Adaptive Learning and Workouts

 This may be harder than I thought. Last week I wrote about my newest little exercise challenge. My last one was running (see here) this next one is more centered on weightlifting (see here). I also wrote last week how much these things influence my past writing and novels (here) and my writing now. I have to say, that if I was looking for a challenge that was tough, extended and had the potential to only get tougher the longer it goes, this would be one. 

I worked out today and it was a killer! 

The worst part about it (well maybe not the worst) is that my new Apple Watch app can't track multiple workouts. For example, my workout today (not the one shown in the pic above) included a weight workout, a jog, and a bike ride. All that the app shows is one total workout. That's it. It would be nice to be able to switch mid-workout, between the different aspects of the workout and get data from it. 

I'm a data junkie, and a good thing too. Right now a big part of adult learning is based on a technique called "Adaptive Learning." This is the idea that learning can be tailored to the exact needs of the learner. Instead of having someone waste time with training, they might already have, the learning experience is adjusted to the learner's needs and depth. 

We have a database of all of our learners at work. Some are new to the industry, many have been there and in our database for years. If we could take that information and only provide training that is relevant to the learner then we won't waste the learner's time and energy on things they already know. 

The Apple workout app has a feature called "trends" that I'm really looking forward to utilizing. It's basically reactive adaptive learning. Taking data from 180 workouts and distilling and displaying trends that are present and could be worthwhile for the user to know. 

What's this doing on this blog? 

This is a facet of Adaptive Learning that I have not concentrated on as much. Since I was a Director of Recruiting I've always been a fan of allowing our learners own their own records. What about using the Adaptive Learning concept we could help show trends to the learner and to the administrators who send them for training. 

What trends?

I don't know yet. Already we have a project to use adaptive learning techniques to give harder more sophisticated training to learners with years of experience, and more simple quizzes and tests to learners who are newer to the industry. But what trends could we provide?