adaptive courseware

1. How to Promote Large Scale
Adoption of Adaptive
Courseware
Meaghan Duff, APLU
Karen Vignare, APLU
Megan Tesene, Georgia State University
Cub Kahn, Oregon State University
Patricia O’Sullivan, University of Mississippi
OLC-Innovate Conference
April 5, 2017

2. Session Abstract
When fully realized at a university, scaled use of adaptive courseware encompasses an
institution-wide commitment to student success and degree completion, coordinated faculty
development to improve instruction, adoption of high-quality content and flexible technologies
that enable performance tracking, and end-user tools that support learners in guiding
themselves.
Eight public research universities are accelerating the adoption of adaptive courseware over
three academic years and have initial success stories to share. Understanding the early
successes and challenges and sharing these experiences broadly are critical to improving the
way adaptive courseware is developed, promoted, selected, delivered, assessed, and enhance
over time. This workshop will show you how to apply the strategies of these institutions to
personalize learning for students in ways that promote completion while containing costs.
The shared goal in public higher education is to find ways to decrease costs while delivering high
quality education to an expanded and more diverse student body, and we can only do that when
we embrace new models for monitoring and improving student performance.
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 2

3. Session Agenda
Time Activities Intended Outcomes
8:30 AM
APLU introduces the purpose of scaled adaptive courseware
implementations
Understand definition of adaptive courseware and
APLU’s program goals for scaled use of courseware
8:40 AM
Universities discuss their courseware adoption approach
and plans for achieving scaled use
Consider the various approaches to achieving scaled
use of courseware
9:00 AM
Roundtable Discussion: How do you develop a commitment
to innovate at scale? What institutional and faculty
development activities are critical?
Contribute to building best practices for achieving
innovation at scale
9:20 AM Break Re-energize and mingle with session attendees
9:30 AM
Universities share strategies for discovering and selecting
adaptive courseware
Learn how three universities are approaching
courseware adoption
9:45 AM
Roundtable Discussion: Does a university need a centrally-
managed process for selecting courseware or can scale be
achieved relying on faculty to choose appropriate tools?
Contribute personal experiences and consider how
the described approaches might work at your
institution
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 3

4. APLU is dedicated
to advancing
learning,
discovery and
engagement. The
association
provides a forum
for the discussion
and development
of policies and
programs
affecting higher
education and the
public interest.
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 4

5. What is adaptive
learning?
Why is it popular
with students?
What does it
require of
educators?
“As an approach to creating a
personalized learning experience for
students, adaptive learning takes a
sophisticated, data-driven, and in some
cases, non-linear approach to
instruction and remediation, adjusting
to a learner’s interactions and
demonstrated performance level and
subsequently anticipating what types
of content and resources learners’
need at a specific point in time to make
progress.”Tyton Partners, "Learning to Adapt:
Understanding the Adaptive Learning Supplier
Landscape," April 2013.
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 5

6. What is adaptive
learning?
Why is it popular
with students?
What does it
require of
educators?
Eduventures, “Maximizing Investment in
Adaptive Learning,” Spring 2014.
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7. What is adaptive
learning?
Why is it popular
with students?
What does it
require of
educators?
Tyton Partners, "Learning to Adapt:
Understanding the Adaptive Learning Supplier
Landscape," April 2013.
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017

8. APLU Adaptive Courseware Grant
Cross-Institution Collaboration
Targeting similar programs and courses
Adopting from a list of approved adaptive
courseware suppliers and products
Sharing information within the cohort by
campus-based program managers
Common reporting requirements
Faculty Engagement Methods
Incentives (money, time, teaching support)
Training and instructional design support
Department-level adoption decisions
Peer learning communities
Senior leadership investment and recognition
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 8

9. Adaptive Courseware Suppliers & Products
1. Acrobatiq
2. Cerego
3. CogBooks
4. Fishtree
5. Fulcrum Labs
6. Junction Education
7. Knewton
8. LeAP by D2L
9. Difference Engine by Learning Objects (Cengage)
10. LoudCloud
11. Lumen Waymaker
12. McGraw-Hill Education ALEKS
13. McGraw-Hill Education LearnSmart
14. Macmillan Learning Curves
15. Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon
University
16. Open Learning Initiative at Stanford University
17. OpenStax Tutor
18. Pearson MyLab & Mastering (with Knewton)
19. Realizeit
20. Smart Sparrow
21. WileyPlus with ORION (Snapwiz)
© PERSONALIZED LEARNING CONSORTIUM AT APLU04/05/2017 9

10. Courseware in Context Framework

11. All Hands on Deck: Adaptive
Learning Transformation at
OSU

12. Blueprint for Undergraduate Student Success
Division of Undergraduate Studies
Adaptive Courseware is one tactic for supporting the following Blueprint strategies
• Plan of Action
1. Ongoing support for faculty success
2. Integrated adaptive and personalized learning
• Serving Underrepresented Students
1. Frequent, timely and constructive feedback
July 21, 2017
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13. OSU Courses Correlated with High Undergraduate Student Academic
Difficulty and Attrition
July 21, 2017
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14. Timeline: adaptive courseware supported courses
July 21, 2017

