Why Adaptive Learning

How it Works

Every brain is different; therefore, learning must be personalized to meet each learner’s needs. But how can this be accomplished in an e-learning environment? Is it possible to recreate at scale, and cost effectively, the experience one would get with a one-on-one tutor? Our answer, developed and refined over the past two decades, is a “biological” approach to adaptive learning.

Biological Model

Just like brains, every adaptive system is different. Unlike other systems which use complex and ineffective ‘inference’ models, Area9 uses a ‘biological’ model that has the power to adapt to every person and their unique needs.

Proficiency

Are you still measuring training by the number of courses completed or “smile sheets”?
Modern businesses require a modern approach to measurement - with greater proficiency.
Is your staff competent and confident to execute your strategy?Measure what matters. Area9 provides unparalleled granular metrics.

Unconscious Incompetence

What happens when your employees think they know something, but in reality they don’t?
Mistakes — costly mistakes. This is the hidden (and sometimes very visible) cost of unconscious incompetence.
The Area9 adaptive approach uncovers unconscious incompetence – which can be as much as 40% or more for some roles – and corrects it.
Real-time feedback and powerful reporting capabilities raise self-awareness and provide business insight.

Benefits

Adaptive learning provides benefits for the learner, and for the business and HR or training function in many areas, including time, proficiency, engagement, and quality.

01 How it Works
02 Biological Model
03 Proficiency
04 Unconscious Incompetence
05 Benefits

Nick J. Howe, Chief Learning Officer

Rethink your approach to corporate learning and development

Founded by physicians with a deep knowledge of brain science, combined with more than 20 years of research in human factors and cognition, Area9 Learning offers an adaptive platform that transforms corporate learning.

Our platform adapts content and training to match the needs and skill level of each learner—cutting training time in half, boosting knowledge and skill acquisition, and building self-awareness. The result is improved productivity and engagement, and fewer workplace errors.

How does it work?

This can be achieved by continuous self-assessment as shown in the example adaptive question below. Learners rate how well they know a given piece of content (i.e., how confident they are) before the answer is revealed or a task is performed.

The data from the self-assessment is then used to further adapt and individualize the experience. This ensures that learners are not only proficient, but also fully confident in their knowledge.

You don’t know that you don’t know

Data from Area9 Learning’s corporate clients shows that employees can be between 20-40% “unconsciously incompetent” in critical competencies that they are required to master in order to perform their jobs. Employees who are “unconsciously incompetent” about product features (or about any aspect of work) are a huge liability and an obstacle to unleashing the full potential of your business.

Adaptive learning technologies can highlight where the employees have knowledge gaps and remediate these areas. That will increase overall competence and reduce liability, improving both company financial performance and the society at large areas.

Reduce Time

The graph on the right highlights the reduction in time typically experienced by adaptive learning compared to traditional e-learning approaches.

Since the adaptive engine focuses learners’ time on only those areas that require development, time savingsof 50% are common.

Making learning stick

Well-designed training also ensures appropriate rehearsal of material that employees are likely to forget after initial exposure. By modeling each learner’s individual forgetting curve for critical knowledge, the program makes sure that employees are reexposed to specific material right before they are about to forget it.

Such targeted refresher training effectively means that employees spend less time brushing up on previously acquired knowledge and skills, while maintaining their overall competency levels higher over time.

Recharge

Do you remember everything the first time you see it? Or completely understand every scenario you are presented with?
The human brain is designed to require multiple exposures to stimuli to build long term memories.

The Area9 adaptive algorithms use detailed models of human cognition and memory, and exploit targeted, repeated exposure to each learner’s most difficult learning items to “recharge” memories and drive understanding.