Degree of adaptivity moderates the adaptive teaching effect: only highly adaptive units outperform control, and boost self-efficacy¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Units with more than 18 adaptive elements significantly outperformed control at both posttests (β = 0.37 immediate; β = 0.44 delayed), while low-adaptivity units showed no differences. → Sibley 2025 q3 i2 Students in highly adaptive units showed higher self-efficacy in using technology than control students at immediate posttest (β = 0.34). → Sibley 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Sibley 2025¶

Sibley, L., Fabian, A., Plicht, C., Pagano, L., Ehrhardt, N., Wellert, L., Bohl, T., & Lachner, A. (2025). Adaptive teaching with technology enhances lasting learning. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102141

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Subsample analyses split at the mean degree of adaptivity (M = 18.06) in the same study. Low-adaptivity units showed no differences (immediate β = 0.21, p = .120; delayed β = 0.15, p = .286).

"teaching units with high degree of adaptivity demonstrated a significant benefit regarding students' learning compared to the control condition (immediate posttest: β = 0.37, p = .004, small effect; delayed posttest: β = 0.44, p = .001, small effect)."

Sibley 2025 (2)¶

Sibley, L., Fabian, A., Plicht, C., Pagano, L., Ehrhardt, N., Wellert, L., Bohl, T., & Lachner, A. (2025). Adaptive teaching with technology enhances lasting learning. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102141

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Additional moderation analysis in the same study; the self-efficacy benefit appeared only in the immediate posttest subsample of highly adaptive units.

"Students in highly adaptive technology-enhanced teaching units showed higher self-efficacy compared to students in the control condition in the immediate posttest (β = 0.34, p = .014, small effect)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Technology-enhanced adaptive teaching improves delayed but not immediate learning outcomes compared with business-as-usual teaching — related
• Technology-enhanced adaptive teaching shows no significant effects on monitoring accuracy, subject-specific interest, or self-efficacy — reports the opposite
• Subject domain moderates the adaptive teaching effect: benefits in languages, none in STEM or humanities — related