Presentation given by Rebecca Ferguson at 'Nuevas métricsas y enfoques para la evaluación e innovación en el aprendizaje' in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Wednesday 13 April 2016. The talk deals with the state of the art in learning analytics, and with actions for taking this work forward at a national level.

1. Learning analytics:
the state of the art and the future
Rebecca Ferguson, The Open University, UK

2. The Open University (OU)
• The Open University: largest in UK
• Distance university
• Making use of big data for 45 years
• Informal learning: iTunes, YouTube…
• MOOCs on FutureLearn,
OpenLearn and elsewhere
• Learning analytics research and events
• LACE and LAEP projects
2
open.ac.uk * www.laceproject.eu * laepanalytics.wordpress.com

3. 3
Defining learning analytics
The measurement, collection, analysis and
reporting of data about learners and their
contexts, for purposes of understanding and
optimizing learning and the environments in
which it occurs.

4. Learning analytics make
use of the trace data we
leave behind as we teach
and learn

5. They help us to
identify and make sense
of patterns in the data
to improve our teaching,
our learning and
our learning environments

6. 6
Course Signals
Traffic-light
symbols
used as
prompts for
action
Developed at Purdue University, USA

7. 7
Why learners use analytics
• Monitor their own activities and interactions
• Monitor the learning process
• Compare their activity with that of others
• Increase awareness, reflect and self reflect
• Improve discussion participation
• Improve learning behaviour
• Improve performance
• Become better learners
• Learn!
Dyckhoff, A.L., Lukarov, V., Muslim, A., Chatti, M.A. & Schroeder, U. (2013). Supporting Action Research with
Learning Analytics. Proceedings of LAK13, Leuven, Belgium

8. 8
Why educators use analytics
• Monitor the learning process
• Explore student data
• Identify problems
• Discover patterns
• Find early indicators for success
• Find early indicators for poor marks or drop-out
• Assess usefulness of learning materials
• Increase awareness, reflect and self reflect
• Increase understanding of learning environments
• Intervene, advise and assist
• Improve teaching, resources and the environment
Dyckhoff, A.L., Lukarov, V., Muslim, A., Chatti, M.A. & Schroeder, U. (2013). Supporting Action Research with
Learning Analytics. Proceedings of LAK13, Leuven, Belgium

9. 9
Starting points
Don’t start with the data – start with the pedagogy
What problems can learning analytics help us to solve?
How can analytics help our students to succeed?

10. 10
We need to go beyond summary statistics
What does success look like?
Student perspectives
● Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of this module
● Overall, I am satisfied with my study experience
● I would recommend this module to other students
● I was satisfied with the support provided by my tutor on this module
● I enjoyed studying this module
● This module met my expectations
Academic perspectives
● The students were well prepared
● The students met specified learning outcomes
● The students defined and achieved their own learning goals
University perspectives
● The module enhanced the university’s reputation
● The module aligned well with others
● The module generated income

11. 11
Learning analytics help to identify appropriate interventions
What does success look like?
● Students demonstrate the skills necessary to network, collaborate, browse and
reflect
● Students show progress towards defined learning outcomes
● Students communicate well… when asked to collaborate
● Students access and share links… when encouraged to browse
● Students return to materials... when encouraged to reflect
● Students engage with course content
● Students seek out new challenges
● Students persist when the work is challenging
● Students persist in the face of failure
● Students ask for help… when they are stuck
after several attempts
● Students compare their learning strategies with those of experts
● Students adapt their learning strategies to resemble those of experts

12. 12
Starting points in Europe
● Open and innovative education and training,
fully embracing the digital era.
● Strong support for teachers, trainers, school
leaders and other educational staff
● Relevant and high-quality knowledge, skills
and competences developed throughout
lifelong learning
● Focus on learning outcomes for
employability, innovation, active citizenship
and well-being and inclusive education,
equality, equity, non-discrimination and the
promotion of civic competences.
Euopean priority areas for education and training

