This paper details the anticipated impact of synthetic "big" data on learning analytics (LA) infrastructures, with a particular focus on data governance, the acceleration of service development, and the benchmarking of predictive models. By reviewing two cases, one at the sector-wide level (the Jisc learning analytics architecture) and the other at the institutional level (the UvAInform learning analytics project at the University of Amsterdam), we explore the need for an on-demand tool for generating a wide range of synthetic data. We argue that the application of synthetic data will not only accelerate the creation of complex and layered learning analytics infrastructure, but will also help to address the ethical and privacy risks involved during service development.
The large-scale production, collection, aggregation, and processing of information from various learning platforms and online environments have led to ethical and privacy concerns regarding potential harm to individuals and society. In the past, these types of concern have impacted on areas as diverse as computer science, legal studies and surveillance studies. Within a European consortium that brings together the EU project LACE, the SURF SIG Learning Analytics, the Apereo Foundation and the EATEL SIG dataTEL, we aim to understand the issues with greater clarity, and to find ways of overcoming the issues and research challenges related to ethical and privacy aspects of learning analytics practice. This interactive workshop aims to raise awareness of major ethics and privacy issues. It will also be used to develop practical solutions to advance the application of learning analytics technologies.
Abstract-This short paper presents the experiences of several Dutch projects in their application of the xAPI standard and different design patterns including the deployment of Learning Record Stores. In this paper we share insights and argue for the formation of an international Special Interest Group on interoperability issues to contribute to the Open Analytics Framework as envisioned by SoLAR and enacted by the Apereo Learning Analytics Initiative. Therefore, we provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the current xAPI standard by presenting projects that applied xAPI in very different ways followed by the lessons learned.
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