Over the past decade, analytics has become a ‘hot topic’ and used across many sectors. It involves the collection and analysis of the digital traces left when doing anything online. More recently, as universities increase their online delivery of learning opportunities and support, they are using analytics to support learning and teaching, which is referred to as learning analytics.
While staff at Flinders have participated in a number of learning analytics projects, these have been small, localised and often occurred in isolated pockets.
In 2015, Innovative Research Universities (IRU), which Flinders belongs to, commissioned two projects related to learning analytics. Both projects are now complete.
The first project involved identifying IRU staff knowledge and attitudes. Using the survey tool and approach developed by the team on a previous national research project led by Flinders Professor Deborah West, the project team consulted with IRU staff through surveys and focus groups to determine their understanding, use and ideas for the development of learning analytics. These staff were also asked what they thought students might want from learning analytics and how they may use them or benefit.
The results of this research aided in the development of a survey tool for the second project, which involved engaging with students to get their views. The survey results from students were analysed and focus groups were held to gather further insights.
The resulting report is significant and of interest for two main reasons – it is one of the first studies to systematically explore students’ view on the use of learning analytics, including what they think would be useful to support their learning and the concerns they have in relation to the use of data.
Additionally, with a survey response rate of 2017 undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students, it is the largest Australian study of student perceptions on this topic.
These projects provide valuable insights into the difference between staff and student views.
Flinders staff and students were involved in these studies and while some of the findings may surprise – with differences in what staff and students think will help student learning and what students think of learning analytics – other findings are closely aligned between the two groups.
To find out more, watch the recording of the Webinar at https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/I9OGX1PJj1KwCxv or read both reports, (The Use of Learning Analytics to Support Improvements in Teaching Practice and Learner Facing Analytics: Analysis of Student Perspectives) available from the IRU reports site at: https://www.iru.edu.au/policy/policy-statements/