Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

These Education Startups Are All Business


The pandemic forced the greatest beta test in education history. And while there were obvious devastating effects for students, there were also plenty of innovations that sprung from the experience. Many of those ideas and techniques are reflected in this year’s crop of finalists for the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) according to John Gamba, Penn GSE’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence. 

Catalyst @ Penn GSE—a global center for education innovation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE)—and the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation announced the selections this week. The finalists’ ventures are focused on some of the biggest challenges in education, including college access and persistence, social-emotional learning, literacy, adaptive learning, and more. 

Considered the most prestigious and well-funded competition of its kind, the EBPC attracts innovative education ventures from around the world. To date, the EBPC has awarded over $1.8 million dollars in cash and prizes. Winners and finalists have gone on to secure more than $180 million in funding.…Read More

How adaptive learning changes the game

Time and cost are two key barriers standing in the way of college completion, and that’s especially true for working adults going back to school. To eliminate these barriers and help registered nurses make faster progress toward earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, the University of Memphis School of Health Studies is using adaptive learning technology and other practices to accelerate completion—reportedly saving participants more than $100,000 in collective tuition costs in a single year.

“Students shouldn’t get bogged down with paying to learn things they already know,” says Richard Irwin, dean of UofM Global, the university’s online program. “Adaptive learning helps students move through the content at a more rapid pace.”

The many benefits of adaptive learning

Through a partnership with West Tennessee Healthcare, UofM Global is helping nurses earn a BSN degree through the university’s fully online “RN-to-BSN” program. The program uses not only adaptive learning but also credit-by-exam and experiential learning to eliminate the need for students to learn material they’ve already mastered.…Read More

Adaptive learning helps students finish faster

Time and cost are two key barriers standing in the way of college completion, and that’s especially true for working adults going back to school. To eliminate these barriers and help registered nurses make faster progress toward earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, the University of Memphis School of Health Studies is using adaptive learning technology and other practices to accelerate completion—reportedly saving participants more than $100,000 in collective tuition costs in a single year.

“Students shouldn’t get bogged down with paying to learn things they already know,” says Richard Irwin, dean of UofM Global, the university’s online program. “Adaptive learning helps students move through the content at a more rapid pace.”

How adaptive learning changes the game
Through a partnership with West Tennessee Healthcare, UofM Global is helping nurses earn a BSN degree through the university’s fully online “RN-to-BSN” program. The program uses not only adaptive learning but also credit-by-exam and experiential learning to eliminate the need for students to learn material they’ve already mastered.…Read More

8 steps to get the most out of adaptive learning

Best practices report from innovative universities details how to maximize adaptive technology

adaptive-learning-adoptAdaptive learning, considered a ‘game changer’ for higher education in its innovative use of technology to deliver high-quality, highly-personalized instruction to all types of learners, is still relatively new in its adoption and implementation. Thankfully, 17 tech-savvy leaders in higher ed are offering best practices to get the most out of adaptive learning.

In a new report, “Maximizing Investment in Adaptive Learning,” sponsored by Adapt Courseware and produced by Eduventures—a research and consulting service—though adaptive learning is not only in demand by colleges and universities (Arizona State, Carnegie Mellon, the University of California Berkeley, and more) but meets the needs of today’s students’ through rich online learning environments and personalized learning, its full potential is not yet realized.

“Confusion abounds about what exactly adaptive learning is, what value proposition it brings to higher education, and, more strategically, what best practices institutions looking to adopt an adaptive learning model can glean in order to succeed with this emerging technology,” explains the report.…Read More

Adaptive learning helps personalize instruction for students

Adaptive learning has steadily gained popularity in higher education.

Many experts believe adaptive learning will elevate education in the future, and the technology already has found its way into several higher-ed software programs.

In adaptive learning, specially designed computer programs assess students’ subject-matter knowledge and then create individual learning maps based on those findings. If a student struggles in one area, the program repeatedly reinforces that topic, and it lets students progress quickly through areas in which they demonstrate mastery.…Read More

Adaptive learning tool helps spur individual success

An online tool helped Siena College's Paul Thurston pinpoint student weaknesses.

Undergraduate professors employ myriad techniques to motivate their students to arrive prepared for active discussion. Despite our efforts, students often fall well short of our preparation expectations and struggle themselves with assessing their own course progress.

This is most problematic in survey or introductory courses that present an entirely new vocabulary of terms, the comprehension of which is critical to student achievement. Fortunately, adaptive learning tools are now available for many higher-education courses that can help professors address this problem.…Read More