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1 – 10 of over 16000The purpose of this paper is to describe the need for academic libraries to demonstrate and increase their impact of student learning and success. It highlights the data problems…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the need for academic libraries to demonstrate and increase their impact of student learning and success. It highlights the data problems present in existing library value correlation research and suggests a pathway to surmounting existing data obstacles. The paper advocates the integration of libraries into institutional learning analytics systems to gain access to more granular student learning and success data. It also suggests using library-infused learning analytics data to discover and act upon new linkages that may reveal library value in an institutional context.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes a pattern pervasive in existing academic library value correlation research and identifies major data obstacles to future research in this vein. The paper advocates learning analytics as one route to access more usable and revealing data. It also acknowledges several challenges to the suggested approach.
Findings
This paper describes learning analytics as it may apply to and support correlation research on academic library value. While this paper advocates exploring the integration of library data and institutional data via learning analytics initiatives, it also describes four challenges to this approach including librarian concerns related to the use of individual level data, the tension between claims of correlation and causation in library value research, the need to develop interoperability standards for library data and organizational readiness and learning analytics maturity issues.
Originality/value
This paper outlines a path forward for academic library value research that may otherwise be stymied by existing data difficulties.
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Margie Jantti and Jennifer Heath
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of an institution wide approach to learning analytics at the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of an institution wide approach to learning analytics at the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the inclusion of library data drawn from the Library Cube.
Design/methodology/approach
The Student Support and Education Analytics team at UOW is tasked with creating policy, frameworks and infrastructure for the systematic capture, mapping and analysis of data from the across the university. The initial data set includes: log file data from Moodle sites, Library Cube, student administration data, tutorials and student support service usage data. Using the learning analytics data warehouse UOW is developing new models for analysis and visualisation with a focus on the provision of near real-time data to academic staff and students to optimise learning opportunities.
Findings
The distinct advantage of the learning analytics model is that the selected data sets are updated weekly, enabling near real-time monitoring and intervention where required. Inclusion of library data with the other often disparate data sets from across the university has enabled development of a comprehensive platform for learning analytics. Future work will include the development of predictive models using the rapidly growing learning analytics data warehouse.
Practical implications
Data warehousing infrastructure, the systematic capture and exporting of relevant library data sets are requisite for the consideration of library data in learning analytics.
Originality/value
What was not anticipated five years ago when the Value Cube was first realised, was the development of learning analytic services at UOW. The Cube afforded University of Wollongong Library considerable advantage: the framework for data harvesting and analysis was established, ready for inclusion within learning analytics data sets and subsequent reporting to faculty.
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Sean Mackney and Robin Shields
This chapter examines the application of learning analytics techniques within higher education – learning analytics – and its application in supporting “student success.” Learning…
Abstract
This chapter examines the application of learning analytics techniques within higher education – learning analytics – and its application in supporting “student success.” Learning analytics focuses on the practice of using data about students to inform interventions aimed at improving outcomes (e.g., retention, graduation, and learning outcomes), and it is a rapidly growing area of educational practice within higher education institutions (HEIs). This growth is spurring a number of commercial developments, with many companies offering “analytics solutions” to universities across the world. We review the origins of learning analytics and identify drives for its growth. We then discuss some possible implications for this growth, which focus on the ethics of data collection, use and sharing.
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The use of technology in Saudi Arabian higher education is constantly evolving. With the support of the 2030 Saudi vision, many research studies have started covering learning…
Abstract
The use of technology in Saudi Arabian higher education is constantly evolving. With the support of the 2030 Saudi vision, many research studies have started covering learning analytics and Big Data in the Saudi Arabian higher education. Examining learning analytics in higher education institutions promise transforming the learning experience to maximize students' learning potential. With the thousands of students' transactions recorded in various learning management systems (LMS) in Saudi educational institutions, the need to explore and research learning analytics in Saudi Arabia has caught the interest of scholars and researchers regionally and internationally. This chapter explores a Saudi private university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and examines its rich learning analytics and discovers the knowledge behind it. More than 300,000 records of LMS analytical data were collected from a consecutive 4-year historic data. Romero, Ventura, and Garcia (2008) educational data mining process was applied to collect and analyze the analytical reports. Statistical and trend analysis were applied to examine and interpret the collected data. The study has also collected lecturers' testimonies to support the collected analytical data. The study revealed a transformative pedagogy that impact course instructional design and students' engagement.
