Learning analytics is the use of intelligent data, learner-produced data, and analysis models to discover information and social connections, and to predict and advise on learning. (Siemens, 2010) An analytics system includes the information repository itself, as well as a means for data optimization, predictive modeling, forecasting, and statistical analysis.
According to Ferguson (2012), there are 3 factors driving the development of learning analytics in higher education. They are:
1) Big Data
2) Online Learning
3) Political Concerns
When implemeting learning analytics, the following should be considered:
- Methods for visualizing data that are easy to use and understand
- Personalized dashboards
- Standards for the structure of data
- Ethics, privacy, and ownership of data
Data warehouses and the cloud make it possible to collect, manage, and maintain massive amounts of information, and technology platforms can now help us turn a mass of numbers into meaningful patterns. "Data mining uses descriptive and inferential statistics (e.g., moving averages, correlations, and regressions) and complex functions (e.g., graph analysis, market basket analysis, and tokenization) to look inside those patterns for actionable information. Predictive techniques (e.g., neural networks and decision trees) help anticipate behavior and events."(Wagner & Ice, 2012)
Learning Analytics is here to stay. Information gleaned from transactions and interactions in our online lives that can then be summarized in reports in order to provide us with intelligence for making decisions in a shift toward more desirable behavior is extremely valuable!
Resources:
Ferguson, R. (2012). The State Of Learning Analytics in 2012: A Review and Future Challenges. Technical Report KMI-12-01, Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University, UK. http://kmi.open.ac.uk/publications/techreport/kmi-12-01
Siemens, G. (2010). What are learning analytics?. Retrieved from: http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2010/08/25/what-are-learning-analytics/
Wagner, E., & Ice, P. (2012). Data changes everything: delivering on the promise of learning analytics in higher education. EDUCAUSE Review, July/August. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/data-changes-everything-delivering-promise-learning-analytics-higher-education.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Learning Tools: Twitter
The new network economy is about communities, collaboration, peer production, and user-generated content. As companies evolve within this new network economy, demands are being placed on internal learning and development departments to assist employees with mitigating the impact of increasing job demands, global workforce redistribution, cross functional projects, and formal information overload. (Pontefract, 2011) Given that many companies are also still burdened financially by recent economic crises in the U.S., learning and development departments are also under pressure to implement extremely cost-effective training solutions.
Due to these economic constraints, many companies are now turning to Web 2.0 tools, such as Twitter, as a means of cultivating formal, social, and informal learning in the workplace. The Twitter platform can be utilized at no cost to the account holder, is accessible anytime, and is especially good for mobile, on-the-go people who can learn anywhere. (Galagan, 2009)
When micro-blogging is encouraged within a company, it can help not only to address on-going employee professional development and training needs, but it also helps to create a company culture in which there is: (Pontefract, 2011)
• Better understanding of the organization across many teams & projects
• Personalization among employees and senior leaders
• Engagement and the feeling that everyone's opinion matters
• Information provided timely, be it formal or social/ community driven
Trainers should not only encourage the use of Twitter among employees for informal learning, but for formal learning as well. Twitter's interface provides a unique presentation platform for storing and sharing learning content and can be used as a delivery platform for training. The favorites tab is the key to designing a course (…) and critical to organizing the delivery of training. “Favorited” content that can be compiled for courses includes: (Wing, 2011)
• Hyperlinks
• Video Links
• Photo Links
• Geo-tagging Links
An example of using Twitter as a platform for course delivery and also a course on the topic, Building a Training Course in Twitter, can be found at: http://twitter.com/#!/ISD20/favorites
Resources:
Galagan, P. (2009) Twitter as a Learning Tool… really. ASTD T+D Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_galagan.htm
Pontefract, D (2011) Micro-blogging is Good for Leadership, Good for Culture. Brave New Org. Retrieved from: http://www.danpontefract.com/?p=267
Wing, T. (2011) App Fusion: Twaining in Twitter. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/623/app-fusion-twaining-in-twitter
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