Activating discipline specific thinking with adaptive learning: A digital tool to enhance learning in chemistry

Abstract

In tertiary science education, students are encouraged to engage in discipline specific thinking, to learn their chosen subject. The challenge for educators is engaging all students equitably, despite their educational backgrounds and depth of discipline specific knowledge. Personalising learning in the context of large-scale tertiary courses can only be achieved by using digital technologies. In the context of chemistry education, this project has investigated how an adaptive learning technology can effectively and consistently engage students in discipline specific thinking, by personalising their learning pathway. Adaptive learning has been integrated into a foundational chemistry subject and through quantitative analysis there is empirical evidence to support the benefit adaptive learning has on outcomes, in both the short and long term. This study shows adaptive learning can equitably meet the needs for all students and can lead to improvements in educational behaviour beyond grades. The evidence supports adaptive learning as one critical tool for chemistry educators, and educators in other disciplines of science, to include in their suite of pedagogical strategies to meet the needs of all their students.