EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative 2012 Online Spring Focus Session

Learning analytics (LA) is the collection and analysis of data associated with student learning. The analysis of this data, coming from a variety of sources like the LMS, the library, and the student information system, helps us observe and understand learning behaviors in order to enable appropriate interventions. The reports that an LA application generates can be helpful for instructors (regarding student activities and progress), for students (regarding their progress), and for administrators (regarding course and degree completion data). LA applications help instructors monitor student progress, students evaluate their own performance, and administrators track course and degree  completion. Although still emergent, learning analytics is a rapidly expanding area of research and a practice worthy of exploration.

Join us as we engage the teaching and learning community in exploring initial questions around learning analytics. Through plenary sessions and various institutional case studies, we will:

• Explore learning analytics' potential for positively impacting student learning and instructor effectiveness
• Understand the concept of learning analytics and how it may be operationalized and deployed at the course level
• Explore the various perspectives on learning analytics: learner, faculty member, and institutional
• Learn about the privacy, policy, and ethical issues associated with learning analytics
• Tour institutional case studies on learning analytics, from design through implementation
• Explore some initial approaches to begin local learning analytics work

Hosted inside an Adobe Connect learning environment, this virtual event will be much more than the usual online seminar. You'll exchange ideas and collaborate interactively with the ELI community—all without leaving your campus. You'll also receive all the resources and guided activities you need to help frame discussions and organize team events in your department and at your college or institution.

Is This Event for You?

This online event will bring together a variety of teaching and learning professionals to begin to address ways of seeking evidence of impact of our instructional innovations. The session will be valuable for:

• Information technology professionals
• Learning technologists and designers
• Faculty members
• Administrators
• Librarians
• Others functioning in related roles

You'll derive the greatest value from this online session if you attend as member of a team or host a group event on your campus. Team participation can help your institution advance a current or upcoming project and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration. Team members find that active discussion and engagement during focus-session activities builds rapport, solidifies plans, and enriches collaboration. By sharing a common focus session experience, participants can reflect on the implications for their campus.

How You Will Prepare

You'll be asked to complete pre-session activities and a survey in preparation for this online event. Please also visit the Getting Ready page to read more about technical requirements and informal networking opportunities. We recommend that teams consider the ways they can interact both inside the online learning environment and together on campus. Resources and guided activities will be provided to help you frame discussion on campus and to organize team events.