A dual case study of adaptive learning system (ALS) onboarding and integration within classroom interactions in Singapore

Thesis

This thesis reports research on the use of an adaptive learning system (ALS) alongside classroom instruction to support development of reading skills in two Singapore classrooms, focused on onboarding and integration of such systems and the extent to which teacher-student interactions are influenced by their use. It builds upon previous research on ALS which tended to focus on system design by pivoting to examine how such systems can be situated within existing classroom practices.

Adopting a case study approach, the research seeks to surface benefits, challenges and complexities surrounding ALS use with classroom learning through the lens of activity theory. As such, lesson video data was selected as the main source of data. Interviews of teachers and students were also analysed for their views on the selected ALS, their onboarding experience, as well as teaching and learning during the ALS integration phase. Student usage data from the ALS was also used for triangulating students’ ALS use and their views.

Based on students’ ALS use and articulations of their perception of ALS and their ALS onboarding experience, it can be said that students’ low usage and vague articulations of the tool were both indications that they were not quite onboarded. Further unpacking of students’ perceptions using activity theory also surfaced contradictions between what students recalled and represented and those by their teachers of the ALS. Collectively, the findings suggest a need to reconceptualise the EdTech onboarding process for both students and teachers.

ALS integration phase findings centred on the types of academic activities observed, as well as frequently and rarely observed communicative acts. Interviews with teachers also surfaced challenges faced when attempting to integrate ALS with classroom learning, such as the need to balance between student agency and teacher control. Collectively, they revealed surface integration of ALS with classroom learning and that ALS use had little effect on teacher-student academic interactions.

Authors: Ong, CCC

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-bxoqdazvk
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: teacher-student interactions; EdTech onboarding; classroom interactions; adaptive learning systems; EdTech integration
• Subjects: Educational technology--Planning; Educational technology--Evaluation; Mediated learning experience