Exploring adaptive learning, learner-content interaction and student performance in undergraduate economics classes

This study explores the pedagogical use of adaptive learning to foster learner-content interaction, and its subsequent impact on student performance in a large first year Macroeconomics course in an Irish University. To increase student-content interaction, an adaptive learning tool (LearnSmart) is employed to create five weekly adaptive reading assignments, over a six-week period. We include two separate indicators of learner-content interaction (the amount of time spent and number of completed adaptive assignments) in our analysis. Results indicate that student performance is enhanced by the number of completed adaptive assignments, which captures learner-content interaction and adaptive learning. However, the amount of time spent studying was negatively associated with performance. This surprising result comes as a novel contribution, which extends our knowledge of how adaptive learning technology can be potentially used to drive learner-content interaction and student performance. Pedagogically, our findings suggest the need for more intentional design and personalisation of learning activities to enhance student-content interaction and subsequent performance.