What is Learning Analytics? Slides from a talk at a pre-conference seminar on learning analytics at the EMINENT conference, European Schoolnet, Pädagogishe Hochschule Zürich, 12 November 2014.

1. What is Learning Analytics?
Dr Doug Clow
Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, UK
@dougclow
dougclow.org
doug.clow@open.ac.uk

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3. 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/

4. “collecting traces
that learners leave
behind and using
those traces to
improve learning”
- Erik Duval
http://erikduval.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/learning-analytics-
and-educational-data-mining/
Photo public domain: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DESYNebelkammer.jpg

5. “feeding back the
data exhaust”
Big Data in
Education
Photo (CC)-BY Iain Watson http://www.flickr.com/photos/dagoaty/3329699788/

6. Clow, LAK12, 2012

7. • 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

8. (cc) Doug Clow http://dougclow.org

9. What data do we have about learners?
• Demographics
– Gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, address
• Previous educational experience
– Schools, grades, results
• Grades, scores, achievements, struggles
• Attendance, location, gaze
– Smart cards, proximity detectors
• Online tracking
– VLE / LMS data: views, posts, interactions, quiz results
• Other online activity
– Cross-tracking cookies
• … more every week.
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Photo (CC)-BY-SA AJ Cann https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajc1/15574010080/

10. What can we do with that data?
• Identify learners who need help
– Simple or predictive
• Trigger interventions
– Via teacher, or direct
• Learn which interventions work
• Build a complete cognitive learning system
• Suggest resources or source of help
– Learners like you found this helpful
– This person might be able to help you
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Photo (CC)-BY-NC Pulpolux https://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/8735428280

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control
surveillance
Photo (CC)-BY Andy Roberts https://www.flickr.com/photos/aroberts/3035796

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guidance
support
Photo (CC)-BY-NC-SA Drew Bennett https://www.flickr.com/photos/abennett96/2710211041

13. “The predictive model
was used as a trigger for
intervention emails to the
student.”
Image (cc) Darwin Bell http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/296553221/
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14. From:
DONOTREPLY@mail.example.com
You are in trouble. The
computer predictive model
gives you a 87.4322% chance
of failing this course. You
must see a teacher
immediately.
Image (cc) Darwin Bell http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/296553221/
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15. From:
DONOTREPLY@mail.example.com
You are in trouble. The
computer predictive model
gives you a 87.4322% chance
of failing this course. You
must see a teacher
immediately.
Image (cc) Darwin Bell http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/296553221/
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Hi Alex
Are you Ok? I noticed you
haven’t logged on this week, and I
know you struggled with the last
assessment. We can work through
this together - let’s have a chat as
soon as possible.
Pat.

16. • Privacy
• Data protection
• Ethics
• Transparency
Glasswinged butterfly, ? Greta oro
Principles
Photo (CC)-BY-NC-ND by Greg Foster on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregfoster/3365801458/

17. • LAK conferences
• LASI workshops
• Flare local meetings
• Storm PhD training
• Journal of LA
• … and more!
www.solaresearch.org

18. International
Educational Data Mining
Society
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• Annual conference IEDMS
• Journal of EDM
• www.educationaldatamining.org

19. www.laceproject.eu
Learning Analytics Community Exchange (FP7)
• Coordination and Support
• Evidence Hub
• Events
• Publications, briefings, webinars

20. www.laceproject.eu
@laceproject
“What is learning analytics?” by Doug Clow, Institute of
Educational Technology, The Open University, UK was presented
at EMINENT, Zurich, on 12 November 2014.
@dougclow
dougclow.org
doug.clow@open.ac.uk
This work was undertaken as part of the LACE Project, supported by the European Commission Seventh
Framework Programme, grant 619424.
These slides are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Some images used may have different licence terms.
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21. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by David Goehring: http://flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/33413040/