Envisaging an Open Learning Analytics Platform & Ecosystem

1. Envisaging an Open Learning Analytics
Platform & Ecosystem
Simon Buckingham Shum
Knowledge Media Institute, Open University UK
simon.buckinghamshum.net
@sbskmi
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2. (My spin on the SoLAR collaborative White Paper)
http://solaresearch.org/OpenLearningAnalytics.pdf 2

3. #lak15
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4. Imagine the LAK 2015 Keynote
―Looking back to the formative days
of the field in 2011/12, we wonder
now why we didn‘t have the
foresight to avoid today‘s learning
analytics silos — not only from all
the different vendors but also the
research systems.‖
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5. Imagine the LAK 2015 Keynote
―Not a little ironic: the
learning analytics field
didn‘t manage to join
itself up‖
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6. The scientific argument
analytics need to be broad-
based, multi-sourced,
contextual and integrated in
order to mitigate the limitations
of any single dataset or
algorithm
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7. The scientific argument
the revolutionary impacts of
big data on science are the
unprecedented ability to
test claims + replicate results
(academic and commercial)
uncover unexpected patterns
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8. The economic innovation argument
The wealth of networks lies in
orchestrating mass innovation via
open platforms
Hybrid Commerce+Commons
Enterprise both enables and
benefits from these dynamics 8

9. Mission
Develop an open and
extensible learning analytics
platform
Grow an ecosystem of
stakeholders and tools
around this 9

10. Open Learning Analytics platform (1)
Anonymized datasets
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11. Open Learning Analytics platform (1)
Analytical Engines
Adaptive
Learning Analytics Presentation Recommenders
Anonymized datasets
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12. Open Learning Analytics platform (1)
Visual Analytics
Analytical Engines
Adaptive
Learning Analytics Presentation Recommenders
Anonymized datasets
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13. Open Learning Analytics platform (2)
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14. Open Learning Analytics platform (3)
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15. Open Learning Analytics community
Learners
Educators Researchers
Enterprise
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16. Researcher value proposition
My students can get
I can benchmark my their work out there as
prototypes on the OLA new plugins – a
datasets: it‘s ‗TREC couple have really
for analytics‘ gone viral
When I publish I can test new
papers, reviewers are hypotheses
suspicious if data, empirically without
algorithms or tools necessarily having to
don‘t have OLA IDs gather new data
The feedback
loops are so This is a great way to I can run controlled
much faster now forge collaborative usability evaluations
on prototypes projects with on the visual
academics and dashboards
companies 16

17. Combinatorial analytics
• Does use of social network analytics
correlate more strongly with social
sciences than hard sciences?
• Is pass rate correlated with quality of
online discourse?
• Can we see a causal link between
intrinsic learning dispositions and
the number of requests for help?
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18. Educator value proposition
I‘m not locked into any I play with new plugins
analytics approach – to see which offer
they‘re all limited most insight
I‘ve got CPD badges in I track which ones
Ethical Analytics and seem best in the
Environmental Environmental Politics
Analytics LA network
I‘m working with
researchers who I can compare my
are tuning their students with other
When I try something
prototypes on my similar courses
new with students, I
data
have a toolkit to test
its impact 18

19. Learner value proposition
I‘m not locked into any I play with new plugins
analytics approach – to see which offer
they‘re all limited most insight
I‘ve got CPD badges in I track which ones
Ethical Analytics and seem best in the
Environmental Environmental Politics
Analytics LA network
I‘m working with
researchers who I can compare myself
are tuning their with my peers and
When I try something
prototypes on my students on other
new in my learning, I
data similar courses
have a toolkit to test
its impact 19

20. Enterprise value proposition
We can‘t handwave so
We get to alpha test much, but when we
new products here on make claims now,
real data they‘re openly testable
We get to see what‘s
It‘s in our interest coming out of the labs
to make our data much earlier, and can
formats OLA sponsor the best
compliant – students
customers look
for that logo now
We can see from the
OLA-platform
analytics which tools
are best suited in
different domains 20

21. OLA-platform analytics
• Which analytics are most helpful
in assisting learners of Type X
manage their learning?
• Which tools do administrators
rate highest?
• Does educator reputation impact
the spread of tools and
practices?
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22. Visual,
participatory
sensemaking
Global
Participator
y Platform
New models of
scientific
dissemination
Datasets and
sensor Innovation
Accelerator
Analytics and
network Simulations
Planetary
Living Earth
Nervous
Simulator
System

23. Innovation is not a pipeline
€.£.$
Ack: Frank van Harmelen, FuturICT Project

24. Innovation is an ecosystem
Ack: Frank van Harmelen, FuturICT Project

25. Open Learning Analytics ecosystem (detailed view)
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26. OLA White Paper: Conclusion
―The history of technology adoption in education suggests a
consistent and challenging model: important ideas and
innovations developed piecemeal and in
isolation, resulting in a fragmentation and confusion for end
users who are most in need of efficient solutions. Our proposed
integrated learning analytics platform attempts to circumvent
the piecemeal process of educational innovation by
provided an open infrastructure for researchers, educators, and
learners to develop new technologies and methods.‖
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27. Open Learning Analytics ecosystem
Do you want to be part of
this ecosystem?
Why? (Why not?)
Discuss…
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