ABSTRACT
This study sought to understand if adaptive learning systems benefited learners with diverse characteristics, specifically, lower-income, first-generation, Black or African American, and Hispanic students, when comparing course grades for these subpopulations. The context of this study was adult learners at a women's undergraduate institution in the Northeast US that uses a centralized course management model in which all sections of a course have the same content and learning activities. Analyses of course grade data demonstrate that students in course sections with the adaptive learning system tended to have better learning outcomes in the core math sequence but not in the core English sequence. While teaching math courses with adaptive learning systems in institutional contexts, such as the one in this study, shows promise for closing equity learning gaps. Further investigation is necessary to understand this divergence in outcomes and to determine whether it should influence the adoption or continuation of adaptive learning. Other institutions should consider applying a similar equity lens when evaluating the efficacy of this instructional tool in their local contexts.
