6 Things You Need to Know About Learning Analytics

6 Things You Need to Know About Learning Analytics


Learning analytics is a quickly emerging field in education.  Learning analytics enable educators to utilize their students’ digital footprint to improve the design and implementation of their learning.  Best practices for using these analytics are still developing, and there are a few things to know.


1. Personalization

When you recognize patterns within student performance, you can predict and customize resources for students, which helps meet the individual needs of your learner.

2. Self-monitoring

Students can look at their own data trends and gain valuable insight into their personal habits within a course.  This could also be used to help them reflect on their own progress.


3. Formative feedback

Formative assessments used can help instructors spot knowledge gaps and adjust their own teaching approaches to meet those gaps.


4. Retention

Learning analytics can be used to spot individuals at critical junctions where they might be in danger of passing a course and then allow for interventions to prevent it.

5. Data mining

Learning analytics are not data mining and should not be confused as such.  These tools are more about using the data generated to empower and inform educators, not about the actual collection itself. 


6. Ethical concerns

There are ethical concerns about gathering student information and the privacy of that information. It’s best to be cautious and consider how the information will be used once it’s collected.



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