Krishnan, Selvaraj
(2026)
Framework for improving usability, reliability, and learning outcomes in adaptive educational hypermedia systems in higher education.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
Traditional online learning environments generally use a one-size-fits-all approach, neglecting individual learner needs, goals, and cognitive abilities. Adaptive Educational Hypermedia (AEH) systems emerged to address this by personalizing learning content based on user profiles. The Adaptive Learning System is a computerized system developed to enhance digital interactive educational content teaching and learning. The system’s Adaptive algorithm automatically detects learners’ strengths and weaknesses through the adaptation process and provides personalized learning materials, feedback, and guidance during their learning. Adaptive content allows learners to learn the material at their own pace while providing additional support, evaluation, and resources tailored to each learner. In traditional educational systems, every student is given access to the same learning content regardless of their individual learning needs.
Higher education institutions face various challenges when testing and implementing adaptive learning systems for their domain of knowledge. Issues related to technical challenges include processing real-time data, difficulties consolidating learning concepts and solutions into existing learning management systems, and the complexity, ease of use, and usability of adaptive learning systems. However, despite the advancement and technical sophistication in adaptive algorithms, most AEH systems still face significant usability challenges. Learners often struggle with complex interfaces, limited system responsiveness, and poor adaptation to diverse demographics and subject backgrounds. Consequently, the current adaptive systems are underutilized in higher education, with limited empirical evidence on their effectiveness in enhancing student engagement, engagement, quality of experience (QoE), and academic performance.
While foundational research work (Brusilovsky, 2001; De Bra et al., 2013) and recent studies (Liu & Lim, 2020; colMOOC project) have shown the importance of adaptive educational hypermedia, yet ongoing issues persist regarding usability, learner control (Paramythis & Loidl-Reisinger, 2004), and empirical validation across varied higher education settings (Latham et al., 2004; Educause, 2018). Systematic investigations into user-controllable personalization and its effects on inclusivity and academic achievement remain limited (Xie et al., 2019; Lundqvist; Warburton, 2019). Furthermore, Li et al. (2021) highlighted that existing systems lack comprehensive cognitive modelling and fail to adequately adapt to individual learner dispositions, which restricts their intelligence and adaptability. This complexity in adaptive systems continues to pose challenges for education overall, as emphasized by Fengying Li, Yifeng He, and Qingshui Xue (2021). Addressing these issues, Dubiel et al. (2022) propose a framework for adaptive user interfaces that integrates the interaction environment to enhance system responsiveness.
Therefore, there remains a significant gap in the literature regarding the lack of empirical evaluation of user-controlled personalization, particularly in real-world, multi-disciplinary higher education contexts. Existing research has focused mainly on adaptive algorithmic and technical development, but has not given sufficient attention to practical usability (the lack of effective, usable AEH systems, learner diversity, and actual learner-centered outcomes). Moreover, there is a lack of comprehensive frameworks for evaluating the usability of adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH), and there is limited research on how these adaptive systems can foster inclusivity and fairness among diverse learner populations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the usability and complexity problems in AEH systems and to suggest the creation of usable, effective, personalised, learner-centric, and user-controllable AEH systems for higher education environments.
This research study addresses these gaps by introducing a personalized, user-controllable Adaptive Educational Hypermedia (AEH) framework specially designed for a Higher Education setting. It evaluates multiple versions of adaptive learning systems across multiple disciplines (English, Malay, Computer Science) revealing significant enhancements in both student achievement and satisfaction. The study not only evaluates multiple versions of adaptive systems but also offers practical recommendations for software developers and educators seeking to implement effective, more intuitive, and learner-centric adaptive systems within real higher educational environments. By exploring the relationships between learner demographics, usability, and academic outcomes, the study promotes inclusivity and equity in digital education. More specifically, it introduces a novel user-controllable personalization feature that empowers learners to customize the learning content to improve their adaptive learning experience, addressing a major limitation found in existing systems. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in student performance and satisfaction with the system’s interface, thereby enhancing subject retention, confirming that adaptive learning systems can effectively improve the academic experience in higher education environments.
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