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Shahira El Alfy, Jorge Marx Gómez and Anita Dani
The potential capabilities and benefits that learning analytics can provide are not fully utilized. A current stream of research suggests that learning analytics has more to offer…
Abstract
Purpose
The potential capabilities and benefits that learning analytics can provide are not fully utilized. A current stream of research suggests that learning analytics has more to offer for continuous improvement of higher education institutions. This study aims to explore the opportunities that data analytics stand to offer higher education and the challenges that plays down its role, adoption and usage in different areas of higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a systematic literature review approach in answering the research questions. The critical role of learning analytics and the exploratory nature of research questions justify the use of systematic literature review. The current study used systematic research process adapted and presented by Hallinger (2013) to be used in social sciences in general and in educational leadership and management in particular. A standard process of finding relevant articles and examining reference lists is followed using articles from higher education which is the research context.
Findings
An examination of the literature showed that the majority of studies within the sample of articles are empirical representing 53 per cent, 32 per cent are conceptual, while only 15 per cent of the articles are a systematic literature review. Results also show that 58 per cent of the articles are teaching and learning related, 34 per cent are management related, while only 8 per cent are research related. Several challenges and opportunities of learning analytics in the three areas highlighted are presented and discussed.
Originality/value
The benefits and challenges of learning analytics are numerous and scattered in the literature. In this study, a typology related to different educational domains is developed to shed light on the benefits and challenges of learning analytics within particular higher education areas that are relevant to specific stakeholders. Benefits and challenges of learning analytics are classified into being management related, teaching and learning related and research related.
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Devrim Ozdemir, Heather M. Opseth and Holland Taylor
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a process of faculty utilization of learning analytics by evaluating students’ course objective achievement results to enable student…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a process of faculty utilization of learning analytics by evaluating students’ course objective achievement results to enable student reflection, student remediation and faculty curriculum evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach
Upon the completion of a backward curriculum design process, the authors utilized learning analytics to improve advising, student reflection, remediation and curriculum evaluation. The learning management system incorporated the learning analytics tool to assist the learning analytics process. The course faculty, student advisors and students utilized the learning analytics throughout the academic year.
Findings
Unlike relying merely on student grades and other proxy indicators of learning, the learning analytics tool provided immediate and direct data to multiple stakeholders for advising, student reflection, student remediation and course curriculum evaluation. The authors believe it was a meaningful endeavor. It enabled meaningful conversations focusing on course learning objectives and provided detailed information on each student. The learning analytics tool also provided detailed information regarding which areas faculty needed to improve in the curriculum.
Originality/value
Most of the literature on learning analytics present the cases that administrators utilized learning analytics to make higher level decisions and researchers to explore the factors involved in learning. This paper provides cases to faculty regarding how learning analytics can benefit the faculty and the students.
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Many universities now offer courses online using learning management systems (LMS). Numerous studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the LMS but few studies…
Abstract
Purpose
Many universities now offer courses online using learning management systems (LMS). Numerous studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the LMS but few studies have examined how student online behavior within the course, or what they think about the online course, are related to their actual learning outcomes. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, student activity in an online business course was captured though learning analytics and assignments to determine if online activity and reflective learning impact final grade. A post-positivist ideology was employed. The dependent variable was the grade resulting from five assignments assessed using rubrics. Correlation, t-tests, multiple regression, surface response regression, General Linear Model (GLM)/F-tests, text analytics, analysis of means (ANOM), and cluster analysis were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Four statistically significant predictors of online student learning performance were identified: course logins, lesson reading, lesson quiz activity, and lesson quiz scores. This four factor model captured 78 percent of variance on course grade which is a strong effect and larger than comparative studies using learning analytics with online courses. Text analytics and ANOM conducted on student essays identified 17 reflective learning keywords that were grouped into five clusters to explain online student behavior.
