Is Adaptive Learning Effective? A Review of the Research

This study examines the evidence for the effectiveness of adaptive learning. It first analyses the different classifications of adaptive learning systems existing in the literature, to focus later on Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) and Adaptive Hypermedia Systems (AHS) describing some examples of both types of systems. Next, the Effect Size (ES) tool is adopted as a standard way to compare the results of one pedagogical experiment to another. ES is used to analyse the effectiveness of the systems previously described, in order to demonstrate that adaptive learning can provide significant improvements in the learning process of students. Finally, a number of conclusions and future trends are discussed. Key-Words: Adaptive learning, E-Learning, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Intelligent Educational Systems, Adaptive Hypermedia Systems, Learning effectiveness.