Online learning programs pay a lot of attention to deliver quality instruction.
However, what equally needs the same amount of attention is the use of right technology for instructional purpose as technology can give holistic impact to the program. Subside, the attention on any one of these two factors in an online program and one can see clearly the overall impact of the program deteriorates.
Technology in education has become synonymous to advancement in the way learning takes place. Yes, technology can help instructors do wonders if, only it is used in the right way and for the right purpose. Every technology has its own characteristics which makes users experience rich and enjoyable. So, coming straight to the topic, and you may be thinking about which are the two technologies most suitable for an online programs?
Well, surveys have found that it is the adaptive learning technology and learning analytics which have scored as the most important technologies to be used in online programs. When the two technology is used in synergy with each other, it turns out to be the two most powerful learning tools on their own merit.
From a report by Campus Technology, you will find that there is a clear mention of using learning analytics and adaptive learning technology in online programs as education leaders think them to be the most useful of all technologies used to fuel up online learning programs. The figure mentioned below has been taken from the same report published by the same report by Campus Technology and it gives a glimpse of the entire survey conducted by them.
See what Adaptive Technology can do to online programs if used in the right way.
- It can help students get real time response related to their work. This is an important aspect because in an online environment, students work as per their own schedules, complete assignments whenever they find the time. With adaptive learning technologies, students can actually recognize the challenges that one is facing and eventually offer additional resources that will help them work through it on their own, when the instructor is not around.
- It allows the teachers get data with perceptions into student needs. This technology helps the teachers when students are in need of teacher intervention and what kind of help they are in need of.
- It can connect both faculty and students for a more productive interactions. During the class time, students hardly get time to interact with their professors. But with the help of adaptive learning technology, data is presented to the teachers in such a way that teachers can steer conversations in the direction most vital for a student to succeed.
See what benefits learning analytics can do to online programs if they are used efficiently.
- Assists to predict learner’s performance- one of the greatest advantages of using learning analytics is that it gives an insight into not only how the student is performing but about their entire performance throughout the duration of the e-learning course. Online facilitators are able to foresee if a particular learner is unable to pass on the elearning course and when additional support is provided is he/she able to pass the elearning course. Such analysis is really fruitful for a teacher in maximizing the experience of learner in an online program, given the fact that there is not any personal contact between the instructor and the student.
- Offer learners with a personalized eLearning Experience- using learning analytics also helps in personalizing the elearning experience of students. The teachers can use custom tailor the elearning experiences for each and every individual learner. Learner can be provided with links of sites which will help them to effectively comprehend the topic, or videos which allow them to learn through more auditory/visual approach.
- Enhance the retention rates of the learners – with the help of learning analytics data and intervention, the chances of students dropping out of the elearning course recedes. On time teacher support and custom tailoring of instructions help learners’ stay motivated throughout the course.
- Assist to improve future eLearning courses- with learning analytics, the online course instructors can easily figure out which is the area of the learning module that students of not just the current batch but other batches too in the past have found it challenging. Such an information is vital because, it helps the course developers to make modifications in the difficult levels of that specific elearning module. Thus, it is how, such information helps in making an impact in the elearning environment by making the online learning module better and more student friendly for future batches.
So, after evaluating the different sets of benefit of adaptive learning technology and learning analytics, one thing is quite clear that, in order to make the online program successful, inclusion of these two technologies is a must. And, in the adaptive learning and predictive learning systems, a lot of advancement is taking up pace, evidences of which we find in this report, to help maximize the potential benefits of using these two technologies for the success of learning programs and online programs being the prime focus.
And before we leave you, we had like to know your views on the topic and are you using these two technology in your online program? If the answer is ‘Yes’, please share your first-hand experience of using the technology and how it has impacted your online program.