Research limitations/implications
First, from a pedagogy standpoint, encouraging students to complete more online lessons including quizzes, generally promotes learning, resulting in higher grades, which is a win:win for students and for the university. Second, from an IT perspective, the student pre and post testing resulted in statistically significant increase of IT-course knowledge, which puts students on a solid foundation to begin an online business course. Additionally, the link between students voicing IT problems but nonetheless scoring very well on the course certainly implies the development of IT self-efficacy, developed partly through the pre and post testing process. A clear link was established between course learning objectives and student learning performance by using a unique text analytics procedure.
Originality/value
The mixed-methods research design started with hypothesis testing using parametric and nonparametric techniques. Once a statistically significant predictive GLM was developed, qualitative data were collected from what the students thought as expressed in their last essay assignment. Text analytics was used to identify and statistically weight the 17 most frequent reflective learning keywords from student essays. A visual word cloud was presented. Parametric statistics were then used to partition the reflective learning keywords into grade boundaries. Nonparametric cluster analysis was used to group similar reflective keyword-grade associations together to form five clusters. The five clusters helped to explain student online behavior.
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Billy Tak-Ming Wong, Kam Cheong Li and Samuel Ping-Man Choi
This paper aims to review and identify the major patterns and trends in learning analytics practices in higher education institutions. The review covers the characteristics of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review and identify the major patterns and trends in learning analytics practices in higher education institutions. The review covers the characteristics of the institutions, as well as the characteristics and outcomes of the learning analytics practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This research collected literature published in 2011-2016 which reported learning analytics practices from Scopus and Google Scholar, covering a total of 47 institutions, and categorised the information about the relevant institutions and practices.
Findings
The results show that most of the institutions were public ones in the USA and the UK of various sizes and offering different levels of study. The learning analytics practices were mainly institution-wide, apart from a small number focusing on selected courses. The purposes of the practices were mainly to enhance the effectiveness of learning support and administration, followed by facilitating students’ learning progress. The most common types of data collected for the practices were students’ academic behaviours and their background information. Positive outcomes were reported for a majority of the practices, and the most frequent ones being an increase in cost-effectiveness and understanding of students’ learning behaviours. Other outcomes included the improvement of student retention, timely feedback and intervention, support for informed decision-making and the provision of personalised assistance to students.
Originality/value
The results provide an overview of the use of learning analytics in the higher education sector. They also reveal the trends in learning analytics practices, as well as future research directions.
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Hüsamettin Erdemci and Hasan Karal
Learning analytics enable learning to be reorganized through collecting, analyzing and reporting the stored data in online learning environment. One of the important agents of…
Abstract
Purpose
Learning analytics enable learning to be reorganized through collecting, analyzing and reporting the stored data in online learning environment. One of the important agents of education process is the instructors. How the use of learning analytics within education process is evaluated by the instructors is important. The purpose of this study is to determine the experiences of instructors in relation to the use of learning analytics.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, data were collected from instructors through interviews to determine the reflections of learning analytics on the education process. While qualitative study method was adopted, phenomenological design was used.
Findings
As a result of analysis of findings, it was concluded that the use of learning analytics in the education process was beneficial. It was established that learning analytics were helpful in the self-assessment of instructors' performances, making early intervention to risky students and creating a lesson plan.
Research limitations/implications
This study was carried out in a foreign language course and with five academicians during one semester.
Practical implications
This study aims to reveal the experiences of the instructors on the use of learning analytics and present scientific findings on a subject on which a limited number of studies have been conducted. With the start of learning analytics' use in the educational process, some concerns have been raised. This study tries to respond to the various concerns of instructors who intend to use learning analytics in the process.
