Kop and Fournier Learning Analytics Banff feb11

The Value of Learning Analytics to Networked Learning on a Personal Learning Environment

Rita Kop - Hélène Fournier – Hanan SitliaInstitute for Information TechnologyLearning and Collaborative Technologies

GroupPLE ProjectMoncton, New-Brunswick, Canada

1st International Conference on Learning Analytics

and Knowledge, February 27-March 1, 2011

Banff, Alberta, Canada

What to expect

Changing learning environment

Changing learning environment

ConclusionsConclusions

Challenges in

Challenges in capturing data

capturing data

Changing Research

Changing Research

and Analysis methods

and Analysis methods

Analytics on a

Analytics on a

Massive Open Online Course

Massive Open Online Course

The changing learning environment

http://bit.ly/gmNndn

The Web in 2010

http://www.flowtown.com/blog/have-we-reached-a-world-of-infinite-information?display=wide

Researching PLENK2010: Challenges in connectivist learning

• Aggregating• Remixing• Repurposing• Feed forward

profesorbaker.wordpress.com

(Downes, 2011)

Learning on a Massive Open Online Course

Challenges in capturing Big Data

meatmeter.blogspot.com

•New research and analysis methods required?•Ethical issues

abovethelaw.com

Research Approach

Qualitative methods Virtual ethnography consisting

of :• Observations on learning

environment• Observations outside the

learning environment using course tag

• Active participation by facilitator

• Action research by participants

• Qualitative questions on three surveys

• Focus group

Quantitative methods:• Data mining of the learning environment• Data mining outside the learning environment using course tag• Surveys

Analysis of data

Qualitative data• Standard

discourse analysis: sorting data into themes

• Nvivo

Quantitative data:• Learner analytics and visualization• statistical analysis of surveys

Why learning analytics?

• Learning about learning?

• Networking data analysis adds dimension to traditional research methods?

• Vizualizing = clarifying?

• Linking data to enhance learning?

• Subject on the course

http://bit.ly/gsiqF7

Barabási (2003)

Who were the PLENK participants?

Participants’ age

Participants’ residence

Participants’ professional background

http://bit.ly/gDEVKT

PLENK Analysis:What did participants

do?

PLENK participation rates

Postings by participants across six weeks of PLENK

Facilitator posts in PLENK

PLENK Analysis: Interactions on the Moodle

PLENK Analysis: Interactions on the Moodle

The complex network a facilitator's post generated

Relationships between topics in a discussion in week 1

SNAPP and Netdraw

PLENK Analysis: identifying themes

PLENK Analysis: use of Twitter

Analytics: student blogging experience

‘You will be noticed only if you tweet.’

Comparison: CritLit – PLENK:Moodle introductions 42 – 197 blog visitors   170 – 566blog visits     550 – 1478Residence        29 – 69

http://helistudies.edublogs.org/2010/11/18/plenk-in-the-whole-world-almost/

PLENK Analysis: use of Twitter

Twitter connections between PLENK participants

PLENK Analysis: use of Twitter

#tags related to Twitter posts in the PLENK Daily - six weeks duration

Conclusions – What did we learn? • Analytics are helpful in learning something

new about learning• Networking data adds a new dimension to

traditional research methods• Vizualizing = clarifying • Other analysis methods are still required to

capture depth about the data• Ethics implications• Linking data could be used to enhance

learning

Rita Kop, PhD.Frederika.Kop@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Helene Fournier, Ph.D.Helene.Fournier@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca