Evidence in Support of Adaptive Learning for Pre-Class Preparation in a Flipped STEM Classroom

Adaptive learning supports online instruction by offering feedback to students using machine learning. In a funded study, adaptive learning was used in a flipped STEM course at three universities for pre-class preparation. We conducted a comparative analysis with and without adaptive learning. The assessments were a final exam and concept inventory (stratified demographically) and affective questions from the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory, focus groups, and evaluation survey. This study found classroom environment enhancement with adaptive learning, with Task Orientation and Satisfaction exhibiting significant changes at two universities. We found enhanced perspectives with adaptive learning, including increased preference for flipped instruction and reduced perceptions of responsibility imposed. The direct assessment results differed by institution and exam type but showed adaptive learning may be helpful for URM, Pell Grant, and community college transfers and for open-ended problem solving. This research supports adaptive learning for flipped STEM classroom preparation and learning.