This study reported the process of developing and evaluating a student-facing learning analytics dashboard (LAD) for an online STEM skill practice system from a user experience approach. A usability survey was administered to 19 LAD users to gather information on what the learners believed were the most important features and what needed to be done to further improve the design of the LAD. Our findings showed that the most important LAD feature to students was showing the accuracy level of their practice and providing the option to redo the practice. These findings informed the revisions of the preliminary design of the LAD and provided insights into future development of student-facing LADs in online learning environments.
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Designing a student-facing learning analytics dashboard to support online STEM practices
Despite the potential of learning analytics dashboards (LADs) to support learners’ needs for autonomy, little research has been conducted on designing LADs to support student autonomy. In this paper, we reported the process of designing a student-facing LAD that offers students’ autonomy support by providing necessary information for students to set their own goals and choose learning activities that are aligned with their goals. A leaderboard was also integrated into the LAD to promote student motivation. Reeves’s (2006) design-based research model was adopted to develop the LAD. The final version of the LAD was presented, and the significance of the work was discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2142608
- PAR ID:
- 10410062
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Companion Proceedings of the 13th International Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 65-67
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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An instrumental case study was conducted at a large, public research university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States to understand undergraduate use of learning analytics dashboard (LAD) interventions. Eighty-one undergraduate students participated in focus groups. Scenario-based questions, modeled on current and future LAD interventions, were asked to understand student uses, perceptions, and reactions to these interfaces. Results indicate that student sensemaking is tied to data relevance, accuracy, and context. Further, trust in both data, especially predictive data, and in relationships, especially with faculty, are foundational to the sensemaking of LAD data and interventions. A model of student sensemaking of LAD interventions is provided.
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Undergraduate research experiences are a promising way to broaden participation in computer architecture research and have been shown to improve student learning, engagement, and retention. These outcomes can be more profound and lasting if students experience research early. However, there are many barriers to early research in computer architecture some of which include the gap between pedagogy and research, the lower emphasis on hardware design compared to software in first-year courses, and the lack of online resources. We propose lowering these barriers through a methodical approach by involving undergraduates in early research and by creating freely available and innovative educational tools for designing hardware. We present the experience of a team of undergraduate students with research over one academic year using a Python hardware description language, PyRTL. PyRTL was developed to enable early entry into digital design. Its overarching goals are simplicity, usabil- ity, clarity, and extensibility, a stark contrast to traditional languages like Verilog and VHDL that have a steep learning curve. Instead of introducing traditional languages early in the undergraduate curriculum, PyRTL takes the opposite approach, which is to build on what students already know well: a popular programming language (Python), software design patterns, and software engineering principles. The students conducted their research in the context of the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP), a program designed to expand access to research among women and underrepresented minority students in their second year through a well-designed support structure.more » « less
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