Friday, October 24, 2014

Learning Analytics

Title:  Review of Greller and Drachsler article: Translating Learning into Numbers:  A Generic Framework for Learning Analytics.

Citation:  Greller, W., & Drachsler, H. (2012). Translating Learning into Numbers: A Generic Framework for Learning Analytics.  Educational Technology & Society, 15 (3), 42–57.

The article presented by Netherland researchers Greller and Drachsler in 2012 provides a basic framework for success with Learning Analytics (LA) using the following six dimensions:
Stakeholders, objectives, data, instrument, external constraints, and internal limitations.

The authors lay a great foundation with an easy-to-understand dimensional framework and matrix with a representative graphic that serves to expand knowledge of learning analytics in a systems-based setting.

The authors try to fairly represent the advantages using LA to benefit and personalize teaching and learning. Another benefit is in the capturing of real-time authentic data, but they also bring an excellent point about the technical challenges of capturing pure information that is free from bias.

Greller and Drachsler also address the ethical concerns with data usage and the ability to use the information for quality assurance in teaching and learning.  They warned that the data can be easily abused in the wrong context for teacher performance and student learning.  Authors also offered a resource to address the ethical issues in data collection through the Association of Internet Researchers.
I appreciated the practical idea of utilizing LA to create a Drop Out Analyzer that assesses students' potential of dropping out which could be a very useful tool for identifying and retaining struggling students.

I thought the article was very well written and the project and thought were very well executed.  Authors provided a well-rounded look at the pros and cons of using LA.

The technology is moving so fast around LA that some of the information could be outdated because the article is two years old.  



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