The term digital learning (adaptive learning or personalized learning) can refer to a broad range of services, tools, and curricular models designed to create individualized learning for students. The concept intersects—and overlaps—with notions including adaptive learning, differentiated instruction, competency-based education, and analytics. The 2017 ELI 7 Things You Should Know About Adaptive Learning describes it this way:

Adaptive learning is one technique for providing personalized learning, which aims to provide efficient, effective, and customized learning paths to engage each student. Adaptive learning systems use a data-driven—and, in some cases, nonlinear—approach to instruction and remediation