Designing data-informed support for building learning habits in the Japanese K12 context

Abstract

While building proper learning habits has been said to enhance academic performance, it is challenging to give long-term support for building habits in educational contexts due to the lack of continuous tracing of one’s habitual behaviors. With the accumulation of learning logs and the advancement of Learning Analytics (LA) techniques, this paper illustrates the data-informed support for building learning habits, which involves persuading one to change behaviors. Specifically, we tackled 2 research objectives following the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model. First, we defined indicators of learning habits from log data and analyzed 115,340 learning logs of 96 learners from a Japanese junior high school. As a result, the learners’ types of habits could be detected even though some might not be efficient and the stages of habits fluctuated over time. We also identified differences when comparing the learning habits extracted from the log data with those reported in the questionnaire. Second, based on the understanding of the learner profiles, we designed elements of an LA dashboard to support habit-building by applying the design principles from the PSD model. Overall, the learners recognized the feasibility of integrating data-informed support into their daily learning. Therefore, we look forward to the evidence of its effectiveness on the behavior change that can be depicted by the transition between stages of different types of learning habits.