Analytics and data - trying to understand the conversation

Want to know how Data Analytics can ensure learning efficiency and targeting? Check why using Data Analytics is essential for ensuring eLearning efficiency.

Wondering what types of eLearning Analytics to obtain? Check 8 types of eLearning Analytics you can obtain from Goggle and your LMS.

Four years after the launch of edX, the data generated by massive open online courses still mystifies many institutions. Could inter-university collaboration unlock the secrets to better course delivery?

This article is drawn from the recent research by the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) and Gartner researchers on the state of analytics in higher education. This research explores the analytics trends as well as future predictions for the deployment of analytics technologies. Publications include The Analytics Landscape in Higher Education, 2015; Institutional Analytics in Higher Education; and Learning Analytics in Higher Education. More information about the analytics maturity index and deployment index can be found in the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service (participating) and the EDUCAUSE Benchmarking Service.

Wondering what should your LMS Measure? Read this article to discover 6 LMS Metrics that you should look for in your LMS.

Analytics progress in higher education is moving slowly, at best. How can colleges and universities mature their analytics capabilities without working twice as hard?

Glenda Morgan talks about the current and future state of learning analytics.

This article examines how connectivism is useful for academic advising as a theory that links previous information to current information

The educational system seems to play an important role in defining success for people, and online education has its fare share of this.

Although nudging in small doses makes a difference, nudging is no panacea for all of the complex problems found in higher education. There are few studies that evaluate the overall effectiveness of nudging in changing behaviors and sustaining impact.6 Some studies even note the adverse effects of nudging.7 Like anything else in life, knowing when to use nudging — and when enough is enough — can be a challenge.

The answer is not simple. Perhaps the deepest concern lies in the definition of the problem and in who decides the direction of nudges. Nudging can easily become shoving or smacking. Obviously, the intentions behind most higher education practices are pure, but with new technologies, we need to know more about the intentions and remain vigilant so that the resulting practices don’t become abusive. The unintended consequences of automating, depersonalizing, and behavioral exploitation are real. We must think critically about what is most important: the means or the end.

With the transformative nature of new capabilities, we should explore both the opportunities and the threats associated with nudging in higher education. This is especially true at a time when academic credentials beyond the high school diploma are needed to acquire entry-level jobs, when colleges and universities are experiencing retention challenges, and when funding for higher education is decreasing. Nudging, used wisely, offers a promising opportunity to redirect students’ decisions and to contribute to the success of those students facing the steepest barriers.