What is Adaptive Learning and why is it Important?

By Holly Baxter

 Adaptive learning is designed to align with a learner’s progress and tailor the learning as they progress. Adaptive learning has the potential to complement workshops and other learning initiatives, reinforce lessons learned, and fill in knowledge gaps. It also serves the GFF drive for continuous learning to improve both individual capacity and organizational performance. As the team developed the Knowledge and Learning case study for Zimbabwe, we discovered that adaptive learning was vital to the success of Results-Based Financing (RBF) in the country. Chenjerai Sisimayi has had an opportunity to see the development of RBF and adaptive learning in Zimbabwe first-hand and was kind enough to share his perspectives with us.

  An Interview with Chenjerai N. Sisimayi on Adaptive Learning in Zimbabwe

Chenjerai has spent 16 years with the World Bank in roles ranging from monitoring and evaluation of development programs as a Knowledge Manager for a national palliative care program to working as a development consultant conducting evaluations and appraisals to serving as member of the health team for the World Bank’s health sector response.

He became involved in adaptive learning through his involvement in monitoring and evaluation for development programs and his exposure with capacity building initiatives which allowed him to apply the concepts of adaptive learning.

What are your thoughts about the role adaptive learning has had in Zimbabwe?

Programs, including those at national level, are at different stages of adopting and implementing adaptive learning. “Development projects, typically implemented through NGOs, have piloted initiatives and, in some cases, generated some evidence that demonstrates the extent to which individual, household and even community level can be optimized through tailor-made solutions that are responsive to identified gaps picked in routine monitoring and evaluations.”

“The Results-Based Financing program in health has evolved in response to evidenced lessons, moving from a pilot in select rural areas to a scaled national program including pilots in urban areas, enhanced quality models, efficient verification mechanisms and transitioning to a fully institutionalized approach to purchasing of services.”

Where is the best place to start when building an adaptive learning culture?

“Leadership is a critical starting point in my view as it can facilitate the embracing of routine identification of sound practices, gaps and weakness; willingness to change and adjust course in view of lessons learned and applying tailor made interventions. Once leaders comprehend the process and benefits, they would be better positioned to rally the team behind a shared set of envisaged results, routine mechanisms for tracking performance, and a cause for improving areas inhibiting progress.”

What are your thoughts on the importance of competency-based learning to being adaptive?

Competency-based learning is an approach that allows a learning unit to progress to the next level “based on their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace regardless of environment.” This approach reinforces the development of skills or capacity that are most relevant to the learner and sets the stage for optimal performance and output.

What are the three biggest challenges you have faced with regard to adaptive learning?

1. The capacity for technical knowledge of foundational principles and processes for adaptive learning is varied across different groups and can be a challenge to fostering this culture.
2. The unwillingness and/or commitment to change, particularly among leadership in some settings, can inhibit the adoption of recommendations for adjustment.
3. Political economy related barriers can stall progress as different actors try to position strategically on new courses to be adopted.

What are the top three pieces of advice you would give about building an adaptive learning culture based on solutions you have seen work?

1. It is important to engage leadership and foster a common understanding of the vision and goals, not only of a particular project but for the learning agenda. This keeps the focus on results.
2. Flexibility is key in responding to a system’s feedback and recommendations taking into account factors such as “rules, regulations, respect for principles of an adopted approach.
3. It is crucial that failure and shortcomings are embraced and form the basis for introspection and identification of areas for capacitation.

What is the best way for someone to work as a champion for adaptive learning?

One has to understand the concept and be motivated to transfer adaptive learning to others. Being a good listener, providing feedback, and most importantly having the ability to tailor interventions to suit specific target individuals, groups, or entities are key.

What do you think the future of adaptive learning will look like in the next 3-5 years?

“I believe technology is going to accelerate the extent to which adaptive learning can be applied in the real world. Optimal use of data and leveraging opportunities in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can facilitate more accurate classification and identification of the differences in needs that will allow for tailored recommendations (segmentation and recommender systems) for pathways in learning and response. Some progress has already been made, for example in education in developed countries, but its application in LMICs and more so in general development responses is still far behind. However, in the next five years we may be able to start to see a shift from descriptive M&E practices that are retrospective in nature to a more future oriented analysis that considers different pathways based on a classification of performance and needs of projects. Beyond the technology, the shift toward tailored interventions is likely to be more broadly embraced and adopted.”