Adaptive Learning
November 17, 2024
My youngest daughter who is in kindergarten, has homework. In addition to practicing her "sight words," she is supposed to spend some time playing Dreambox. Dreambox is a digital early learning platform that focuses on math and reading. In her Dreambox “game,” my daughter is to count and do simple addition by selecting beads on something resembling an abaacus. When she gets things right, a fairy congratulates her, and when there is a better way, the fairy tells her to try again. While most parents dread too much screen time, I must say, she seems to be learning and doesn’t complain when it’s time for her Drembox lesson. This is very different than the way I learned math!
Dreambox and another favorite of one of my older daughters, Duolingo, are adaptive learning platforms that allow you to progress when you reach certain milestones. For areas you are struggling in, you may get the same problem, or in Duolingo’s case word, numerous times until you demonstrate understanding. The platforms adapt to your level to help you master the subject at your own pace. As students of all ages, including lifelong learners such as myself, have gravitated toward online learning, it is no surprise that machine learning technology is being increasingly adapted to the education sector. As such, there is projected to be a sizable increase in the size of the Adaptive Learning market in the next several years (see chart below).
Benefits of Adaptive Learning include:
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Personalized Learning Experience: Content can be tailored to an individual’s existing knowledge and learning paths can be customized to ensure each student focuses on areas where they need the most improvement.
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Improved Engagement and Motivation: Different learning elements, including videos, gamification and interactive exercises help keep students engaged.
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Efficiency: The platform can tailor content to the student’s skill level so they can focus on new instruction, or review more challenging topics.
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Accessibility: Most platforms only need an internet connection and can be accessed nearly anywhere. Additionally, some platforms are free or low-cost (often supported by advertising), further enabling widespread usage.
At Somar, we utilize learning platforms for our personal knowledge, so as consumers, adaptive learning technologies are welcome to the team. As investors, we believe in the transformative power of knowledge and education and in the companies that enable them. As such, we have made investments in some leading adaptive learning companies. We look forward to the increased democratization of knowledge throughout the world.