Alternatives Uses of the Term Adaptive Instruction:

There are two quite distinct literatures described by the term adaptive instruction, or alternatively, adaptive learning/training. Both literatures use adaptivity to describe their goals, processes, and/or strategies. In one literature the term applies to accomodations made for populations with very special needs because of physical or mental challenges. In the second case, more traditional education or training is adjusted to address normal individual differences in learning styles, skills, or rates. The present use of "adaptive instruction" focuses on this latter meaning and intent, but at least a very brief description of the first alternative is deserved.

When adaptive instruction describes approaches and applications intended for special populations, such as physically or mentally challenged indivuals, one typically adapts environments to meet the special needs of an individual -- as when computers are adapted from normal visual text outputs via monitors over to the production of auditory speech outputs for the blind; or when computer input devices are adapted to allow for eye-movement initiation for quadrapeligics instead of finger strikes on keyboards. Such usages of the term "adaptive" may even extend to instructing special-needs clients on how to use physically altered environments designed to accomodate, or adapt to, their special needs. An example might be teaching a dual leg amputee to drive a specially altered hand-braked-and-throttled automobile.

The alternative use of adpative instruction typically describes the use of computer software -- often incorporating artificial intelligent services -- designed to adjust information to meet the current needs of an individual learner. Adjusting information may refer to simple adjustments, such as on-line help or navigational guidance systems; more complex adjustments such as intelligent agents or "find" systems for collecting and delivering pre-selected types of information; or highly sophisticated tutoring systems designed to adjust such things as content presentation complexity or even appropriately difficult assessment materials to meet the needs of a given individual learner. As such, one often finds discussions separated into: 1) Adaptive Guidance, which includes navigational guidance, help services, and context-sensitive informational retrieval; 2) Adaptive Tutoring, which includes intelligent and individually appropriate presentation and tutorial services; and 3) Adaptive Evaluation, which includes all assessment and progress certification services.

It should be noted that the MediaMatrix software system described in detail within the present resource library was designed to meet all three of these definitions of adaptive instructional services. MediaMatrix offers a broad variety of adaptive guidance services, each defined by context but implemented by choice of the user. However, MediaMatrix is truly distinguished by its adaptive instruction and adaptive evaluation services, all of which are highly integrated with each other.

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