Sheila MacNeill, GCU LEAD

Learning Analytics: an introduction and overview

Universities Scotland, Learning and Teaching Committee, 3/12/14

Analytics – why now?

Image: http://www.freefoto.com/preview/13-69-10/Nodding-Donkey-Oil-Well--North-Dakota--USA, (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Data, data, everywhere data, but what to

do with it?

Image; http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BigData_2267x1146_white.png (CC BY-SA 3.0)

http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf

Innovating Pedagogy 2014:Open University Innovation Report 3http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/files/iet-web/file/ecms/web-content/Innovating_Pedagogy_2014.pdf

Learning Analytics: definition

“the measurement, collection, analysis and

reporting of data about learners and their

contexts, for purposes of understanding and

optimising learning and the environments in

which it occurs”

First International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge

(LAK11), 2011

Analytics and Education

“Analytics is the process of developing

actionable insights through problem definition

and the application of statistical models and

analysis against existing and/or simulated future

data”

Adam Cooper, What is Analytics? http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/wp-

content/uploads/2012/11/What-is-Analytics-Vol1-No-5.pdf

Questions

A Brief History of Analytics, Adam Cooper,

http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Analytics-Brief-History-Vol-1-No9.pdf

Questions?

Questions of information and fact:

• What happened? Analytics produces reports and

summarised descriptions of data (the past).

• What is happening now? Analytics provides alerts in

near-real time, (the present).

• Where are trends leading? Past data is extrapolated,

(the future).

A Brief History of Analytics, Adam Cooper,

http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Analytics-Brief-History-Vol-1-No9.pdf

Questions

Questions of understanding and insight:

• How and why did something happen? Analytics builds

models and explanation, (the past).

• What is the best next action? Analytics provides one or

more recommendations, (the present).

• What is likely to happen? Analytics provides one or

more recommendations, (the present).

• What is likely to happen? Analytics provides

prediction, simulators the effect of alternative courses

of action, or identifies an optimal course of action,(the

future).A Brief History of Analytics, Adam Cooper,

http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Analytics-Brief-History-Vol-

1-No9.pdf

Ethics, responsibility, understanding

• Clarity, open definition of purpose, scope and boundaries, even if

that is broad and in some respects open-ended.

• Comfort and care, consideration for both the interests and the

feelings of the data subject and vigilance regarding exceptional

cases.

• Choice and consent, informed opportunity to opt-out or opt-in.

• Consequence and complaint, recognition that there may be

unforeseen consequences and therefore providing mechanisms

for redress.

• OU Ethical use of Student Data for Learning Analytics

Policyhttp://www.open.ac.uk/students/charter/essential-

documents/ethical-use-student-data-learning-analytics-policy

Legal, Risk and Ethical Aspects of Analytics in Higher Education

http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Legal-Risk-and-Ethical-Aspects-of-

Analytics-in-Higher-Education-Vol1-No6.pdf

http://www.slideshare.net/markstubbs/lrt-talks-20130312-cetis

Current UK landscape

• Jisc Report November 2014

• 10 Universities, 2 Colleges & ULCC

http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/5657/1/Learning_analytics_report.pdf

“Most interviewees are reluctant to

claim any significant outcomes from

their learning analytics activities to

date – again perhaps demonstrating

that is still early days for the

technologies and process”

Drivers

Challenges and opportunities

• Data Silos

• Sharing of data

• Senior management support

• Projects are bring people together

Activity and information

• LACE (learning analytics community exchange) :

http://www.laceproject.eu/

• SoLAR : Society for Learning Analytics

Researchhttp://solaresearch.org/

• Jisc: http://analytics.jiscinvolve.org/wp

• Cetis Analytics Series :

http://publications.cetis.ac.uk/c/analytics

• LAK15 Conference #lak15