Adaptive Learning in Higher Education

Adaptive Learning is an online tool that tailors the learning experience to individual students. This is a form of personalised learning which is topical in Higher Education, yet exploration is limited in anatomical teaching. It is hypothesised that this resource could improve student motivation and understanding, as well as tackle the issue of reduced hours dedicated to anatomy teaching. Seventy-eight undergraduate Biomedical Science, Medical and Dental students participated in this study during the second semester of their anatomy studies at the University of Sheffield. The participants were divided randomly into two groups: one group undertook a preference-based adaptive course delivered through their Virtual Learning Environment, and the other studied a video lecture on the same topic. Students’ assessment performance, confidence and opinions were recorded using standardised pre- and post-tests and a student opinion questionnaire delivered via Google Forms. Although no significant difference was found between assessment performance and confidence, students’ opinions were significantly more positive in the adaptive group. Students’ choices in the preference-based adaptive course suggested students lacked an understanding of advanced learning strategies, as most avoided testing themselves at the start of the course, and skipped the resources offered to them when they lacked confidence in a topic.