A Case Study of Adaptive Learning Technology in Science

Developing Critical Thinking Skills with Adaptive Courseware in Gateway Science Courses

Gateway science courses for both STEM majors and general degree requirements require students to master complex concepts. Always challenging, these courses have been made more difficult for many students by the transition to online learning during the pandemic. A new case study examines the efforts at three of the seven ATD Network colleges participating in the Every Learner Everywhere initiative who focused on science courses as part of their efforts to implement adaptive courseware into gateway courses to help more students persist and succeed. The study suggests that adaptive learning technology helped students who need support with prerequisite concepts, provided tools to help guide students through complex, multistep processes, gave faculty insights into concepts students were struggling with, and reduced the cost of course materials.