instruction techniques, such as lectures and worksheets.
In the traditional classroom, the teacher is also the decision-maker. The classroom is usually teacher-centered. And most decisions are made by the teacher involving no student input.
The teacher decides on what topics should be taught, the methods used for teaching it, and assessments used to assess it. Also in the way that the teacher is transmitting the information is identical for each student. This means that despite of interest or learning style or needs, students are normally taught the same curriculum using the same materials.
Let's compare the traditional classroom to that of the classroom using adaptive learning. In the traditional classroom, all content is the same. There's no variation between the information that is given or how it is given. In the adaptive learning classroom, content is diverse in order to meet the needs of individual learners.
In the traditional classroom, learning is catered to the average student. So if the majority of my students are reading at a seventh grade level, but I also have some students in my classroom who read at a fourth grade level and some that read a tenth grade level, all the information would be centered on my average group. There's no diversity or differentiation involved here.
In the adaptive learning classroom, content is accessible to all students. Student's ability, interest, language proficiency, and skill are all taken into account when creating content for the learners.
The traditional classroom lacks student motivation. Because of the content that's being offered all in the same way and the learning is only cater to a specific group of students, motivation is very low. Whereas in the adaptive learning classroom, high levels of student motivation can be seen because the content caters to the interests and skill level of the student. And provides opportunity to determine their own learning path.
In today's lesson, we looked at the role of the teacher in the adaptive learning classroom. The teacher oversees student learning, provides enrichment activities, as well as supplemental learning activities. In the traditional classroom, the teacher is the keeper of knowledge and makes most of the decisions of the classroom, as well as transmitting information identically to all students.
Lastly, we compared the traditional classroom and adaptive learning models, and have found that they really don't have much in common. They're both very different. The traditional classroom caters to the average student, and because of this, there's a lack of motivation. The adaptive classroom is diverse, and learning is accessible to all students, creating high levels of student motivation.
As we bring the lesson to a close, consider how traditional teaching does not meet the needs of all learners. What changes have you made or do you need to make to align with adaptive learning?
As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set.
Overview
(00:00 - 00:15) Introduction
(00:16 - 00:34) What Will You Learn Today?
(00:35 - 01:35) What is the Role of the Teacher in Adaptive Learning?
(01:36 - 02:32) What is the Role of the Teacher in Traditional Classrooms?
(02:33 - 03:59) How Traditional and Adaptive Learning Models Compare?
(04:00 - 04:51) What Did You Learn Today?
(04:52 - 05:26) Reflection
What Faculty Should Know About Adaptive Learning
This article by Michael Feldstein suggests best practices in implementing adaptive learning in the classroom. Although this article is intended for faculty in higher education organizations, the best practices apply to the role of the teacher in any adaptive learning environment.
http://mfeldstein.com/faculty-know-adaptive-learning/
The Adaptive Dimension in Core Curriculum
This is an in-depth 2017 report on adaptive learning in the classroom and the role of the teacher.
http://publications.gov.sk.ca/documents/11/100225-The%20Adaptive%20Dimension.pdf