Higher Education Teachers’ Experiences with Learning Analytics in Relation to Student Retention

Abstract

<p>This paper presents findings from a study of Australian and New Zealand academics (n = 276) that teach tertiary education students. The study aimed to explore participants’ early experiences of learning analytics in a higher education milieu in which data analytics is gaining increasing prominence. Broadly speaking participants were asked about: (1) Their teaching context, (2) Their current student retention activities, (3) Their involvement in, and aspirations for, learning analytics use, (4) Their relationship with their institution around learning analytics. The sampled teaching staff broadly indicated a high level of interest but limited level of substantive involvement in learning analytics projects and capacity building activities. Overall, the intention is to present a critical set of voices that assist in identifying and understanding key issues and draw connections to the broader work being done in the field.</p>

Online learning in Australian higher education: Opportunities, challenges and transformations

“…"At the moment we have a very manual process and what we are hoping for is something much more automated" (Senior Academic). Similar to other research findings (West et al, 2016), many staff members were interested in knowing more about how to use student data to inform effective interventions and outcomes but were not sure how to go about it or from whom to seek assistance. As an Evaluation…”

Engaging the disengaged: Exploring the use of course-specific learning analytics and nudging to enhance online student engagement

“…CLAs are automatically recorded by Learning Management Systems (LMS) which track students' online learning behaviours. They expedite the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which learning occurs (West et al, 2016). By capturing these behaviours and operating on the data, stakeholders are provided with feedback which can be used to improve teaching and learning and educational decision-making (de Barba et al, 2016).…”

Blended learning: Deficits and prospects in higher education

“…For precisely this reason, institutions must urgently seek better ways to ensure academic quality in their BL courses or programs and prevent drop-outs by designing retention programs that help ensure smooth academic pathways for students. As Tinto (2009) and West et al (2016) argue, universities must recognise that the roots of student attrition are dependent on not only students' contexts and specific life situations but also on the conditions of the educational settings in which students are expected to learn.…”