Realizeit Blog

Adult learners who’ve been away from academics for many years often struggle with the foundational concepts they need to successfully complete required math courses. Some of these students have historically performed poorly in this subject, while for others, lack of use over the years has deteriorated their muscle memory on those skills.

On the first day of a typical class, students are like a room full of black boxes for faculty: what’s inside is a mystery. There’s no way to know how much or little each one knows about the course subject.

Research and data are two of the primary vehicles that propel Realizeit, and Dr. Colm Howlin is the driver. In his role as Realizeit’s principal researcher, Colm’s work helps drive the evolution and direction of Realizeit’s intelligent learning engine and system. He also spearheads the collaborative research partnerships that help provide a broader understanding of the impact and opportunities of digital learning with Realizeit.

Bill and Melinda Gates have long shined the spotlight on technology’s potential to improve student outcomes. During a recent visit to the University of Central Florida, a pioneer in digital learning transformation, Melinda Gates took the opportunity to learn from the driving force behind one of the university’s most intriguing success stories: Dr. Tammy Muhs and her College Algebra course.

Gateway courses are the gauntlet of higher education.

Students enter foundational classes with diverse and often insufficient levels of knowledge. Getting them to do the work and engage in class can be an uphill battle, and many don’t have the study habits or skills they need to succeed.

It’s safe to say most students in Rachel Webb’s Statistics class at Portland State University (PSU) aren’t there for a love of mathematical data. The course is a core requirement for business students, and for many, it’s a difficult one.

How do students approach learning when they’re granted a high degree of agency over when and how they progress through a course? What do they do when they have the freedom to complete as few or as many activities as they need – and spend as much or as little time as they need – to master the course’s learning objectives?

A recent report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recognizes Charles Sturt University (CSU) among the top four emerging leaders in engineering education.

Too often, advocates present technology-enabled teaching solutions – adaptive learning among them – as a silver bullet for educators. Yet when too much focus is placed on individual attributes such as adaptivity, other key functions and features that can positively impact student success are overlooked.

For educators, one of the greatest benefits to Realizeit’s digital teaching and learning system is the in-depth visibility it provides into classroom and individual student learning. Discovering the multitude of ways faculty and administrators can benefit from these insights is part of the journey.