Mart Laanpere presented on analyzing the use of distributed digital learning resources in Estonia. Estonia has moved towards a digital learning strategy of BYOD and digital textbooks, which requires learning analytics that can aggregate data from multiple sources across the open web. The current situation in Estonia finds learning resources scattered across many platforms. To address this, eSchoolbag is being developed as a digital learning resource cloud that can harvest metadata from different repositories, power search and recommendations, track user activities, and provide a recommender system - helping to analyze learning in a distributed environment.

1. Analysing the Use of Distributed Digital Learning Resources:
a Case Study on eSchoolbag Platform in Estonia
Mart Laanpere, sen.researcher @ Centre for Educational Technology, Tallinn University
Conference on Data Science and Social Research :: Naples, 19 February, 2016

2. Learning Analytics “in theWild”
 Most of Learning Analytics research is conducted on the data
that comes from a single closed system (e.g. Moodle, MOOC)
 As the digital footprints of learners are increasingly expanding
towards “the Wild” (open Web), we need Learning Analytics
that is able to aggregate the data from distributed environment
 National strategy for lifelong learning: Digital turn towards BYOD
and digital textbooks, analytics & recommender systems
 Need for Learning Analytics that is not “pedagogically neutral”,
i.e. includes the metrics and indicators that are drawn from
contemporary learning theories

3. Current situation with DLR in Estonia
 Koolielu.ee (since 2009): repository of teacher-created learning
resources, more than half of Estonian teacher are registered
users, Quality Assurance (subject moderators and QA checklist)
 LeMill.net: 42K users, 73K learning resources, getting old
 Digital Exams: EIS prototype was received with mixed feelings
 Textbook publishers are experimenting with various e-textbook
formats (ePub, Web-based, apps, eLessons, LCMS)
 Majority of actively used digital learning resources are scattered
around Web 2.0 (blogs, wikis, LearningApps, Khan Academy,
Kahoot, Weebly, HotPotatoes etc)

4. Towards DLR cloud: requirements for eSB
 Metadata harvesting:
 Automatic, every 24 hrs from multiple repositories (incl. Finnish)
 Content provider responsible for interfacing and metadata quality
 Creating collections from DLR:
 Powerful metadata-based search and recommendation
 Collections created by teachers for students, for learners
 Shareable on multiple end-user platforms
 Learning analytics:
 Tracking the activities of users (TinCan API, LRS)
 Indicators and metrics drawn from trialogical learning theory
 Recommender system

5. Digital Learning Resource cloud

6. Configurations of digital textbook 2.0
Planetary system
model
Linux
model
Lego
model
Stabile
core
Dynamic
core
No core at all

7. Levels of textbook co-authorship
Level Learner’s contribution Examples of tools
6: Creating Creates a new resource
from scratch
GeoGebra, iMovie, Aurasma,
PhotoStory, GarageBand,
iBooksAuthor
5: Remixing Rips, mixes, cuts, adds
visuals or subtitles
“Hitler gets angry” video, 9gag,
samples, GeoGebra, GDocs
4: Expanding Curates, adds external
resources to collection
Scoop.it, blog
3: Submitting Solves a task, submits to
teacher for the feedback
Kahoot, Khan Academy, online tests,
worksheets made with Gdocs
2: Interacting Self-test, simple game LearningApps, HotPotatoes, SCORM
1: Annotating Likes, bookmarks,
comments
Youtube video, ePub, PDF, Web page
0: Consuming Views, listens, reads PowerPoint, PDF, video

8. Discussion & conclusions
 Learning analytics works differently in a distributed
environment, tools need adaptation
 LA becomes more relevant to teachers and students if the units
of analysis relate to a theory of learning (if possible, several
alternative theories)
 Open issues: privacy-preserving data mining, aggregating the
data from state registries, research and Learning Analytics