Deliver what was once unimaginable

Personalised learning is increasingly becoming more and more of a conversation topic within the higher education landscape. But are the platforms and outcomes really worth the hype? VitalSource^® truly believes it is, which is one of the driving reasons for its acquisition of Acrobatiq^®, a courseware platform founded on 12 years of research at Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative. With proven strong correlations between learning activities and learning gains, the Learn by Doing approach, paired with personalised learning, is essential for improving student success.

The powerful learning data that Acrobatiq can provide empowers educators to identify consequential patterns in students’ learning behaviours and intervene early enough to make a difference. In a case study with the University of Phoenix: Predicting Student Outcomes with Engagement Data, data was able to predict a student’s outcome by the second week of a five-week course based on their engagement with the materials. Not only does this show how important early engagement with course materials is, it gives enough time to power an intervention for those who are struggling or at risk of falling behind. Being provided with such robust analytics as Acrobatiq supplies allows instructors to make the most of their office hours and have meaningful, individual conversations with their students.

This year, student success and student experience will account for 40% of extra funding for new students in Australia. Under this scheme, these performance metrics will be assessed by first-year dropout rates and satisfaction with teaching quality respectively. Findings from a 2018 research study also suggest that Australian institutions committed to implementing and supporting students through digital programmes are likely to see higher levels of satisfaction. This is only amplified when combined with personalised learning.

Data points such as “Where in the course are my students having difficulties?” and “Which objectives are my students having difficulty with?” allow instructors in-depth understanding into study habits, students’ mastery of objectives, and those who are likely to drop out. The beauty of personalised learning is that if Student A is excelling at Module 1 but Student B is falling behind, instructors can deploy added learning materials to only Student B, ensuring all students feel like individuals. With students in a recent survey saying they want lecturers “to treat and talk to [them] as though [they are] a person,” and the demand on institutions increasing to satisfy student satisfaction and success, personalised learning and the analytics that come with it seem to be the perfect duo to combat this.

Learn more about the new standard for courseware: https://news.acrobatiq.com/campus-review-courseware

Get the news delivered straight to your inbox

Receive the top stories in our weekly newsletter Sign up now