What is Learning Analytics, and how is it revolutionising education?

The changes that data technology and innovation are bringing about in educational environments are increasingly evident. Terms such as Learning Analytics are becoming part of the current educational discourse, generating new challenges and benefits to explore.

The definition of Learning Analytics given by Phil Long (Director Educational Innovation & Technology at the University of Queensland) and George Siemens (Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute at Athabasca University) is as follows:

The measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their context, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and environments in which it occurs.

But how exactly can Learning Analytics revolutionise education?

Well, as we know, the education industry generates data non-stop: grades obtained in exams, demographic data, attendance data, participation data, platform usage data, including time of use and behaviour on the platform, and so on.

Until recently, this data was stored for the duration of the student’s training, then faded into the archives and was never heard of again.

Learning Analytics allows transforming this data into insights that will help improve the decision-making and productivity of institutions and their students.

Now, through Learning Analytics, educational institutions can gain deep insights into a student’s progress, along with an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. All this information, received in real time, enables teachers to design and craft school experiences according to each student’s individual ability, learning approach, preferences and performance, so we can better prevent student failure and shape their path to success.

As a result, there will be a direct increase in students’ motivation, which will likely result in lower dropout rates and students from a wider range of backgrounds gaining places to study.

This may all sound great, but we’re aware of the barriers that educational institutions have to overcome to make it a reality. Many of them agree that there is currently little training on the topic of Learning Analytics, and sometimes they don’t even have access to the relevant data. 

That’s why at Nucleoo, we offer a data platform as a service that bridges the gap between the institutions’ data and the insights they need.