International trends in learning analytics

Dr Doug Clow Institute of Educational Technology The Open University, UK

The Open University

• Largest university in the UK

• 200,000 students

• > 5,000 tutors

• > 1,000 academic staff

• Supported open learning

• OpenLearn, YouTube, iTunesU, FutureLearn

Milton Keynes

At scale, each year

• ~400 courses• 200,000 students

• > 1 million assignments• > 1 billion views of OU/BBC coproductions

• > 3 million Moodle transactions per day

Photo (cc) Marieke IJsendoorn-Kuijpers http://www.flickr.com/photos/mape_s/333862026//

1. learning analytics2. international activities3. trends from LASI 14

1. learning analytics

What is learning analytics?

• 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), Banff, Alberta,

Feb 27-Mar 1, 2011

Photo (CC)-BY Cris: http://flickr.com/photos/chrismatos/6917786197/

Photo public domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DESYNebelkammer.jpg

- Erik Duval http://erikduval.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/learning-analytics-and-educational-data-mining/

“collecting traces that learners leave behind and using those traces to improve learning”

“feeding back the data exhaust”

Big Data in Education

Photo (CC)-BY Iain Watson http://www.flickr.com/photos/dagoaty/3329699788/

Clow, LAK12, 2012

• Predictive modeling, datamining (Blackboard)• Place students in one of three risk groups

=> traffic light / signal / robot• Trigger for intervention emails• Dramatic retention improvements• Consistent grade performance improvement

2. international activities

• LAK conferences• LASI workshops• Flare local meetings• Storm PhD training• Journal of LA• … and more!

www.solaresearch.org

InternationalEducational Data MiningSociety

Annual conference IEDMS

Journal of EDM

www.educationaldatamining.org/

Photo (CC)-BY J. Aaron Farr on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaaronfarr/2372892211

Learning Analytics Masters Program (LAMP)

Open Learning Analytics (OLA)

www.laceproject.eu

• Evidence Hub• Events: SoLAR Flare, 24 Oct 14• Publications, briefings, webinars

Learning Analytics Community Exchange (FP7)

3. trends from LASI 14

Public domain photo by Mancala http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HarvardYard.jpg

Photo (CC)-BY-NC-SA Trevor Patt on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevorpatt/9978972256

Glasswinged butterfly, ? Greta oro Photo (CC)-BY-NC-ND by Greg Foster on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregfoster/3365801458/

Principles

• Privacy• Data protection• Ethics• Transparency

Readiness

• Policy, leadership, governance• Learning analytics professionals & teams

– Multi-skilled

Photo (CC)-BY Blair Gannon on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/blairgannon/14223294295

Photo (CC)-BY-NC-SA Moon Lee on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/imagezen/65199660

Technology

• Systems for implementation

• Analysis tools and techniques

• Machine learning

Photo (CC)-BY Karen Roe on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_roe/4916422687/

Research issues

• Theory vs data• Learning sciences• Educational research

cc licensed ( BY) flickr photo by Randy Robertson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/337922766/

New contexts

• Blended learning• Informal learning• MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses

final words

catnip for senior

managers

Photo (CC)-BY Dylan Ashe https://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/3929957511/

Photo (CC)-BY kaybee07 on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtbudiarto/7026555821

Thanks to:People:

•OU Learning Analytics: IET Student Statistics and Survey Team, Gill Kirkup and the other Data Wranglers, Kevin Mayles, Belinda Tynan, Simon Buckingham Shum, Rebecca Ferguson, Bart Rientes, Sharon Slade, many others

•LACE: Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Cross, Michelle Bailey, Rebecca Wilson, Evaghn De Souza, project partners.

•The learning analytics community, including SoLAR, IEDMS, those I’ve met at LAK and LASI

Funders:

•LACE: European Commission 619424-FP7-ICT-2013-11

Doug Clow@dougclowdougclow.orgdoug.clow@open.ac.uk

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by David Goehring: http://flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/33413040/