Human interaction with information on the Internet, including consumption, creation and distribution, generates data with value that can be mined. Social media analytics, for example, is a red-hot market as organizations of all kinds seek to understand rapidly-emerging trends. Learning Analytics applies similar data-mining techniques to create value for learners, teachers, parents, and education systems.
Opportunity Statement
Traditional top-down approaches to Learning Analytics focus on evaluating the performance of learners, teachers and/or education systems. However, more disruptive strategies look at how learners, teachers and education systems can each harness data appropriate to improving their own performance. There are also learning-specific opportunities related to broader data-mining and analytics markets with respect to sensors, acquisition, participation models, privacy, security, and brokerage.
Prediction Source(s)
Gartner – Next-Generation Analytics
Educause – Top 10 IT Issues 2013
Gartner – Top 10 Technology Trends 2013
I had to vote for this topic as I find it to be one of the most dangerous threats to education. I have had the opportunity to perform some background research and talk to other educators about this point. One particular person is Philip Mcrae. We are both part of a technology council in Alberta and he recently presented about Learning analytics. I was shocked at some of the information presented. If you would like to read about his thoughts that the research that he has done head over to: http://philmcrae.com/2/post/2013/04/rebirth-of-the-teaching-maching-through-the-seduction-of-data-analytics-this-time-its-personal1.html
Learning Analytics as a data mining exercise seems to be perfectly suited to building a model for service delivery based on demand/need. My particular interest is in data based “Base Line” definition as a starting out point in designing service delivery. Learning Analytics speaks to this data sourcing, so it has my vote.
As the field of ET continues to develop, more stakeholders will demand to see proof of the opportunity cost. Getting a handle on learning analytics will be essential to the future of ET investments.
Or, are learning analytics really about “teacher proofing” the education system, as noted above (@jetz66) in the link to Phil McRae’s blog post?
Certainly some big players in the LMS industry are banking on analytics as a market differentiator for them…
http://www.desire2learn.com/products/insights/
http://acrobatiq.com
Is there a difference in each of these approaches?