Originality/value
The use of learning analytics is gradually increasing. In the studies conducted, it is seen that the studies have focused on the effect of learning analytics on the learning outputs of students. It is important to determine how instructors, who are the other important elements of the process, make use of learning analytics and how their experiences regarding the use of learning analytics are. The focal point of this study is to reveal the impact of learning analytics on the education process from the perspective of instructors.
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Soraya Sedkaoui and Mounia Khelfaoui
With the advent of the internet and communication technology, the penetration of e-learning has increased. The digital data being created by the educational and research…
Abstract
Purpose
With the advent of the internet and communication technology, the penetration of e-learning has increased. The digital data being created by the educational and research institutions is also on the ascent. The growing interest in recent years toward big data, educational data mining and learning analytics has motivated the development of new analytical ways and approaches and advancements in learning settings. The need for using big data to handle, analyze this large amount of data is prime. This trend has started attracting the interest of educational institutions which have an important role in the development skills process and the preparation of a new generation of learners. “A real revolution for education,” it is based on this kind of terms that many articles have paid attention to big data for learning. How can analytics techniques and tools be so efficient and become a great prospect for the learning process? Big data analytics, when applied into teaching and learning processes, might help to improvise as well as to develop new paradigms. In this perspective, this paper aims to investigate the most promising applications and issues of big data for the design of the next-generation of massive e-learning. Specifically, it addresses the analytical tools and approaches for enhancing the future of e-learning, pitfalls arising from the usage of large data sets. Globally, this paper focuses on the possible application of big data techniques on learning developments, to show the power of analytics and why integrating big data is so important for the learning context.
Design/methodology/approach
Big data has in the recent years been an area of interest among innovative sectors and has become a major priority for many industries, and learning sector cannot escape to this deluge. This paper focuses on the different methods of big data able to be used in learning context to understand the benefits it can bring both to teaching and learning process, and identify its possible impact on the future of this sector in general. This paper investigates the connection between big data and the learning context. This connection can be illustrated by identifying the several main analytics approaches, methods and tools for improving the learning process. This can be clearer by the examination of the different ways and solutions that contribute to making a learning process more agile and dynamic. The methods that were used in this research are mainly of a descriptive and analytical nature, to establish how big data and analytics methods develop the learning process, and understand their contributions and impacts in addressing learning issues. To this end, authors have collected and reviewed existing literature related to big data in education and the technology application in the learning context. Authors then have done the same process with dynamic and operational examples of big data for learning. In this context, the authors noticed that there are jigsaw bits that contained important knowledge on the different parts of the research area. The process concludes by outlining the role and benefit of the related actors and highlighting the several directions relating to the development and implementation of an efficient learning process based on big data analytics.
Findings
Big data analytics, its techniques, tools and algorithms are important to improve the learning context. The findings in this paper suggest that the incorporation of an approach based on big data is of crucial importance. This approach can improve the learning process, for this, its implementation must be correctly aligned with educational strategies and learning needs.
Research limitations/implications
This research represents a reference to better understanding the influence and the role of big data in educational dynamic. In addition, it leads to improve existing literature about big data for learning. The limitations of the paper are given by its nature derived from a theoretical perspective, and the discussed ideas can be empirically validated by identifying how big data helps in addressing learning issues.
Originality/value
Over the time, the process that leads to the acquisition of the knowledge uses and receives more technological tools and components; this approach has contributed to the development of information communication and the interactive learning context. Technology applications continue to expand the boundaries of education into an “anytime/anywhere” experience. This technology and its wide use in the learning system produce a vast amount of different kinds of data. These data are still rarely exploited by educational practitioners. Its successful exploitation conducts educational actors to achieve their full potential in a complex and uncertain environment. The general motivation for this research is assisting higher educational institutions to better understand the impact of the big data as a success factor to develop their learning process and achieve their educational strategy and goals. This study contributes to better understand how big data analytics solutions are turned into operational actions and will be particularly valuable to improve learning in educational institutions.
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