Learning Analytics is a hot topic currently, so let's take a look at what all the fuss is about.
According to Wikipedia:
Learning analytics is 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.
Link to source
Why am I looking at learning analytics?
If we start to investigate learning analytics in the context of Moodle use by students we can see some distinct benefits.
Where to from here?
- For students, learning analytics can add meaning, context and emotional connection through a personalized learning process.
- For tutors, it can increase productivity, efficiency and evolve the teaching process into a mentoring relationship.
- For administrators, greater understanding of how learners communicate, complete tasks and construct new knowledge, combined with blogs, and Twitter activity will inform the design and development of optimal learning experiences.
- For institutions, all the consequences of learning analytics as documented above can provide a significant boost in quality to the services provided, to reputation and prestige.
There are some Moodle plugins being developed currently that I am watching the progress of. Here are two examples recently discussed at the Moodle Research Conference:
- MOC Log -Monitoring Online Courses with log data Visualisation of log data, anonymous for privacy and viewable by course and category for particular roles and groups.
- MonSys – Monitoring System Gives teachers alerts for students who have not accessed their course for a set number of days.