15. Expected Outcomes
• Eight blended learning courses with adaptive courseware in multiple sections
embedded in the curriculum
• Model for university level structure that supports faculty use of adaptive courseware
• Discipline-based faculty learning communities focused on adaptive learning
courseware
• Learning ecosystem that supports success by providing an individualized approach
for each student
July 21, 2017
15

16. The University of Mississippi
Grant Implementation
Process: Course Selection
• Identify high-enrollment gen ed courses
with
– 15%+ Pell-eligible enrollment
– 10%+ DFW rates
– Receptive department chairs
– A history of innovation
– Ability to scale implementation
• Information/onboarding sessions
– With Department chairs
– With teams of 3-4 faculty

17. Choosing courseware
• Faculty team decides among off-the-shelf courses, modifiable base courses, and full build courses.
• Faculty team writes up wish list of functionalities.
• Program manager suggests three vendors and invites them to provide demonstrations and sandbox
access to faculty team.
• Faculty team reviews each vendor and makes a choice.
Grant Implementation Process: Courseware Selection
Grant Implementation Process: Course Development

18. Grant Implementation Process: Pilots and Second Iterations
Pilots Spring 2017 Enrollments Vendor
Elementary Statistics 2 sections, 111 students Pearson My Stats Lab
Trigonometry 3 sections, 121 students Pearson MyMath Lab with Knewton and Study
Plan and Skill Builder
College Algebra 2 sections, 93 students McGraw Hill ALEKS
Biology for non-majors 4 sections, 413 students McGraw Hill Learnsmart with Connect
Chemical Concepts 1 section, 182 students Pearson with Mastering
Pilots Fall 2017 Enrollment targets Vendor
First Year Writing I 25 sections, 500 students Lumen Waymaker
Second Iteration 2017 Enrollment targets Vendor
Elementary Statistics 6 sections, 330 students Pearson My Stats Lab
Trigonometry 3 sections, 120 students Pearson MyMath Lab with Knewton and Study
Plan and Skill Builder
College Algebra 4 sections 180 students McGraw Hill ALEKS
Biology for non-majors 3 sections, 310 students McGraw Hill Learnsmart with Connect
Chemical Concepts 3 sections, 450 students Pearson with Mastering

19. • Resistance to
student-centered
pedagogy
• Classroom design
and enrollment
barriers to active
learning
• Students are not as
tech savvy as we
may assume
• Measuring
effectiveness of
adaptive learning
Challenges
● Courses are not
taught by the same
instructors
semester to
semester
• Decentralized
teaching and
learning support
services
• Moving focus
from technology
to teaching
• Working with
multi-section
courses with
multiple faculty
who teach
independently

20. INCREASING STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH
ADAPTIVE LEARNING IN HIGH IMPACT
COURSES

21. GSU APPROACH: DATA-DRIVEN & COLLABORATIVE
Year 3: Scale
Department Specific Implementation Plans Faculty Training & Support Continued Data Collection & Analysis Continued Refinements as Needed
Year 2: Pilot Study
Implementation Adaptive vs. Non-Adaptive Data Collection & Analysis Refinements
Year 1: Exploration
Courseware Evaluation & Selection Faculty Training & Proficiency Course Design Research Design

22. YEAR 1: COURSEWARE EVALUATION & SELECTION
Course Courseware
American Government Fishtree
Global Issues TBD
Introduction to Psychology Macmillan
Macroeconomics CogBooks & McGraw-Hill
Microeconomics McGraw-Hill

23. YEARS 2 & 3: PILOT & SCALE
Year 2 Pilot Fall 2017 Spring 2018 Total Students
Enrollments Enrollments
American Government 3 sections, 256 students 3 sections, 256 students 512
Global Issues 3 sections, 193 students 3 sections, 193 students 386
Introduction to Psychology 3 sections, 260 students 3 sections, 260 students 520
Macroeconomics 3 sections, 185 students 3 sections, 185 students 370
Microeconomics 3 sections, 205 students 3 sections, 205 students 410
15 sections, 1099 students 15 sections, 1099 students 2198
Year 3 Scale Fall 2018 Spring 2019 Total Students
Enrollments Enrollments
American Government 28 sections, 2240 students 28 sections, 2240 students 4480
Global Issues 18 sections, 900 students 18 sections, 900 students 1800
Introduction to Psychology 13 sections, 975 students 13 sections, 975 students 1950
Macroeconomics 19 sections, 1900 students 19 sections, 1900 students 3800
Microeconomics 16 sections, 1600 students 16 sections, 1600 students 3200
94 sections, 7615 students 94 sections, 7615 students 15230

24. LONG TERM: WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE?
• Proven Successes
• Unbiased, High-Quality Research Showing the Effectiveness & Measurable
Benefits of Adaptive Learning
• Student Learning & Outcomes
• Faculty Satisfaction, Improvement, & Pedagogical Development
• Pairing Evolving Coursewares with Exceptional & Flexible Content
• Paradigm Shift—How We Learn & How We Teach
• Resources
• Education, Exploration, Development, Implementation, Environment, Infrastructure, &
Access

25. Thank You!