13. 13
SNAPP: Social networks adapting pedagogical practice
Supporting collaborative learning
Bakharia, A. & Dawson, S. (2011). SNAPP: A Bird’s-Eye View of Temporal Participant Interaction.
Proceedings of LAK11: Banff, Canada

14. 14
Analytics on iSpot
Analytics for informal learners
Clow, D. & Makriyannis, E. (2011). iSpot Analysed: Participatory Learning and Reputation Proceedings of
LAK11, Banff, Canada

15. 15
Open Essayist
Helping students to reflect
50 identical sentences
Stanford University prize essay
OU essay –
low mark
OU essay –
high mark
Van Labeke, N., Whitelock, D., Field, D., Pulman, S. & Richardson, J.T.E. (2013). OpenEssayist: extractive
summarisation and formative assessment of free-text essays.

16. 16
CLARA: Centre for Connected Intelligence, UTS, Australia
Analytics for lifelong learning
Deakin Crick, R., S. Huang, A. Ahmed-Shafi and C. Goldspink (2015). Developing Resilient Agency in
Learning: The Internal Structure of Learning Power. British Journal of Educational Studies 63(2): 121- 160.

17. 17
Testifying before US Senate panel
Narrowing the attainment gap
Claims:
• Reduction of the
average time it takes
students to gain a
degree
• 1,700 more students
graduating annually
than did so five years
ago
• Elimination of
achievement gaps
based on race,
ethnicity and
economics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu9ii38TcFI

18. 18
Learning analytics for European educational policy
LAEP project
• What is the current state of the art?
• What are the prospects for the
implementation of learning
analytics?
• What is the potential for European
policy to be used to guide and
support the take-up and adaptation
of learning analytics to enhance
education in Europe?
http://bit.ly/1Xu9v6E

19. 19
Work in progress
Action for analytics
●Strategy
●Research and development
●Infrastructure
●Context
●Standards
●Skills
●Outreach

20. 20
Strategy
Example of a framework for lerning analytics: Siemens, G., Gašević, D., Haythornthwaite, C., Dawson, S.,
Buckingham Shum, S., Ferguson, R., Duval, E., Verbert, K. & Baker, R.S.J.d. (2011). Open Learning
Analytics: An Integrated and Modularized Platform (Concept Paper). Download from solaresearch.org
• Align work on learning analytics with
strategic objectives and priority areas for
education and training
• Assign responsibility for development of
learning analytics
• Develop a framework for learning analytics
• Identify and build on work in
related areas and other countries
• Build on learning analytics
work to develop new priorities

21. 21
Research and development
• Develop pedagogy that makes
good use of analytics
• Develop analytics that address
strategic objectives and priorities
• Develop technology that enables
deployment of analytics
• Develop frameworks that enable
development of analytics

22. 22
http://evidence.laceproject.eu
Infrastructure
●Increase data handling
capability
●Create organisational
structures to support use
of learning analytics
●Use Evidence Hub to
identify areas for
development
●Develop methods of
sharing experience
and good practice

23. 23
Context
●Align learning analytics
work with different
sectors of education
●Develop practices that
are appropriate to
different contexts
●Identify successful
financial models

24. 24
Standards
●Develop and employ
interoperability standards
●Develop and employ ethical
standards, including data
protection
●Develop open approaches
to learning analytics
●Align analytics with
assessment practices
●Develop a robust quality
assurance process
http://www.laceproject.eu/deliverables/d7-1-interoperability-studies/
http://www.open.ac.uk/students/charter/essential-documents/ethical-use-student-data-learning-analytics-policy

25. 25
Skills
●Identify the skills required in
different areas
●Train and support researchers and
developers to work in this field
●Develop and support educational
leaders to implement these
changes
●Train and support educators to
use analytics to support
achievement
●Educate learners to use analytics
to support their own achievement

26. 26
Outreach
●Engage stakeholders
throughout the learning
analytics process
●Support collaboration
with commercial
organisations
●Promote awareness of
learning analytics

27. 27
solaresearch.org • LAK conferences
Stay connected

28. 28
Slides online at www.slideshare.net/R3beccaF
Rebecca Ferguson @R3beccaF
http://r3beccaf.wordpress.com/