This past Tuesday Virtual Strategy Magazine writes about a new Adaptive Learning product released from McGraw Hill. In this latest round of products, McGraw Hill effectively reaches the K-20 market with their technology reach. “McGraw-Hill Education’s adaptive solutions break down the cognitive processes behind learning with precision and granularity” writes the author, which is really just a re-post from PR Wire.

While I also believe Adaptive Learning has a clear place in education I’m not entirely convinced it is the “game changer” as the article cites. Yes it personalizes the learning experience and yes it allows students to effectively learn at their own pace and level; however call me “old school” (pun intended) when I say that the real game changer is bringing these technologies into the blended classroom with a real-life teacher. While I’m in no way bashing this product line, I’m skeptical of a purely algorithmic approach to a fundamentally human problem. Technologies like this are a fantastic step in the right direction, I’m just looking for a way to connect them to well trained people leading the classroom experience.