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Research in educational psychology involves empirical investigation into the learning process with an aim to refine psychological theories of learning and their application to real-world settings where they can be used to benefit learners. Emergent methodological processes involved in learning analytics include the study of event-based data produced by individuals in learning environments where they use technology. Paradigms for substantive-methodological synergy can be used to align the strengths of educational psychology and learning analytics research. The Journal of Educational Psychology invites such collaborations. This issue illustrates the advancements to educational theory and practice that can be attained when learning analytics practices are aligned to reflect the assumptions within psychological theories of learning and learning analytics methods including feature engineering and multimodal modeling are leveraged. Exemplars demonstrate learning analytics’ potential contribution to the refinement and application of theories of learning and motivation. Educational Impact and Implications Statement Theories about learning describe complex processes and how the ways individuals undertake them affect the understanding they obtain and performances they achieve. Many of these learning processes are difficult to observe in the naturalistic settings where people learn. When data individuals produce during learning with technologies are collected and modeled in alignment with learning theories and using learning analytics methods, they can make learning processes observable. Incorporating learning analytics into the study of learning and the development of instruction can help refine learning theories and the design of technologies that individuals use to learn.
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Expanding the Frame: Designing a Learning Analytics System Using a Theory of Learning
This essay presents the case of designing a learning analytics system using a theory of learning. Learning analytics systems are often institutional artifacts using data collected from and to support educational practice and practitioners including learners, teachers, and administrators. There is a substantial and growing body of work under the learning analytics banner. Much of it framed technically around data harvested from digital tools and presentation mechanisms called dashboards. Using a specific case involving a collaborative game-based education research project, this paper provides a broad, sociotechnical design perspective through three frame expanding sections: the educational game’s learning theory-driven approach, the information architecture of the learning analytics system, and the activity system that the information from learning analytics information are used within. This paper illustrates a portion of the conceptual landscape that can guide the design, development, and research for these data systems that are potentially consequential for students and educators.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1915563
- PAR ID:
- 10258076
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Conference of the Learning Sciences
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
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